The Committee of Management for the Natural Sciences Tripos give notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2008, the form and conduct of certain of the examinations for the Natural Sciences Tripos will be changed as follows:
Paper B2 will consist of two sections, A and B. Section A will contain five questions relating principally to the courses Electron Deficient Compounds, Co-ordination Chemistry, and Organometallic Chemistry. Section B will contain two questions relating principally to the course Introduction to Chemical Biology. Candidates will be required to answer five questions, at least one of which must be from Section B.
Theory papers: there are two theory papers, each of three hours' duration. Each paper is divided into two sections of five questions. Two questions must be answered from each section. From 2008, the sections will approximately comprise the following subject matter:
| 1A | Structures and sedimentary basins |
| 1B | Geophysics and hydrosphere |
| 2A | Biogenic, chemical, and clastic sedimentologyv |
| 2B | Paleobiology and palaeontology |
Candidates are required to submit records of their practical work conducted during the year by the fourth Wednesday of Full Easter Term. This is comprised of nineteen practical exercises, which will be assessed by the Examiners as part of the Practical Examination and will count for 12% of the total mark for Natural Sciences Tripos, Part IB, Materials Science and Metallurgy.
Written examination paper 1: this paper will have three sections each of two questions. Students answer four questions including at least one from each section; includes material from the Michaelmas and Easter Terms.
Written examination paper 2: this paper will have three sections each of two questions. Students answer four questions including at least one from each section; includes material from the Lent and Easter Terms.
| (a) | Project work will take place during Michaelmas Term. Project write-ups should not exceed ten pages including diagrams, tables, appendices, and references, in 12 point font of Times Roman or similar, no less than 1.5 line spacing, and page borders of no less than 2cm. Project reports will be handed in on the last day of Full Term. Project presentations should last no longer than 7 minutes each with an additional maximum of 5 minutes of audience questions. Presentations should use appropriate software tools, and students are recommended to prepare 5-10 slides maximum. Presentations will be given during the last practical sessions of term. |
| (b) | There will be two assessed practicals based on the work in Lent Term. Each assessment will last two hours, and students will be allowed to bring books and notes into the assessment. 50% of the practical mark will be allocated to the project, and 50% to the two assessed practicals. |
All candidates take two three-hour papers.
Paper 1 will contain four sections: candidates should answer five questions from Section A, two questions from Section B, one question from Section C, and one question from Section D. Section A will contain six short questions; Section B will contain four problem questions on Oscillations, Waves, and Optics; Section C will contain two problem questions on Concepts in Condensed Matter Physics; Section D will contain two questions on the same courses as Sections B and C; these questions being essays, brief notes, or largely descriptive questions.
Paper 2 will contain four sections: candidates should answer five questions from Section A, two questions from Section B, one question from Section C, and one question from Section D. Section A will contain six short questions; Section B will contain four problem questions on Quantum Physics; Section C will contain two questions on Quantum Physics; these questions being essays, brief notes, or largely descriptive questions; Section D will contain two questions on Experimental Methods.
Candidates take two three-hour papers. All candidates take Paper 1; candidates not reading Mathematics in Part IB of the Natural Sciences Tripos take Paper 2A; other candidates take Paper 2B.
Paper 1 will contain three sections: candidates should answer five questions from Section A, two questions from Section B, and two questions from Section C. Section A will contain six short questions; Section B will contain four questions on Electromagnetism and Dynamics and Fluids; these questions being essays, brief notes, or largely descriptive questions; Section C will contain four questions on Thermodynamics, at least one of which will be an essay, brief notes, or a largely descriptive question.
Paper 2A will contain four sections: candidates should answer five questions from Section A, and four questions from Sections B, C, and D, of which at least one should be drawn from each section. Section A will contain six short questions; Section B will contain four problem questions on Electromagnetism; Section C will contain four problem questions on Dynamics and Fluids; Section D will contain three problem questions on Mathematical Methods.
Paper 2B will contain three sections: Sections A, B, and C will be identical to those of Paper 2A. Candidates should answer five questions from Section A, two questions from Section B, and two questions from Section C.
Major Subject: Genetics (course code 414): the examination in this subject will consist of four of the five written papers of Natural Sciences Tripos, Part II, Genetics. See also under History and Philosophy of Science.
The paper is divided into two sections, Section A and Section B. Biological and Biomedical Sciences candidates will not be required to answer questions from Section A, and will be required to answer three questions from Section B. Each question will carry the same weight.
The paper is divided into two sections, Section A and Section B. Biological and Biomedical Sciences candidates will not be required to answer questions from Section A, and will be required to answer three questions from Section B. Each question will carry the same weight.
In Papers 3 and 4 of the written examination, candidates will be required to answer two questions from Section A and three questions from Section B. Section A carries one third of the credit for each paper and will consist of four questions. Section B carries two thirds of the credit for each paper and will consist of six questions. Section A questions will all be based upon courses which have either nine lectures or twelve lectures; there is no such restriction on Section B questions. Papers 1 and 2 of the written examination remain unchanged in form.
Candidates are required to submit records of their practical work conducted during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms in lab notebooks. These must be submitted to the Examiners by the first Friday of Full Easter Term. This work shall be comprised of reports on 6 Practical Experiments and 5 Materials Examination Series which shall count for a total of 11% of the total mark for Natural Sciences Tripos, Part II, Materials Science and Metallurgy. The Design Project, which was formerly assessed, has been discontinued. Other practical work remains unchanged.
The papers set for the subject Pharmacology in Part II of the Natural Sciences Tripos also serve as the papers for the Part II of the Natural Sciences Tripos, Biological and Biomedical Sciences (Major Subject, Pharmacology).
Paper 1 will contain eight questions on the material in the course designated for the module Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. Candidates will be required to answer three questions.
Paper 2 will contain eight questions on the material in the course designated for the module Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. Candidates will be required to answer two questions.
Paper 3 will contain eight questions on the material in the course designated for the module Systems Pharmacology. Candidates will be required to answer three questions.
Paper 4 will contain eight questions on the material in the course designated for the module Systems Pharmacology. Candidates will be required to answer two questions.
The Department have introduced a Research Skills Module which has one, longer compulsory question. The students were made aware of this at the time they applied for the course.
Additional for course A: Candidates will be required to attempt three questions in each paper except for candidates taking the Research Skills in Neuroscience module, who will be required to attempt a compulsory question and one other question in one of their papers.
Papers 1 and 2. Candidates must answer three questions, choosing not more than two from any one of nine sections. Each section contains three questions.
Papers 3 and 4 are unchanged.
In Section B of Paper 1, question 4(a) will consist of a single question based upon either lecture course T1 or T2.
All other parts of the examination remain unchanged.