Section I

5 marks
Attempt Questions 1-5
Allow about 8 minutes for this section

Use the multiple choice answer sheet for Questions 1-5.

1 Which of the following could be the correlation coefficient of this bivariate data set?

A. 0.5

B. 0.5

C. 1

D. 1

2 In the graph of y  f ( x) , drawn below, which of the following statements is true?

A. f  2   0, f   2   0 and f   2   0

B. f   3  0 and f   3  0

C. f   5  0 and f   5   0

D. f  4   f  2  and f   4   f   2 

2
Part A – Markers Feedback
Question 6

7
a) Very well done. A few students answered units2 as if it was an area question and a couple
12
of students added + C to their final answer as if it was an indefinite integral.

∫ ( ax + b )
n
b) Some students mistakenly treated this question as if it was of the form dx

A common error was x 3 × x 3 =

x9 instead of x 6 .

c) There were quite a few problems dividing by x .

Question 7

This question was very well done. Only a few silly errors such as d = −4 instead of 4.

Question 8

The most efficient way to do this was to solve −1 < r < 1 . Some students solved r < −1 and r > 1
separately and did not always combine their answers correctly.

Overall:
Some students end their work with a statement when it is not a word problem

e.g. in Q. 7, S100 = 16900 is adequate.

Part B – Markers Feedback
Question 9
(a) and (b) both were well done.

(c) Not so well done. A lot of students attempted to use A.P or G.P formula rather than
U=
n S n − S n−1 . Most common error from this part was ignoring parentheses in expanding the
numerator.

Question 10
(a) Well done.
(b) Generally well done. Quite a few students used the power 11 instead of 12.
(c) Generally students were successful solving the logarithmic inequation.

Students who applied the formula as 2000(1.1) n−1 ≥ 106 and finished with an answer 1 more
than was correct.
Since time is continuous it was not logical to round the answer to the nearest integer.

1
mark was taken off for this error. Students also needed to give the day and time when this
2
figure was reached.

Question 11
Some errors of applying trapezoidal rule for repeated data. Main error was students not answering the
part of the question asking for the area of the grass.
Part C – Markers Feedback
Question 12
(a) Well answered. Just a few students didn’t interpret the correct rules for concavity-
confused f ′′ (x) < 0 to mean min and vice versa.
(b) Simple derivative and solving so most identified the possible point of inflection, however, a
significant number didn’t confirm the pt of inflexion by testing either side of x=1. Ext 1 and 2
students need to take note that it is best practice to choose x values very close to the possible
point of inflexion. Please be aware of potential issues, in other more involved questions, of
going past another stpt or over an asymptote.
(c) Well done generally. Only issue was not graphing in the stated domain and also not finding and
labelling the end points which were in fact the “absolute” max and min values for this restricted
function.
Question 13
(a) No issues plotting points but the scale some students employed made their graph distorted and
the correlation didn’t look strong because of this. Some mentioned an outlier but did not state
how they determined this statistically (there wasn’t an outlier) Students need to take more care
in determining the line of best fit. Only 1 student made reference of the values of bx+c from
calculator to aid in the drawing of a line of best fit, which was helpful to them as Pearson’s
correlation was close to 1 and they had an appropriate scale on their axes.
(b) Most identified the Person’s correlation coefficient correctly with the only omission in several
responses was forgetting to mention it was also a “positive” linear relationship.
Part D – Markers Feedback
Question 14

