Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level
BIOLOGY 9700/51
Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation May/June 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 30
Published
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.
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Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.
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Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2017 series for most Cambridge IGCSE®,
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© UCLES 2017 [Turn over
9700/51 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2017
PUBLISHED
Mark scheme abbreviations
; separates marking points
/ alternative answers for the same point
R reject
A accept (for answers correctly cued by the question, or guidance for examiners)
I ignore (for answers that include irrelevant information that does not contradict the expected answer)
AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual)
ora or reverse argument (for answers which are written as the opposite to the expected answer)
underline actual word given must be used by candidate (grammatical variants accepted)
max indicates the maximum number of marks that can be given
ecf error carried forward
mp marking point (with relevant number)
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9700/51 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2017
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
1(a) idea that, results / they / it / test, could be affected by subject 1 A ‘results’ in terms of, heart beat / heart rate / pulse rate / reaction time
expectation / AW ; AW
I may affect results / fair test / ref. to reliable results unqualified
1(b)(i) independent variable 2 A caffeine concentration / volume of caffeine
presence (or absence) of caffeine ; A pulse rate / number of (heart) beats per minute
A description of reaction time, e.g. time to press switch
dependent variables
heart rate and, reaction / response, time ;
1(b)(ii) max 8 of: 8
1. ref. to having a large number of test subjects / AW ; 1. if number stated, minimum of 10 with caffeine
2. ref. to subjects / groups, have drinks with and without 2. A water / 0 mg caffeine / AW as decaffeinated drink
caffeine ;
3. ref. to description of method of making drinks
indistinguishable
or
ref. to method that only, experimenter / student, can tell which
is which ;
procedure
4. ref. to test-subjects not, drinking / taking in, any caffeine
(drink) for at least 5 hours before the test ;
5. Idea that each subject being tested in isolation / away from
others (throughout the experiment) ;
6. ref. to subject, at rest / quiet, during test / after test / whilst
having measurements (reaction time and heart rate) taken ;
7. ref. to taking measurements (of reaction time and heart
rate) before giving the drink ;
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9700/51 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2017
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
8. ref. to waiting (a minimum of) 45 minutes after giving the 8. A other stated times up to 2 hours / 120 minutes
drink before measuring (the reaction time and heart rate) ; R around / about 45 minutes
9. ref. to giving the same volume of drink (to all subjects) ; 9. A stated volumes, e.g. 100 – 350 cm3 A ‘a can’ / ‘a bottle’ / ‘a cup’
10. ref. to test subjects being, all caffeine / all non-caffeine, 10: I ref to. paired sampling
users ;
11. ref. to test subjects being, same / similar, 11. A same age range (e.g. 35–40) I ref. to health here (see mp 14)
age / mass / weight / fitness level / ethnicity / race ;
12. idea of standardised sex balance ; 12. A have all of one sex / equal numbers of one sex
13. calculate mean (for the measurements) ; 13. I average A repeat three times and take a mean / AW
14. ref. to idea that health questionnaire / getting permission 14. I low risk experiment R no risk
before testing / being aware of potential health risks A idea of excluding / being aware of, people with, caffeine or coffee or
or drink allergy / epilepsy (brought on by flashing lights) / heart
ref. to allowing test-subjects to stop if they feel unwell ; conditions / neurological conditions / pregnancy / asthma
I allergy / diabetes unqualified
1(c)(i) (both sets of) data are continuous / data (are approximately) 1 A interval data A relationship for correlation
normally distribution / scatter graph or data or it suggests or I trend / pattern
shows a linear correlation / 5 or more paired observations ;
1(c)(ii) there is a negative (linear) correlation / as caffeine 1 A relationship for correlation I trend / pattern
concentration increases as reaction time decreases ; I qualification, e.g. strong / weak
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
1(c)(iii) subtract 2 from the (total) number of pairs of data ; 1 I number alone
df = n – 2 / 10 – 2 (= 8)
A n – 1 / 10 – 1 (= 9)
or
n = 10
or
(n – 1) + (n – 1) / 10 – 1 + 10 – 1 (= 18)
A categories / samples for pairs of data
I subjects
1(c)(iv) 1. use the probability table at 5% / 0.05 ; 3
2. compare the (calculated) r value / 0.722, to the critical 2. A table / tabulated, values as AW for critical values
value / 0.632 ; A ref. to higher / lower as evidence of comparison
3. significant, if / as, (calculated) r value / 0.722, is higher 3. A (less than) 5% probability / P = (<) 0.05, that the value is due to
than critical value / ora ; chance
A 95% chance, that it is significant / that it is not due to chance
A 'reject the null hypothesis'
I ref. to the sign + or –
R if ref. to ‘expected v observed’ / significant difference
1(d) 1. idea that only one person was tested for each of the 2 1. A only 10 subjects
concentrations ; I not a large number of / not enough, subjects / AW
2. idea that a response could be, atypical / anomalous 2. A ref.to subject 5 or 6 is anomalous
or I ref. to other experimental conditions not being controlled.
