Marking
The difficulty levels of the contest question papers range from easy to hard, with a progressive points system. Students are encouraged to think before answering in order to maximise their chances of success.
What is the difficulty level of the question papers?
The questions in The Big Challenge question papers are divided into several difficulty levels. This system makes it possible to assess students progressively and to challenge them throughout the contest.
📋 Breakdown of levels
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 55 questions |
| Easy level | First 25 questions (4 points per correct answer) |
| Medium level | Next 15 questions (5 points per correct answer) |
| Hard level | Last 15 questions (6 points per correct answer) |
💡 Tip : Students can focus first on the easy and medium questions to maximise their score, before attempting the hard questions.
What should a student do when they don't know the answer to a question?
It is normal for a student to hesitate over some questions. But what should they do in this situation?
📋 Recommended strategy
- 🧐 If the student can rule out 2 wrong answers: they can try answering at random, as they have a 50% chance of getting the right answer. Even if they are wrong, the points lost are minimal (a quarter of the question's points).
- 🚫 If the student has no idea at all: it is better not to answer. This avoids losing points unnecessarily, as each mistake costs a quarter of the question's value.
📋 Why this strategy?
- ✅ Correct answer: the student gains points (4, 5 or 6 points depending on the difficulty of the question).
- ❌ Wrong answer: the student loses a quarter of the question's value (1, 1.25 or 1.5 points depending on the difficulty of the question).
- ➖ No answer: 0 points awarded, but the student loses nothing.
💡 Tip : Encourage students to rule out the unlikely answers before answering. This increases their chances of scoring points!
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