Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language (oral endorsement) 0510 — 2015 May/June Paper 1 · Variant 3
0510/13/M/J/15 · 70 marks · ≈79 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 paper16 pages
















Mark scheme11 pages
Answers below. Sit the paper first if you are practising.











Paper as text
Question paper, page 1
This document consists of 13 printed pages and 3 blank pages. DC (ST/JG) 97832/4 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over Cambridge International Examinations Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education * 0 1 4 3 1 2 6 1 8 3 * ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE 0510/13 Paper 1 Reading and Writing (Core) May/June 2015 1 hour 30 minutes Candidates answer on the Question Paper. No Additional Materials are required. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen. Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid. DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES. Answer all questions. Dictionaries are not allowed. At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
Question paper, page 2
2 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 1 Read the following leaflet advertising Ropeworks, an adventure course, and then answer the questions on the opposite page. Visit Ropeworks! Ropeworks is the newest and most exciting attraction in Wales. It is situated at Greenacres Holiday Park in Snowdonia. This unique climbing adventure is about you! From the moment you arrive at the Ropeworks reception, you are in safe hands. The friendly, trained instructors will help you into your safety harness, and explain what the course is about. The impressive network of high poles is linked by a combination of ropes and nets. You can swing, climb, balance and go through the air in a way that you never dreamed possible. There is no limit to the high-flying fun that you can experience! You can do it! There is more than one way around the course because we want to encourage you to challenge yourself. You make the decisions about which step to take or which move to make. Your confidence will grow as you climb around the maze of poles and ropes. You might like to try the specially built, multi-coloured climbing wall. It now has hand holds, which have been added for extra safety. Or, you might prefer to sit back and enjoy the Giant Swing. There is room for two people, so you can ride with another person if you wish. If you choose the advanced course, you can move around the highest parts of the course at your own speed. You can have fun as you balance along the high wire, and walk on tiptoe over the wooden logs. On the Zip Descent, you can admire the wonderful view of the sea and the mountains. You will feel an amazing sense of excitement when you launch yourself from the platform for the high-speed descent. Adventure for all Ropeworks is open to adults and children who are 8 years old and above. Those under twelve years old should be accompanied by an adult. The Ropeworks course is not physically demanding, so it is suitable for people of all levels of fitness. What to wear You need to wear comfortable trousers and flat shoes. Open-toed footwear is not allowed. If it is raining, we provide waterproof jackets. Opening hours Ropeworks is open daily from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm. Holiday periods are very busy times, so advance booking is essential. You can pre-book your session by phone or on the website. Ropeworks welcomes group bookings, just telephone or email for details. Please note, people who arrive late may miss their session and will not receive a refund. Friends and family members who do not wish to participate are welcome to stay and watch.
Question paper, page 3
3 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over (a) Where in Wales is Ropeworks? …[1] (b) What do the staff do for you? Give two details. … …[1] (c) What keeps you safe on the climbing wall? …[1] (d) What is the minimum age for taking part in the activities? …[1] (e) In what situation would Ropeworks offer you clothing? …[1] (f) Why must you make sure you arrive on time? Give two details. … …[2] [Total: 7]
Question paper, page 4
4 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 2 Read the following article about research into talent, and then answer the questions on the opposite page. Born to Win? In 1993, three psychologists wanted to find out more about talent. They carried out research at the Music Academy of Berlin, which has a reputation for producing world-class violinists. The project was criticised because all the participants were the same age. However, its results have led to changes in the hours of practice that talented musicians are expected to do. The psychologists asked the teachers at the academy to select 30 violin students, and put them into three groups of different abilities. The boys and girls were all talented students, but the teachers had different expectations of each group. One group might become expert solo performers in the future. Another group was expected to become good enough to work full- time in an orchestra, and a third group had more modest ability. The psychologists interviewed all the students individually, and found that they had many similarities. For example, they had all started music lessons at the age of eight, and by the time they were 15 years old they had all decided to have a music career. Every student spent 50 hours each week improving their music skills. This included attending music classes and