SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

MARKERS REPORT FORM

SUBJECT: 040-12 Engineering Knowledge - General

DATE: 27th March 2023

General Comments on Examination Paper

The pass rate for this examination was very low, the lowest in a long time. Although there were a couple of new
questions in Section A, the standard of answer for the questions that have been up before were generally poor. In
Section B there was one new question but only part (a) was completely new. In Section C there was one new
question but it was pretty basic for a Management Level question. Where a new question has been introduced I try
to ensure that the rest of the questions in each section have come up in past papers.

Other general comments are that candidates do not give enough details in their answers and can be very vague as
well as churning out answers that are either wrong or not relevant to the question. It would appear that my
previous comments on this are either not passed on or are ignored. I would hope that all candidates attending
college courses are made aware of the examiners feedback.

General Comments of Specific Examination Questions

Question 1
Not a lot of candidates answered this because it is a new question in the Management Level exams, but it is in
the syllabus. I would have thought that most marine engineers at this level would at least have known what
fretting was. A number of candidates scored more than half marks but generally the response was poor.

Question 2
This question was up as recently as December 2020 but it was not well answered this time round.
Part (a) a lot of candidates just produced a basic wheatstone bridge showing four resistors and said that one of
them was the sensing element. They also stated that it was a PT100 temperature sensor but few mentioned a
platinum wire as the sensing element. If you look at the most basic PT100 sketch you will see that it comprises
of a minimum of five resistors, one of which is the sensing element. Some candidates produced good sketches
and also showed a compensating wire.
Candidates were vague, as in ‘when the temperature changes the resistance changes’.

Part (b) Instead of putting the probe in a precision temperature source (bath or dry well) and then taking
temperature readings at various intervals, a large number of candidates said they would put the probe in a bath
of ice and take a resistance reading which should be 100Ω at 0oC, making the assumption that the ice is at 0oC.
Very few candidates stated that they would have had an independent thermometer to verify the temperature of
the ice.
Candidates then said that as the water temperature rose to room temperature they would refer to manufactures
tables to see what the resistance should be. Why not just measure actual temperature and compare it to the read
out from the temperature source?
If you said use a kettle and a calibrated thermometer, it would be a lot more practical and easier to explain than
the answer given.

Question 3
Although this question came up October 2019, it was generally not well answered which is a bit mystifying.

Question 4
This again was a recent question (March 2019) and most candidates did well. Some sketched a biological
treatment plant in answer to part (a).
Part (b) A lot of candidates compared a vacuum system to one that uses sea water for flushing which is an
obsolete system.

Question 5
This question first appeared in March 2021 and the “model” answer that most candidates used in part (a) misses
the mark. The answer given was by most candidates was all about centrifugal force versus gravity (which is
worth one mark out of three) and not the practical aspects such as compactness, automation, heavy weather
operation as well as efficiency.
Part (b) Some candidates sketched a heavy oil purifier and others showed the wrong direction of flow with the
oil sliding down the plates.

Question 6
This was a new question but again is in the syllabus and is covered in the course.
(a) Some candidates sketched a boiling process evaporator.
(b) Very few candidates had a clue about flash evaporation.
(c) This part has been up many times before and should have been an easy three marks.

Question 7
This question has been up in the past and it was for 10 marks in answer to part (a). This was considered too
much detail required and so was reduced to 6 marks with a fairly easy part (b) to give it a bit of balance.
A number of candidates did well with this question, others did not.

Question 8
Most candidates scored well in with this question, my only criticism is not reading the question properly.
Part (b) asks for procedure prior to release and not consequences afterwards.
Part (c) Not many candidates mentioned observing significant temperature drops or gave any reasoning for the
time taken to re-entry. Again, prior to entry, candidates talked about restoring the oxygen content to 21% before
ensuring that the fire was completely extinguished.

Question 9
This question has been up before and many candidates scored well. Very open question, rotary or static types
accepted.

Question 10
Although this is a new question it is really only part (a) that is new and not many candidates got it right.
Preventing single phasing is the crux of the question which means that all three phases need to be disconnected
immediately and ordinary HRC fuses will not do that. HRC was the most common answer given.
Part (b) RTD has been up as a generic question before and so have thermistors (December 2021) as motor
protection. A large number of candidates did not know what a thermistor was or how they protect the windings.

Question 11
This question has been up many times in the past, most recently in December 2019. I am at a loss as to why so
many candidates did not do well with this question. Most managed to get half marks for Part (a), the question asks
for an explanation so a simple phrase is not enough, you need give reasons as to what makes the equipment safe.
Part (b) Most candidates had no idea what testing should take place in hazardous areas and what precautions need
to be taken. As usual, risk assessment and “wear correct PPE” were trotted out without saying what either was.

Question 12
This was new question but it was of the rather soft variety and a lot of candidates scored pretty well. The one
thing to point out is that a large number of candidates repeated the answer to part (b) in answer to part (c)(ii).

Question 13
Most candidates did well for part (a) with some good sketches albeit there were also a number of poor efforts.
Part (b) The last time this question came up (October 2017) a lot of candidates stated that the bilge keels did not
extend the full length because to was too difficult to weld on the tapered or curved sections of the vessel. I said in
my markers report that this was not the case and I did not accept it as a valid answer and yet candidates repeated
in this paper that it is too difficult to weld a bit of steel on to a curved surface. Lost a mark every time – who came
up with this illogical answer and why do so many candidates believe it?

Question 14
Part (a) Was generally well answered and should have been an easy six marks.
Part (b) Again, generally well answered but some candidates were still under the impression that a light propeller
referred to the weight of the propeller and lost four marks.