June 2012 1571/2571 (AS/A2) Media Studies
Unit code | Title | Numbering system | Type of answer book | No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
MEST1 | Investigating Media | Conventional | Combined | 28 |
MEST2 | Creating Media | New (01, 02 etc) | Seperate | 8 |
MEST3 | Critical Perspectives | New (01, 02 etc) | Seperate | 16 |
General advice
Students should:
- read all instructions on the front cover and at the start of each section of the question paper
- read each question carefully before responding, especially where there are optional question(s)
- remember that questions can appear on all pages of a question paper, including the final page.
Combined question paper answer books
Students should look at the number of marks and the line space allocated to each question and write answers of an appropriate length.
If a student needs more space to answer a question, they must:
either use the white space immediately beneath the lined answer space and before the start of the next question
or ask for an AQA four-page Supplementary answer book.
They should not:
- use the answer space for a different question
- write in the margin
- respond elsewhere in the answer book.
Separate answer books and the two-digit numbering system
Students worked well with the two-digit numbering system and separate answer books in 2011 exams; thank you for ensuring that the guidance was applied successfully. We have updated our guides for students, teachers and exams officers / invigilators to reflect the general advice given above.
A reminder: question paper style and marking answers on screen
Exams with separate question papers and answer books (unconstrained answer books) will use:
- our simplified, two-digit question numbering system
- answer books with spaces for students to write the two-digit question numbers.
For additional guidance see:
- Teacher Guide (revised)
- Exams officer and invigilator Guide (revised)
- Student Guide (revised)
- Question papers and mark schemes:
- Summer 2011 materials are available to schools / colleges in the Secure Key Materials area of e-AQA
- Specimen materials are available from the subject pages of aqa.org.uk
- Examples of students' work:
- AQA Research team papers: Marking answers on screen
- Reliability of on-screen marking of essays
- A concurrent approach to estimating the reliability of electronic marking of long form answers
- Using the Think Aloud Method to investigate electronic marking of long form answers
- The impact of e-marking on Enquiries After Results 2006/2007
- The impact of e-marking on Enquiries After Results 2005/2006
Archive
MEST3 Topics for January/June 2013
The topics for MEST3 will remain unchanged for January and June 2013:
- Representations in the media
- The impact of new/digital media
MEST1 and MEST3 Examinations - June 2012
You are advised of the following arrangements for A-level Media Studies units which have additional materials for June 2012.
For A-level Advanced Subsidiary Level, Unit 1: Investigating Media (MEST1) DVD facilities will be required. The MEST1 examination is scheduled for Tuesday 15 May 2012 (1.30pm – 3.30pm).
For A-level Advanced Level, Unit 3: Critical Perspectives (MEST3) DVD facilities will be required. The MEST3 examination is scheduled for Friday 15 June 2012 (9am – 11am).
The DVDs provided must only be opened and checked on the day of the examination, as is stated on the DVD packet label. The DVDs must be kept secure and the contents must be kept confidential.
Important information regarding A-level Media Studies, MEST2: Creating Media
Re-sit opportunity for MEST2
We are currently operating a system for MEST2 where one of the three available briefs is replaced after each summer series on a rolling basis.
Starting from this summer onwards, when a brief is replaced, candidates will have one opportunity to re-submit coursework on this brief in the following January series only. All work submitted in the summer series must follow the briefs for the appropriate year. We feel that this gives all candidates an equal January re-sit opportunity irrelevant of their chosen brief.
For example, if a candidate submits work in summer 2012 on Brief 1 (Prime Time Productions) which is being replaced after the summer 2012 series, they will have an opportunity to re-submit work on this brief in the January 2013 series only.
In summer 2013, all work submitted must be on the briefs published for January/June 2013.
Accessing copies of the MEST2 briefs
In previous years we have sent hard copies of the MEST2 briefs out to centres based on their estimated entries. From Summer 2012 onwards the briefs will not be send out in this way but will be available to access on our Secure Key Materials section of the AQA website. The new brief for 2013 will be published here and on the Media Studies homepage on 1 July 2012.
MEST1 Question paper – January 2012 onwards
From January 2012 the format of Section B has been slightly amended. There will no longer be three bullet points following questions 5 and 6.
The bullet point 'provide a brief outline of your cross media-study' has been removed to encourage candidates not to spend too much time describing their case study without starting to answer the question. However, candidates will not be penalised if they do wish to provide a brief outline.
The new format will be as follows:
Question
(Followed by the instruction)
Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.
January/June 2012 MEST2 Coursework Briefs
The Coursework Briefs for assessment January and June 2012 are now available.
MEST4 Approval notice
From September 2010, there will no longer be a formal requirement for centres to have their candidates' coursework titles approved. Each centre, will however, still have access to a designated Coursework Adviser who they will be able to contact with any queries relating to the coursework unit.
Coursework Adviser details will be sent to centres during September.
Secure Key Materials
Secure Key Materials is a new e-AQA service which replaces Recent Exam Materials from 1 September. It provides teachers and Exams Officers with exclusive access to a bank of exam-related material that is:
- secure
- easy to navigate
- quick to use
- intuitive, based on the design of our website.
Please read our new leaflet and look at the following demo to find out more about this new service.
To obtain an e-AQA account and access to Secure Key Materials, please register at e-AQA. For more information about the materials published on Secure Key Materials, please don't hesitate to contact the Subject team.