performing with other students. However, the psychologists discovered that there was a big difference in the amount of time that the students spent practising on their own. They found that the less successful students spent a much shorter time practising by themselves than the others. Finally, the students were asked to estimate how many hours they had spent practising alone since starting music lessons at the age of eight. By 18, the ‘solo performers’ counted a total of 7400 hours of practice. Students in the ‘orchestra’ group worked out that they had completed 5300 hours. By contrast with these two groups, students in the third group said that they had spent only 3420 hours practising. From the evidence of these findings, the psychologists concluded that the more practice people do, the better they become. They believed that what might appear to be inborn talent is the result of years of practice. However, the lead psychologist himself pointed out that this study was limited because it looked only at the students from one school. Some critics say that, although the findings of the Berlin research may be true for musicians, they are not relevant to other areas, such as sport and fitness. Others say that the study was limited because there was no proof that the students at the music academy were accurate in estimating their hours of practice. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 40 30 20 10 0 Participation in Research at a European Music Academy Number of participants Boys Girls However, this study has had an impact on the training of talented people in a wide range of activities all over the world. Time spent practising is seen as more vital for high achievement than natural ability. For example, experts advise sportspeople to do at least 10,000 hours of practice if they want to become good enough to win at the highest level. In addition, a recent North American research project investigated how far training can influence people’s fitness potential. The scientists analysed the genetic data of 100 families. The family members then participated in a fitness programme in a sports laboratory. At the end of the training, people from the same families showed very similar patterns of improvement. The scientists concluded that half our fitness potential comes from the genes that we inherit, and no amount of extra practice can change that. We do not yet know whether this view will be accepted by everyone.
Question paper, page 5
5 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over (a) What is the Music Academy of Berlin famous for? …[1] (b) What was the outcome of the research for the musicians? …[1] (c) How did the teachers at the academy help the researchers? Give two details. … …[1] (d) What ambition did all the students share? …[1] (e) What was the difference between the students of modest ability and the others? …[1] (f) What conclusions did the psychologists make from the results of the study? Give two details. … …[2] (g) According to the chart, in which two years did more girls than boys take part in research? …[1] (h) What is the minimum suggested training time needed to be a top athlete? …[1] (i) What was the first stage of the North American research project? …[1] (j) What did the scientists decide about people’s fitness levels? …[1] [Total: 11]
Question paper, page 6
6 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 3 Teresa Rochford, 17, who lives at 12 Garden Road, Dublin 22, in Eire, enjoys cycling, and often goes on day trips. She has decided that she would like to be more adventurous and go on a cycling tour for two weeks. Teresa has her own mountain bike and she will use it on the trip. Teresa is attracted by the idea of a student cycling tour in Norway because of the dramatic scenery. France also offers excellent cycling routes, but in the end she chooses Tuscany in Italy. Tuscany has wonderful scenery and a warm climate in summer. The cycle routes there are varied, and they pass through small towns as well as the countryside. Above all, she would like to visit the area to see the beautiful artwork and the fabulous buildings that until now she has only been able to admire in books. Teresa finishes her course on 15 June, and her father’s birthday is on 29 June. She wants to see her father on his birthday, so she plans to leave for Italy on 2 July. However, she could possibly go a day or two earlier or later. Teresa has heard about a company called Student Cycling Holidays, which is well-known for providing good quality, eco-friendly holidays in European countries. She is concerned about the environment so she decides to book her trip with Student Cycling Holidays. Teresa would prefer to join a guided tour, because she wants to have a guide who has local knowledge. Student Cycling Holidays arranges tours for groups of between five and twenty-five people. Teresa would like to go in a group of five people, because she thinks it will be easier to make friends in a small group. When she made enquiries about the tour, the company requested her phone number, which is 00353 1626 3899, for confirmation of her booking. They told her that most of the others on the tour would be students of her own age from different countries. The company offers different types of accommodation. Teresa has decided that she would like to stay with a local family each evening. This will help her feel as if she is part of the country and not just a tourist. Imagine you are Teresa. Fill in the holiday booking form on the opposite page, using the information above.
