Feedback on the June
2014 paper
Unit B354
General Points 1
• This unit is now worth 20%
• Still marked out of 100
• The questions are based on Areas of Study 2, 3
and 4
• Candidates should be aware of the Language
for Learning
General Points 2
• In the June 2014 paper some very good
answers were seen by many candidates
• Few papers gained under 20 marks and there
was a good proportion above 80.
• The grade boundaries were close to the
notional boundaries
Common Issues 1
• There are often problems with single mark
answers
– Candidates must only write one answer
– This candidate has 3 bar numbers that are correct
and 2 that are wrong – it they had stuck with their
first answer ‘3’ they would have gained the mark
– This is also true for tick box or underline answers
Common Issues 2
• Candidates should be clear as to how many
answers they should write
• Sometimes candidates write far too many but
often they do not write enough
• Whilst we endeavour to give credit to all that
is written it is important that a candidate is
aware how many marks the question is worth
and then answer appropriately
Common Issues 3
• Candidates often lose marks by not reading (or
listening) to what is required. For example:
• Q1ai – Give four features, Q1ci - Underline three
features etc.
• C2c, 2f, 4c, 6b, 7b and 7d all require the candidate to
describe but the mark at the end of the question
indicates how many points should be made.
Common Issues 4
• In this paper there was some confusion by
candidates over the composers for Area of
Study 4
– They were asked for a composer for both a
programme piece, Q3, and a piece of film music,
Q7 and many candidates wrote John Williams for
both
• When they are told what the extracts are in
the questions it is important for students to be
able to distinguish between programme music
and film music composers
Terminology
• It is vital that candidates understand the
musical terminology that might be used in the
questions
• On this paper these specific terms were used:
• Tonality, structure, articulation interval, tempo,
glissando and cadence
• Those that were used in multiples choice questions
were quite well answered but the two that required
understanding of the terms – cadence and tempo –
were not answered as well
• This was also true for the type of voice in Q4a where a
significant number of candidates did not know the
names of the voices
Tempo
• Candidates often use metronome marks to answer
questions on tempo when words might be better –
words seem to have a wider meaning
– For example in question 1ai the answer scheme is
this:
– MODERATELY FAST / FAST / ALLEGRETTO / ALLEGRO / VIVACE /
LIVELY / QUICK / MM 140-160
– ‘Allegro’ or simply ‘fast’ would have been better
Knowledge 1
• As well as the importance of knowing and
understanding musical terminology there are a
number of questions where background
knowledge is essential
– Composers and artists
– Periods of musical history
– Origins of the dance styles
– Dance steps
Examples
Knowledge 2
• On this paper there were 8 questions that
related to knowledge directly
– Composers and artists
– Dance steps
– Country of origin
– History period
• And 3 questions that related to knowledge
indirectly
– The type of drum used in Irish dance – 1b
– Styles of music – a capella – 1c
Specific questions
With examples showing
problems and some that
were excellent
Q1aii
• This is a very concise focussed answer
– Candidates often ‘waffle’ and so waste valuable
time
Q1aii continued
• An answer worth full marks but lots of added
detail is given that is not necessary and wastes
the candidate’s time
Q1aii continued
• Typical of an E grade candidate who repeats
the answer from question 1ai, has one
accurate answer and then uses words that are
really about the girl
Question 1cii
• Candidates seem to find questions about vocal
techniques difficult so it is a good idea to
spend some time on these
• A lot of answers were seen that repeated the
words from 1ci – call and response and harmony
1cii
• A very good answer
Question 3
• This is often a challenging question for many
candidates
• This year the prose question was an extract from
Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite – Sunrise
• The majority of marks this year were between 3 & 7
• Common problems
–
–
–
–
Too much focus on the story rather than the music
Not enough specific detail – all too general
A lack of chronology (although this is not essential)
Answers often start well and then lose focus
Question 3 continued
• This question is marked using 3 bands or levels:
– 1 – 3 is a limited range of points that may lack organisation
– 4 – 6 is several points showing some understanding, some
organisation and some links to the programme
– 7 – 9 needs a good range of points that show
understanding and are clearly expressed
• Some attention is paid to spelling punctuation &
grammar
An answer worth 2 marks
An answer worth 3 marks
An answer worth 6 marks
Notation Question
• OfQual required there to be Western notation
on the paper
• There will always be a skeleton score question
– It does require candidates to be able to follow a
melody
– They will always have to fill in missing notes
– There are often other places in the paper that
require a knowledge of notation – Q 6c in this
paper
Notation Question continued
• Most candidates gained some marks
• In this paper it was marked in the following way
– Every correct note gained 1 mark
– Every correct shape gained 1 mark
– Candidates often gained credit with a mixture of
correct notes and shapes:
Notation 3
• Even very poor answers often gain some credit
• 2 correct shapes = 2 marks
Notation 4
• On of the biggest problems is that candidates
do not always write clearly (of all abilities)
Question 5d
• There will always be a comparative question
• The boxes prove very effective for some but
others do not answer with any clarity
• Answers are often too vague, lacking any
detail
5di - a poor answer
• 5di – a lot of candidates wrote what they had been
told in the question whilst others simply ignored it
what they had been told
• This answer is far too basic and the candidate does
not appear to take into account that they were told
that it was the same artist
5di – An excellent answer
• A very clear comparative answer
5dii
• This was one of the best answers that we saw.
• Some ambiguity in the second sentence but
clear enough to accept
5dii
• This candidate like many others assume that a
bass guitar always plays a walking bass
• The second answer repeats one of the
questions in 5b – (whilst a long note is heard
for a while it is not throughout)
Q7 – Jaws - some really good answers
were given to this question
• 7b from an A* candidate – concise & accurate
Question 7 continued
• An equally good answer from a C grade
candidate
Question 7 continued
• A similar answer from and E grade candidate
Reminders
• There are now eight past papers for you to use
with your students
• It is the musical extracts that change form
paper to paper, the questions remain quite
similar so you are able to see what is expected
• There is a mixture of questions that focus on
the specific styles and others that focus on
general musicianship
Teaching the content from the
Areas of Study
• These have remained constant over many years and
it is clear that there is some excellent teaching across
the country
• There is quite a lot of it!!
• Be economical – you do not have to spend hours and
hours on each style or genre
• Use one or two styles to cover a lot of basic principles
and then dip into the others with information sheets
and some selected listening
Creative
Task
Performance
1
Listening Paper
Group
Performance
One genre or style
Log
and
Evaluation
Composition 2
Commentary
Composition 1