Examiners should consistently apply the following principles. Diagrams Diagrams that have working on them should be treated like normal responses. If a diagram has been written on but the correct response is within the answer space, the work within the answer space should be marked. Working on diagrams that contradicts work within the answer space is not to be considered as choice but as working, and is not, therefore, penalised. Responses which appear to come from incorrect methods Whenever there is doubt as to whether a student has used an incorrect method to obtain an answer, as a general principle, the benefit of doubt must be given to the student. In cases where there is no doubt that the answer has come from incorrect working then the student should be penalised. Questions which ask students to show working Instructions on marking will be given but usually marks are not awarded to students who show no working. Questions which do not ask students to show working As a general principle, a correct response is awarded full marks. Misread or miscopy Students often copy values from a question incorrectly. If the examiner thinks that the student has made a genuine misread, then only the accuracy marks (A or B marks), up to a maximum of 2 marks are penalised. The method marks can still be awarded. Further work Once the correct answer has been seen, further working may be ignored unless it goes on to contradict the correct answer. Choice When a choice of answers and/or methods is given, mark each attempt. If both methods are valid then M marks can be awarded but any incorrect answer or method would result in marks being lost. Work not replaced Erased or crossed out work that is still legible should be marked. Work replaced Erased or crossed out work that has been replaced is not awarded marks. Premature approximation Rounding off too early can lead to inaccuracy in the final answer. This should be penalised by 1 mark unless instructed otherwise. Continental notation Accept a comma used instead of a decimal point (for example, in measurements or currency), provided that it is clear to the examiner that the student intended it to be a decimal point.