Question paper, page 7
7 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over Student Cycling Holidays Booking Form SECTION A: Personal details Full name: … Address: … … Male / Female: (please delete) Age: … Phone number: … SECTION B: Holiday details Preferred cycle tour: (Please tick ✓) Loire Valley Tour Explore Tuscany Hidden Norway Preferred departure date: … Length of holiday: … Type of accommodation preferred: (please underline) hotel camping family home youth hostel Preferred group size: … SECTION C Write one sentence giving a reason for choosing the country you plan to visit and one sentence saying what attracted you to booking with our company. [Total: 14]
Question paper, page 8
8 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 4 Read the following article about the world’s smallest monkeys, golden lion tamarins, and then complete the notes on the opposite page. World’s Smallest Monkeys Golden lion tamarins are among the most endangered animals on earth. They have fur which ranges in colour from reddish orange to golden brown. They are the smallest monkeys in the world, and they weigh only half a kilogram. The species is named after lions because of the ring of fur around their faces. Their natural habitat is the Atlantic forest in Brazil. Sadly, it is unusual to see a golden lion tamarin nowadays. They move quickly through the forest, and there are very few of them left because they are hunted for the pet trade. Victor Wilkins, wildlife adviser, says, “They suffer terribly if they are caught and put into small cages.” In addition, the rapid expansion in the human population has resulted in the need for more land to grow crops. Mr Wilkins adds, “This has had a terrible effect on their numbers. There were tens of thousands of golden lion tamarins in the past, but their numbers dropped to hundreds about thirty years ago.” Golden lion tamarins live in close family groups. In the 1970s, the Brazilian primatologist, Eduardo Figueiro, realised what was happening to this rare species, and began trying to save them. He says, “It is so important to preserve and protect this species, which evolved more than 20 million years ago. Each group of these delightful creatures needs a living space of about two square kilometres of dense forest. Deforestation has led to the animals being separated from each other and living in isolated groups of trees. The problem is that the monkeys cannot travel without tree cover, so our first task has been to plant trees in order to connect these groups. In this way, the monkeys can meet and socialise with each other.” Meanwhile, zoos all over the world have begun breeding programmes, which have had some success. The monkeys have become one of the few primates to be successfully returned to their native home in the forest, where they live on fruit, flowers and insects. In 2002, the Brazilian government established new areas of forest as protected reserves. Special patrols have been organised in these reserves to prevent hunting and forest fires. The danger is that just one fire could destroy the entire population of golden lion tamarins. As a result of these actions, the number of golden lion tamarins in the Atlantic forest has grown to about 1 500. There are also another 450 living in zoos throughout the world. Here they can be seen in close family groups, with the male taking much of the responsibility for the young. Primatologists are hoping to build on the success that has already been achieved. Some progress has been made to save the golden lion tamarins, but the future is still uncertain and the species remains critically endangered. Zoos will continue to work to maintain a stable population of golden lion tamarins. Introducing them to other parts of the world is not possible because their natural habitat is the Atlantic forest. Experts hope to increase the population living in the forest to 10 000, and this will help to ensure the survival of this endangered species.
Question paper, page 9
9 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over You are going to give a talk to your biology class about golden lion tamarin monkeys. Prepare some notes to use as the basis for your talk. Make short notes under each heading. Physical features of golden lion tamarins: • … • … Reasons for decrease in numbers: • … • … What is being done to increase numbers: • … • … • … [Total: 7] Exercise 5 Imagine that you have given your talk to the biology class. Now your teacher wants you to follow up these notes with a summary for the school notice board. Look at your notes in Exercise 4. Using the ideas in your notes, write a summary about golden lion tamarin monkeys. Your summary should be about 70 words long (and no more than 80 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. … … … … … … … … [Total: 5]
Question paper, page 10
10 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 6 A famous person recently spent a day at your school. Write an email to a friend, describing what happened. In your email, you should: • describe the famous person • say what they did while they were at your school • explain how the school has benefited from the visit. The pictures above may give you some ideas, and you should try to use some ideas of your own. Your email should be between 100 and 150 words long. You will receive up to 7 marks for the content of your email, and up to 6 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.
