Cambridge IGCSE English - First Language 0500 — 2016 May/June Paper 3 · Variant 3
0500/33/M/J/16 · 50 marks · ≈56 min
The question paper and its mark scheme, free to read here and free to download. This is Cambridge’s own paper, exactly as it was sat.
Question paper12 pages












Mark scheme8 pages
Answers below. Sit the paper first if you are practising.








Paper as text
Question paper, page 1
This document consists of 11 printed pages, 1 blank page and 1 Reading Booklet Insert. DC (CW) 111776/2 © UCLES 2016 [Turn over Cambridge International Examinations Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education * 6 5 4 7 8 4 9 1 3 8 * FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/33 Paper 3 Directed Writing and Composition May/June 2016 2 hours Candidates answer on the Question Paper. No Additional Materials are required. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your Centre number, candidate number and name in the spaces provided. Write in dark blue or black pen. Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid. DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES. Answer two questions in the space provided: Question 1 in Section 1 and one question from Section 2. If additional space is required, you should use the lined pages at the end of this booklet. The question number(s) must be clearly shown. Dictionaries are not permitted. The Reading Booklet Insert contains the reading passage for use with Question 1 in Section 1 on the Question Paper. The Reading Booklet Insert is not assessed by the Examiner. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
Question paper, page 2
2 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 Read carefully the report from a newspaper about changes to the structure of a school in the Reading Booklet Insert, and then answer Section 1, Question 1 on this Question Paper. Section 1: Directed Writing Question 1 Imagine that your school has plans to introduce family or vertical grouping. Write an article for your school magazine giving your views on the topic, based on the article. In your article you should: • identify and evaluate the ideas expressed in the article about family or vertical grouping • give your views about how you think it would affect students of different ages. Base your article on what you have read in the newspaper report, but be careful to use your own words. Address each of the two bullet points. Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Question paper, page 3
3 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 [Turn over … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
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4 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [Total: 25]
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5 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 [Turn over [Turn to page 6 for Section 2]
Question paper, page 6
6 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 Section 2: Composition Write about 350 to 450 words on one of the following questions. Answer on this Question Paper. Up to 13 marks are available for the content and structure of your answer, and up to 12 marks for the style and accuracy of your writing. Descriptive Writing 2 Describe the last-minute preparation and the moment before revealing a surprise party for a friend or relative, and their reaction when it is revealed. OR 3 Imagine you are stuck in a lift or elevator for a few minutes. Describe the other people in the lift or elevator and their reactions, as well as your own. OR Narrative Writing 4 Write a story which involves a visit to relatives. OR 5 ‘That was one piece of advice I should have ignored.’ Write a story which ends with these words.
Question paper, page 7
7 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 [Turn over Please write your chosen question number here (2, 3, 4 or 5): … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
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8 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
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9 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [Total: 25]
Question paper, page 10
10 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 Additional Page If you use the following lined page to complete the answer(s) to any question(s), the question number(s) must be clearly shown. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Question paper, page 11
11 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 Additional Page If you use the following lined page to complete the answer(s) to any question(s), the question number(s) must be clearly shown. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Question paper, page 12
12 0500/33/M/J/16 © UCLES 2016 BLANK PAGE Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge International Examinations Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download at www.cie.org.uk after the live examination series. Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.
Mark scheme, page 1
® IGCSE is the registered trademark of Cambridge International Examinations. This document consists of 8 printed pages. © UCLES 2016 [Turn over Cambridge International Examinations Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/33 Paper 3 Directed Writing and Composition May/June 2016 MARK SCHEME Maximum Mark: 50 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. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for Teachers. Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes. Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2016 series for most Cambridge IGCSE®, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level components.