people vary in their response (to caffeine) / an example of a
possible variation in response ;
1(e) idea that concentration of acetylcholine remains high (in 1 A more acetylcholine present / acetylcholine, remains for longer / not
synapses) broken down / increases / constantly secreted, so ..
so
idea that reaction time is faster / (muscles) respond more I reduces time for impulse to travel / impulse (s) travel faster / more
quickly / response is more rapid / (post synaptic) neurones synapses / AW
(supplying muscle) continue to be stimulated ;
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
2(a)(i) max 2 of: 2
1. the number of times the populations were sampled ; 1. populations sampled, 10 / the same number of, times
2. the number of locations within each site ;
3. the time of year that the populations were sampled ; 3. A populations sampled in the, same / warmest, (3) months / time of
year / season I temperature
4. the day on which samples were taken (was the same) ;
5. idea that (size always) measured, as length / to nearest
mm / in mm ;
6. (one / the same) species of beetle (counted) ;
2(a)(ii) 1. trap / collect / sample / capture / AW, beetles, mark and 2 max 1 for ‘mark, release, recapture’ unqualified
release ; 2 marks for mark, release, recapture and correct formula
I incorrect / incomplete formula
2. re-trap beetles, and count / record the number of marked correct formula = number in first sample × number in second sample
beetles, out of the total number recaptured ; marked number in second sample
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
2(b)(i) A B C D E 2
site
population
10 792 11 314 18 426 15 224 17 650
of beetles
number of
large 6520 6276 10 687 6432 6523
beetles
number of
small 4272 5038 7739 ; 8792 11 127
beetles
percentage
of large 60 55 ; 58 42 37
beetles
2(b)(ii) supports 1
idea that as the, percentage / proportion, of large beetles is, A E hottest and has smallest, percentage / proportion of large beetles
less in higher temperatures / more in lower temperatures ; I any ref. to population size / number
A partially or not supported if justified, e.g. idea that no clear pattern
throughout range / ABC (BC / AB / AC) percentages similar but
temperature varies
A idea that no data relating to actual body size
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Question Answer Mark Guidance
2(c) max 2 of: 2 I population size / number
1. as temperature increases, proportion / percentage of, large 1. A size as equating to proportion or percentage, e.g. body size
beetles decreases ; ora decreases as temperature increases for ora
2. idea that (temperature) variations between A, B and C do
not seem to affect size much as, percentage / proportion, of
large beetles similar (60, 55, 58) ;
3. ref. to differences in annual (temperature) range related to,
percentage / proportion of, large / small, beetles ;
4. ref. to average yearly temperature values or groups of
values linked correctly to stated percentage or proportion of,
large / small, beetles ;
5. ref. to lowest average temperature values or groups of
values linked correctly to stated percentage or proportion of,
large / small, beetles ;
6. ref. to highest average temperature values or groups of
values linked correctly to stated percentage or proportion of,
large / small, beetles ;
2(d) must state what the aspect of climate change is considered 1 the effect must be possible in relation to the aspect of climate change
e.g. warmer / cooler / more extreme / wetter / quoted but does not need to be justified
drier / windier / stormier, etc e.g.
A if global temperature rises / falls, would expect, smaller / larger / AW,
one example of at least one possible climatic change and populations
effect on population number or beetle size ; A if global temperature rises would expect a higher,
percentage / proportion, of small beetles in the population ora
A global warming may result in an overall smaller body size
A global warming could increase predators so reducing beetles
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