Question paper, page 11
11 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 [Turn over … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [Total: 13]
Question paper, page 12
12 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 Exercise 7 Some people think that museums are a waste of money, but others believe that they are important. Here are some comments from your friends on the subject: Young people want to look to the future, not the past. Museums attract tourists to our town. Museums can teach us how our ancestors lived. Money should be given to schools and hospitals, not museums. Write an article for the school magazine, giving your views. The comments above may give you some ideas, and you should try to use some ideas of your own. The article should be between 100 and 150 words long. You will receive up to 7 marks for the content of your article, and up to 6 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.
Question paper, page 13
13 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [Total: 13]
Question paper, page 14
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Question paper, page 16
16 0510/13/M/J/15 © UCLES 2015 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. BLANK PAGE
Mark scheme, page 1
® IGCSE is the registered trademark of Cambridge International Examinations. CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2015 series 0510 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE 0510/13 Paper 1 (Reading and Writing – Core), maximum raw mark 70 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 2015 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 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 IGCSE English as a Second Language Core tier Reading/Writing (Paper 1) This component forms part of the Core tier assessment of IGCSE English as a Second Language and tests the following Assessment Objectives: AO1: Reading R1 identify and retrieve facts and details R2 understand and select relevant information R3 recognise, understand ideas, opinions and attitudes and the connections between the related ideas R4 understand what is implied but not actually written, e.g. gist, relationships, writer’s purpose/ intention, writer’s feelings, situation or place AO2: Writing W1 communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately W2 convey information and express opinions effectively W3 employ and control a variety of grammatical structures W4 demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of appropriate vocabulary W5 observe conventions of paragraphing, punctuation and spelling W6 employ appropriate register/style Overview of exercises on Paper 1 Reading objectives tested Marks for reading objectives Writing objectives tested Marks for writing objectives Total available marks Exercise 1 Reading (1) R1, R2 7 – 7 Exercise 2 Reading (2) R1, R2, R4 11 – 11 Exercise 3 Information transfer R1, R2 10 W1, W5 4 14 Exercise 4 Note- making R1, R2, R3 7 – 7 Exercise 5 Summary – W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 5 5 Exercise 6 Writing (1) – W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6 13 13 Exercise 7 Writing (2) – W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6 13 13 70
Mark scheme, page 3
Page 3 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Exercise 1: Ropeworks (a) Greenacres Holiday Park / Snowdonia [1] (b) help you into your safety harness AND explain the course BOTH REQUIRED FOR ONE MARK [1] (c) hand holds / safety harness [1] (d) 8 [1] (e) if it is raining [1] (f) may miss the session will not receive a refund ONE MARK FOR EACH CORRECT DETAIL [2] [Maximum total for exercise 1: 7 marks]
Mark scheme, page 4
Page 4 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Exercise 2: Born to Win (a) producing world class violinists [1] (b) changes in hours of practice [1] (c) selected (30 violin) students put them into (three) groups of (different) abilities BOTH REQUIRED FOR ONE MARK [1] (d) have a music career [1] (e) they had practised less on their own / practised for only 3420 hours alone [1] (f) the more practice people do, the better they are talent is the result of years of practice / talent is not inborn ONE MARK FOR EACH CORRECT DETAIL [2] (g) 2011 AND 2014 BOTH NEEDED [1] (h) 10 000 hours [1] (i) analysed the genetic data (of 100 families) [1] (j) half comes from the genes we are born with / extra practice cannot change fitness potential [1] [Max total for exercise 2: 11 marks]
Mark scheme, page 5