Mark scheme, page 2
Page 2 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Note: All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the passage. Section 1: Directed Writing Question 1 This question tests writing assessment objectives W1 to W5 (15 marks) W1 articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined W2 sequence facts, ideas and opinions W3 use a range of appropriate vocabulary W4 use a register appropriate to audience and context W5 make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar and reading assessment objectives R1 to R3 (10 marks) R1 demonstrate understanding of explicit meanings R2 demonstrate understanding of implicit meanings and attitudes R3 analyse, evaluate and develop facts, ideas and opinions Imagine that your school has plans to introduce vertical grouping. Write an article for your school magazine giving your views on the topic, based on the article you’re your article you should: • identify and evaluate the ideas expressed in the article about vertical grouping • give your views about how you think it would affect students of different ages Base your article on what you have read in the article, but be careful to use your own words. Address each of the bullet points. Write about 250 to 300 words. Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing. [25]
Mark scheme, page 3
Page 3 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Responses might use the following ideas: A1 In favour of vertical grouping: • radical ideas better than closing down schools • used in many countries/situations • encourages better behaviour/higher educational achievement • less bullying • wider skills learned (i.e. teaching/child care) • safer for young children/role models to look up to • gives older children a sense of responsibility • teachers can focus learning on specific children, not a whole age group A2 Against vertical grouping (mostly inferential): • motivated by keeping the school open, not educational benefits (i.e. the age range narrowed when more children joined the school) • teachers need to be retrained – unwelcome to the most experienced teachers who have the most to offer • younger children are more demanding of the teacher’s time – the issue is not denied by Mrs Perez • exam students need extra tuition because they don’t learn as well in vertically • grouped classes • under-achieving adults won’t add to the standard of teaching and learning A3 Evaluative points on vertical grouping may include some of the above points as well as the following: • younger children and/or adults may benefit at the expense of older children • older children aren’t there to teach/take care of younger children • Mrs Perez makes claims about behaviour and academic standards without hard evidence • children may need the influence of their peers to develop socially • mixing children and adults is not necessarily beneficial because it erodes the respect children need to show to adults The discriminator is the evaluation of the arguments, which requires candidates to draw inferences and make judgements about whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in this particular case. Perceptive responses may discuss schooling, its purpose and practice, and this should affect the decision. Ideas and opinions must be derived from the passage, developing its claims and assessing their implications with clear and persuasive arguments.
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Page 4 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Marking criteria for Section 1, Question 1. Table A, Writing: Use the following table to give a mark out of 15 for Writing. Band 1 13–15 Consistent sense of audience; authoritative and appropriate style. Fluent, varied sentences; wide range of vocabulary. Strong sense of structure, paragraphing and sequence. Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate. Band 2 10–12 Sense of audience mostly secure; there is evidence of style and fluency; sentences and vocabulary are effective. Secure overall structure; mostly well- sequenced. Spelling, punctuation and grammar generally accurate. Band 3 7–9 Occasional sense of audience; mostly written in correctly structured sentences; vocabulary may be plain but adequate for the task; mostly quite well structured. Minor, but more frequent, errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Band 4 5–6 Inconsistent style; simple or faultily constructed sentences; vocabulary simple; basic structure. Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Band 5 3–4 Inappropriate expression; the response is not always well sequenced. Errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impair communication. Band 6 1–2 Expression unclear; flawed sentence construction and order. Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede communication. Band 7 0 The response cannot be understood. Table B, Reading: Use the following table to give a mark out of 10 for Reading. Band 1 9–10 Gives a thorough, perceptive, convincing response. Reads effectively between the lines. Shows understanding by developing much of the reading material and assimilating it into a response to the task. Band 2 7–8 Some evidence of evaluation, engaging with a few of the main points with success. Uses reading material to support the argument. Occasionally effective development of ideas from the passages. Band 3 5–6 Reproduces a number of points to make a satisfactory response. The response covers the material adequately, but may miss opportunities todevelop it relevantly or at length. Band 4 3–4 Selects points from the passages rather literally and/or uses the material thinly. Points should be connected. Band 5 1–2 Parts of the response are relevant, though the material may be repeated or used inappropriately. Band 6 0 There is very little or no relevance to the question or to the passages, or the response copies unselectively or directly from the passages.
Mark scheme, page 5
Page 5 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Section 2: Composition Questions 2, 3, 4 and 5 This question tests writing assessment objectives W1 to W5 (15 marks) W1 articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined W2 sequence facts, ideas and opinions W3 use a range of appropriate vocabulary W4 use register appropriate to audience and context W5 make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar Write about 300 to 450 words on one of the following questions. Up to 13 marks are available for the content and structure of your answer, and up to 12 marks for the style and accuracy of your writing. Descriptive Writing 2 Describe the moment before revealing a surprise party for a friend or relative and their reaction when it is revealed. OR 3 Imagine you are stuck in a lift or elevator for a few minutes. Describe the other people in the lift/elevator and their reactions, and your own. Narrative Writing 4 Write a story which involves a visit to relatives. OR 5 ‘That was one piece of advice I should have ignored.’ Write a story which ends with these words. Marking criteria for Section 2, 3, 4 and 5 Use Table A to give a mark out of 13 for content and structure, and Table B to give a mark out of 12 for style and accuracy.