This question was generally well done. A small number of students decreased the index to −4 when
1
integrating x −3 instead of increasing it to −2 . Some students correctly obtained = 2 and then
b2
were unsure of how to proceed. b −2 = 2 followed by b = −2 2 was offered which is not
recommended.
Question 15
To successfully answer this question, students needed to know how to set up integrals for area
between two curves and then had to be careful not to make any computational errors when evaluating
the integrals. A number of students did not know how to set the integrals (always top curve – bottom
curve and if the curves cross then separate integrals for each section) and proceeded to use all manner
of ways to section and evaluate the shaded area. Secondly, computational errors and transcription
errors from one line to the next were all too common. Students are advised to practise efficient ways
of using their calculator to evaluate the integrals and take greater care when copying expressions from
one line to the next.
Question 16
(a) This part required students to “explain what this means”. This required students to interpret the
correlation coefficient in terms of the underlying variables. Specifically, the idea that when the
level of protein increases, the incidence of the disease decreases. Many students stated that this
was a strong negative correlation but this was not adequate explanation. This did not
demonstrate an understanding of how the variables affected each other especially as some of
these students went on to say in part (b) that a negative correlation meant that the two variables
were unrelated.

(b) Not well done at all. A reference to correlation not necessarily indicating causation was
required. Many responses stated a negative correlation in part (a) but then interpreted it in part
(b) to mean that increased protein would result in increased disease incidence. Several
responses stated that the reasoning was flawed as the coefficient of -0.8 meant the relationship
wasn’t “perfect”.
Question 17
This question was generally well done. Some students could not interpret the given information
resulting in them substituting y′′ = 5 when x = 1 or similar. The majority of students worked in
columns and squished in their working for this question, perhaps thinking that the limited space on
page 21 was all that was available. This is not recommended. Students should not be writing in the
margins or below the lines as this may not be read by markers.
Part E – Markers Feedback
Question 18
(a) Done very well.

[ f ( x)]
n +1

∫ f ′( x) [ f =
( x) ] dx +C
n
(b) Some students did not know the formula
n +1

Question 19
Generally well done. Some students did not know the difference between area and integral. Several
students did not know how to use a slope of the straight line to work out the value of x when y = 2 .

Question 20
Some students did not understand the “area between 2 curves”. Some students made careless errors
when solving a simple quadratic equation or when finding the y − intercept.
(c) Find the dimensions of the square base for which the volume of the pyramid 3
'/2
X.�.{.t...cc .v� .�... .
is a maximum.

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-29-
Part F – Markers Feedback
Question 22
Most students could get the maximum turning point at x = 3. Many students thought there was a
horizontal point of inflexion at x = C, and although this was a point of infexion is does not have
gradient zero there.
Question 23
(b) Most students knew the volume of a pyramid formula which was required to obtain
1 2 2 x2
=V x y − .
3 4
Many students had difficulty with gaining the second mark, which was for finding the
relationship 2 y + x =
1 (using the diagram), making y the subject and substituting into the
volume formula.
A few students had errors in manipulating the fraction inside the square root.

(c) The first step was to differentiate, which caused many students problems. The product rule had
1 2
to be used, students struggled mostly with applying the chain rule or differentiating the x
6
term. The second step was to solve y ' = 0 . Again, this presented many issues for students.
2
Some students arrived at 2 x − 5 x 2 =
0 and got the correct answers of x = 0, but far too
5
5
many incorrectly (& disappointingly) wrote x = 0, !
2
2
The final step was testing that x = gave a max volume AND stating the side length of the
5
2 2
base ( by )m. Many students did NOT test for a max volume. You must test either side in
5 5
a table of values (see solutions, x & y ' ), with x values close to 0.4 OR use the 2nd derivative
test. Many students had difficulty when testing as they used unsuitable x values. It was rare to
find a student who realised that the domain for x was 0 < x < 0.5 … this can from the domain
1 2
=
of the volume given to you: V x 1 − 2 x , 1 − 2 x > 0 so ∴ x < 0.5
6
As a result, many students tested x values such as 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 where 0.6 failed.
Full credit was not awarded if stationary point was not tested for a maximum, regardless of
whether the dimensions of the base of the pyramid were stated correctly.
Finally, students who did not state the dimensions of the base of the pyramid were penalised.

Note: if the derivative was too simple or y ' = 0 could not be solved then students were unable to
access the remaining marks for this question.