Page 5 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 EXERCISE 3 Student Cycling Holidays Booking form Section A: Personal details: Full name: Teresa Rochford Address: 12 Garden Road Dublin 22 Eire Male / Female DELETE MALE Age: 17 Phone number: 00353 1626 3899 Section B: Holiday details: Preferred cycle tour: TICK Explore Tuscany Preferred departure date: 2 July Length of holiday: 2 weeks Type of accommodation preferred: UNDERLINE family home Preferred group size: 5 / five / small [Max total for Sections A and B: 10 Marks]
Mark scheme, page 6
Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Section C [Max. total for Section C: 4 marks] Write one sentence giving your main reason for choosing the country you plan to visit and one sentence saying what attracted you to booking with our company. Sentences 1 and 2 must be written from the point of view of Teresa. Sample Sentence 1 I want to see the beautiful artwork and fabulous buildings. Sample Sentence 2 I was attracted to your company as it has a reputation for eco-friendly holidays. I want to cycle in a small group/stay with a local family. For each sentence, award up to 2 marks as follows: 2 marks: proper sentence construction; correct spelling, punctuation and grammar; gives the information asked for 1 mark: proper sentence construction; 1- 3 errors of punctuation / spelling / grammar (without obscuring meaning); gives the information asked for 0 marks: more than 3 errors of punctuation / spelling / grammar; and/or does not give the information asked for; and/or not a proper sentence; and/or meaning obscure Absence of a full stop at the end should be considered as 1 punctuation error. Absence of an upper case letter at the beginning should be considered as 1 punctuation error. [Max total for exercise 3: 14 marks]
Mark scheme, page 7
Page 7 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Exercise 4: World’s Smallest Monkeys Physical features of golden lion tamarins: [Max. 2 marks] 1 fur ranges in colour / fur ranges from orange to brown 2 smallest monkeys / weigh half a kilogram 3 ring of fur around the face Reasons for the decrease in numbers: [Max. 2 marks] 4 hunted for the pet trade 5 expansion in human population / need for more land to grow crops 6 deforestation 7 forest fires Initiatives to increase numbers: [Max 3 marks] 8 plant trees 9 breeding programmes 10 returned to their native home 11 protected reserves 12 (special) patrols prevent hunting / (special) patrols prevent forest fires [Max total for exercise 4: 7 marks]
Mark scheme, page 8
Page 8 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Exercise 5: World’s Smallest Monkeys: summary 0 marks: no understanding of the task / no relevant content / meaning completely obscure due to serious language inaccuracies 1 mark: copying without discrimination from text / multiple language inaccuracies 2 marks: heavy reliance on language from the text with no attempt to organise and sequence points cohesively / limited language expression making meaning at times unclear 3 marks: some reliance on language from the text, but with an attempt to organise and sequence points cohesively / language satisfactory, but with some inaccuracies 4 marks: good attempt to use own words and to organise and sequence points cohesively / generally good control of language 5 marks: good, concise summary style / very good attempt to use own words and to organise and sequence points cohesively [Max total for exercise 5: 5 marks]
Mark scheme, page 9
Page 9 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 Exercise 6: Visit by famous person Exercise 7: Museums- important or waste of money? The following general instructions, and table of marking criteria, apply to both exercises. • Award the answer a mark for content (C) [out of 7] and a mark for language (L) [out of 6] in accordance with the General Criteria table that follows. • Content covers relevance (i.e. whether the piece fulfils the task and the awareness of purpose/audience/register) and the development of ideas (i.e. the detail/explanation provided and how enjoyable it is to read). • Language covers style (i.e. complexity of vocabulary and sentence structure) and accuracy (of grammar, spelling, punctuation and use of paragraphs). • When deciding on a mark for content or language, first of all decide which mark band is most appropriate. There will not necessarily be an exact fit. Then decide between 2 marks within that mark band. Use the lower mark if it only just makes it into the band and the upper mark if it fulfils all the requirements of the band but doesn’t quite make it into the band above. • When deciding on a mark for content, look at both relevance and development of ideas. First ask yourself whether the writing fulfils the task, in terms of points to be covered and the length. If it does, it will be in the 4–5 mark band. • When deciding on a mark