Physics Olympiad: Award Percentages & Question 1

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the British Physics Olympiad, specifically focusing on the award percentages required for different levels of achievement and the difficulty of Question 1 from Paper 2. Participants share their experiences and seek clarification on the exam format and grading criteria.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty with the Olympiad and inquires about the award percentages needed for recognition.
  • Another participant clarifies that the discussion pertains to the British Physics Olympiad paper.
  • A question is raised regarding whether the paper in question is Paper 1 or Paper 2.
  • A participant confirms that they completed Paper 2 of the Olympiad.
  • One participant suggests that grade boundaries for awards may vary based on the exam's difficulty, estimating thresholds for bronze, silver, and gold awards.
  • A participant expresses confusion about the timing of the Olympiad, questioning whether it has already concluded for the 2005-06 period.
  • Another participant encourages sharing links to the exam questions for further discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the exact award percentages or grade boundaries, indicating uncertainty and variability based on exam difficulty. There is also a lack of agreement on the timing of the Olympiad.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge that grade boundaries are not fixed and depend on the perceived difficulty of the exam, which remains an unresolved aspect of the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for the British Physics Olympiad, educators interested in exam formats, and participants seeking insights into award criteria and exam experiences.

Dave 007
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Hi,
I did the Olympiad this week and I found it very hard. Does anyone know what the percentages needed for the awards are.
Also can anyone remember any of the parts of Question 1 as I found it very hard and i wanted to ask my neighbour who is a physics lecturer about it
 
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By the way this is the "British Physics Olympiad" paper I am talking about
 
Was this paper one or two?
 
The Physics Olympiad paper that I did was Paper 2
 
Well it's hard to tell what the grade boundaries will be because they move depending on how difficult candidates found the exam. I didn't do the physics one last year only maths but i think a good guess would be, bronze about >40%, silver >55%, gold>70%, considering how hard these things are supposed to be.
 
Out of curiosity, is the BPhO OVER for 2005-06? My teacher claims I'm going to sit it this week and I thought it had finished ages ago. :S
 
Props to you for competing! Do you have a web pointer to the questions?
 

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