(Go to Downloads for a copy of the February 2011 PMC Finals paper)
Feedback this year was very good with some wonderful comments from pupils and teachers - see below for a few comments. Many thought that this year’s Finals paper was harder than last year, and this is reflected in both the mark distribution and also in the medal and certificate award marks.Again, some teachers thought the paper was wordy; others congratulated the PMC Problems Team on setting lots of great ‘real life’ problems.
The snow caused some postal problems with the December deadline and we have tried to be as helpful as we can in accepting returns which were lightly over the stated date.
Pupil's Comments:
I wouldn't want to drink Toad Juice
Stretching but not scary
Utterly terrifying yet strangely enjoyable
Scary
My brain reached its elastic limit
If you use logic they become easier
I needed full concentration
Phew
I was scared and excited at the same time
Most questions were do-able
Would your dad give you £1000?
I liked Ped L Pusher
My brain is really buzzing now
I liked the funny names
It didn't feel like a test
Not too easy but not impossible
It was a brilliant test and I am glad I had the chance to experience it
Teachers' Comments:
Very interesting discussion afterwards
Stretched - but they loved it
Great scratching of heads
Admin excellent - almost faultless
Appropriate for a Finals paper
Tricky - as it should be
I enjoyed the questions myself
Some excellent 'real life' dilemmas
Written in such a lively relevant style
Encouraged systematic working
Challenging but fair
Really tough this year
A brilliant challenge
Thrilled to have someone in the Finals
Brian was left speechless!
No one could ever accuse you of dumbing down the PMC Finals
Lunchtime in the staffroom - teachers argued about the answers
Creative application of maths knowledge and skills needed
Fantastic motivator
It extended our most able mathematician
Our first pupil to sit the Finals and she loved it
We used a governor for invigilation
Great questions
981 Finals Results papers (OMR sheets) were marked and the distribution is shown here:
| Mark | 0-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 |
| % of pupils | 0 | 7 | 36 | 45 | 12 |
Many Finalists found the paper harder than last year but most seemed to have enjoyed it, judging by the feedback comments. Some teachers thought the paper was too wordy but most felt that it was a good challenge paper and that their pupils had benefitted from the ‘experience’! Most award winners are from England but it is good to see some from Northern Ireland, Scotland, The Republic of Ireland and The Netherlands as well as the ‘home education’ group.
| Gold | 33 pupils scoring 23 - 25 |
| Silver | 163 pupils scoring 20 - 22 |
| Bronze | 165 pupils scoring 18 - 19 |
Click here for a list of award winning pupils for the PMC Finals February 2011.