for language, look at both the style and the accuracy of the language. A useful starting point would be first to determine whether errors intrude. If they do not, it will be in the 4–5 mark band. • The use of paragraphs should not be the primary basis of deciding which mark band the work is in. Look first at the language used and once you have decided on the appropriate mark band, you can use the paragraphing as a factor in helping you to decide whether the work warrants the upper or lower mark in the mark band. • If the essay is considerably shorter than the stated word length, fewer than 70 words, it should be put in mark band 2–3 for content or lower for not fulfilling the task. If the essay is between 70 and 100 words, it should be put in mark band 4–5 or lower for content. The language mark is likely to be affected and is unlikely to be more than one band higher than the content mark. • If the essay is totally irrelevant and has nothing to do with the question asked, it should be given 0 marks for Content and Language, even if it is enjoyable to read and fluent. • If the essay is partly relevant and therefore in mark band 2–3, the full range of marks for language is available. [Max total for exercise 6: 13 marks] [Max total for exercise 7: 13 marks]
Mark scheme, page 10
Page 10 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 GENERAL CRITERIA FOR MARKING EXERCISES 6 and 7 (Core tier) Mark band CONTENT: relevance and development of ideas (AO: W1, W2, W6) Mark band LANGUAGE: style and accuracy (AO: W1, W3, W4, W5) 6–7 Effective: Relevance: Fulfils the task, with appropriate register and a good sense of purpose and audience. Award 7 marks. Fulfils the task, with appropriate register and some sense of purpose and audience. Award 6 marks. Development of ideas: Ideas are developed at appropriate length. Engages reader’s interest. 6 Competent: Style: Sentences show some style and ambitious language. However, there may be some awkwardness making reading less enjoyable. Award 6 marks. Accuracy: Generally accurate with frustrating errors. Appropriate use of paragraphing. Award 6 marks. 4–5 Largely relevant: Relevance: Fulfils the task. A satisfactory attempt has been made to address the topic, but there may be digressions. Award 5 marks. Does not quite fulfil the task although there are some positive qualities. There may be digressions. Award 4 marks. Development of ideas: Material is satisfactorily developed at appropriate length. 4–5 Satisfactory: Style: Mainly simple structures and vocabulary but sometimes attempting a wider range of language. Award 5 marks. Mainly simple structures and vocabulary. Award 4 marks. Accuracy: Meaning is clear and of a safe standard. Grammatical errors occur when attempting more ambitious language. Paragraphs are used, showing some coherence. Award 5 marks. Meaning is generally clear. Simple structures are usually sound. Errors do not interfere with communication. Paragraphs are used but without coherence or unity. Award 4 marks.
Mark scheme, page 11
Page 11 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper Cambridge IGCSE – May/June 2015 0510 13 © Cambridge International Examinations 2015 2–3 Partly relevant: Relevance: Partly relevant and some engagement with the task. Inappropriate register, showing insufficient awareness of purpose and / or audience. Award 3 marks. Partly relevant and limited engagement with the task. Inappropriate register, showing insufficient awareness of purpose and / or audience. Award 2 marks. Development of ideas: Supplies some detail but the effect is incomplete and repetitive. 2–3 Errors intrude: Style: Simple structures and vocabulary. Accuracy: Meaning is sometimes in doubt. Frequent errors do not seriously impair communication. Award 3 marks. Meaning is often in doubt. Frequent, distracting errors which slow down reading. Award 2 marks. 0–1 Little relevance: Very limited engagement with task, but this is mostly hidden by density of error. Award 1 mark. No engagement with the task or any engagement with task is completely hidden by density of error. Award 0 marks. If essay is completely irrelevant, no mark can be given for language. 0–1 Hard to understand: Multiple types of error in grammar / spelling / word usage / punctuation throughout, which mostly make it difficult to understand. Occasionally, sense can be deciphered. Award 1 mark. Density of error completely obscures meaning. Whole sections impossible to recognise as pieces of English writing. Award 0 marks.
What you needed in this session
Cambridge’s own grade thresholds for 2015 May/June, Paper 1 · Variant 3. A higher threshold means an easier paper — the bar moves with how the cohort did.