Mark scheme, page 6
Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Table A, Composition: Content and structure General criteria Specific criteria Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing Band 1 11–13 W1: Content is complex, sophisticated and realistic. W2: Overall structure is secure and the constituent parts well balanced and carefully managed. Many well-defined and developed ideas and images create a convincing, original, overall picture with varieties of focus. The plot is convincing with elements of fiction such as description, characterisation and climax, and with cogent detail. Band 2 9–10 W1: Content develops some interesting and realistic features in parts of the writing. W2: Writing is orderly, and beginnings and endings are satisfactorily managed. Frequent, well-chosen images and details give an impression of reality, although the overall picture is not consistent. The plot incorporates some interesting features, but not consistently so: the reader may be aware of the creation of suspense and a sense of climax. Band 3 7–8 W1: Content is straightforward with ideas, features and images that satisfactorily address the task; some opportunities for development are taken. W2: Overall structure is competent and some sentences are well sequenced. A selection of relevant ideas, images and details addresses the task, even where there is a tendency to write a narrative. The plot is straightforward and cohesive with some identification of features such as character and setting. Band 4 5–6 W1: Content consists of relevant ideas that are briefly developed. W2: Overall structure is easily followed, though some constituent parts are too long or too short to be effective. The task is addressed with a series of ordinary details, which may be more typical of a narrative. Recording of relevant but sometimes unrealistic events outweighs other desirable elements of narrative fiction.
Mark scheme, page 7
Page 7 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 General criteria Specific criteria Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing Band 5 3–4 W1: Content is simple, and the presentation of ideas and events may only be partially credible. W2: Overall structure is recognisable though paragraphing is inconsistent and sequences of sentences insecure. Where a narrative is written, the recording of events may preclude the use of sufficient descriptive detail. The plot is a simple narrative that may consist of events that are only partially credible or which are presented with partial clarity. Band 6 1–2 W1: Content is inconsistent in relevance, interest and clarity. W2: Structure is frequently unclear, revealing a limited grasp of purpose. Some relevant facts are identified, but the overall picture is unclear and lacks development. The plot lacks coherence and narrates events indiscriminately. Band 7 0 W1: Content is rarely relevant and there is little material. W2: The structure is disorderly. Individual ideas are not properly communicated and the effect is one of incoherence. The plot is hard to follow and is only partially relevant.
Mark scheme, page 8
Page 8 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2016 0500 33 © Cambridge International Examinations 2016 Table B, Composition: Style and accuracy Band 1 11–12 Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent, linguistically strong and almost always accurate; has sense of audience. W3: Consistently wide range of appropriate vocabulary. W4: Subtle and effective sense of audience; appropriate use of varied sentence structures. W5: Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate. Band 2 9–10 Writing is mostly fluent, sometimes linguistically effective and generally accurate; may have some sense of audience. W3: Obvious attempt to use range of vocabulary to interest the reader. W4: Partial or inferred sense of audience, with appropriate sentence structures. W5: Spelling, punctuation and grammar mainly accurate. Band 3 7–8 Writing is clear, competent, if plain in vocabulary and grammatical structures; errors minor, but frequent. W3: Occasional precision and/or interest in choice of words. W4: Accurate if repetitive sentence structures W5: Minor but frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Band 4 5–6 Writing is clear and accurate in places, and uses limited vocabulary and grammatical structures; errors occasionally serious. W3: Plain but mostly correct choice of words. W4: Correct use of simple sentence structures; some errors of sentence separation. W5: Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Band 5 3–4 Writing is simple in vocabulary and grammar; overall meaning can be followed, but errors are distracting and sometimes impair communication. W3: Words may sometimes communicate meaning satisfactorily. W4: Frequent weakness in sentence structures. W5: Errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impair communication. Band 6 1–2 Writing is weak in vocabulary and grammar; persistent errors impede communication. W3: Insufficient language to carry intended meaning. W4: Faulty and/or rambling sentence structures. W5: Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede communication. Band 7 0 Writing is impossible to follow. Language proficiency is lacking; incorrect sentences; multiple errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
What you needed in this session
Cambridge’s own grade thresholds for 2016 May/June, Paper 3 · Variant 3. A higher threshold means an easier paper — the bar moves with how the cohort did.