Qualitative data is words, not numbers
Qualitative data is in the form of words, not numbers — descriptions, accounts, opinions and feelings. It captures the meaning and detail of an experience: what it is like, how a person feels. Sources include open questionnaire answers, unstructured interviews, transcripts and observers' notes. The mark-scheme credit is "detailed data in words / non-numerical data describing feelings or experiences"; naming an example alone does not define the term.
Quantitative data is counted or measured
Quantitative data is in the form of numbers — anything counted or measured: words recalled, reaction times in milliseconds, rating-scale scores, how many chose each option. It suits descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range, percentages) and tables, bar charts and histograms. The mark-scheme definition is "numerical or statistical data that can be counted or measured"; quoting a figure from a study is not the same as naming the type.
Form (words vs numbers) is not source
Two independent questions can be asked of any data. Form: is it qualitative (words) or quantitative (numbers)? Source: is it primary (collected first-hand for this study) or secondary (already collected by someone else)? They are independent — an interview transcript you gathered is primary and qualitative; figures you looked up are secondary and quantitative. Quantitative is objective and easy to compare; qualitative is richer and often more valid.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
The same point reworded is still one point
On a 2-mark "describe" or "state two" item, the same point reworded twice earns only one mark — the scheme wants two unique points. If you have defined the form, add something genuinely different (a typical source, how it is analysed, a strength) rather than restating the definition.
Describe items scored one mark when the same point was reworded rather than two unique points given (June 2023 P2 Q22, Q15).
An example is not a definition
Asked to define qualitative or quantitative data, weaker answers give an example ("like a diary") without saying what the term means, or lean on "quality vs quantity" — too vague to credit. The precise contrast is form: qualitative is non-numerical, in words; quantitative is numerical, counted or measured. Any example a scenario asks for must come from the scenario.
Data types were muddled in June 2024 P2 (Q5b and Q2c): qualitative is detailed and in words, quantitative is numerical or statistical, and an example must come from the scenario provided.
Quoting a figure instead of naming the type
Some candidates assume "data" must be numerical, so when asked to name a data type they quote a figure from the study instead of naming the type at all. Qualitative data is words; a figure is not the name of a type. Read the command: naming the type ("qualitative" or "quantitative") is not the same as quoting the numbers in the study.
Some candidates thought data had to be numerical and quoted figures instead of naming the type in June 2019 P2 Q6d; the same confusion appeared in June 2022 P2 Q3c.
Two definitions score only 1 mark
When the command is "describe the difference between qualitative and quantitative data", two definitions side by side implies the difference but caps the answer at 1 of 2 marks. The second mark needs an explicit connective — "whereas", "however": "qualitative data is in words, whereas quantitative data is numerical and can be counted."
Describe-the-difference items were answered as two separate definitions in June 2019 P1 Q6 and June 2022 P1 Q7; connectives such as "whereas" earn the second mark.
Form (words/numbers) is not source
Qualitative versus quantitative is about the form the data takes (words or numbers); primary versus secondary is about who collected it and why. These are different questions, and mixing them loses marks: a set of numbers is not automatically "primary", and words are not automatically "secondary". Decide the form and the source separately.
Qualitative data is not "just opinions"
A common misconception is that qualitative data is merely subjective opinion and worthless, while quantitative data is automatically superior. In fact qualitative data is analysed systematically — grouping responses into themes — and gives valid insight into how people genuinely feel. Neither form is "better" in the abstract; the right choice depends on the aim.
Lift the example from the scenario
"Identify one piece of qualitative data, using an example" means the example must come from that study — the participants' own words, not an invented one. AO2 is credited only for the scenario's own detail, and because AO3 needs AO2, a generic example can lose both marks.
Use a connective on a difference question
Secure both marks on a difference question with one sentence contrasting the two: "qualitative data is in words, whereas quantitative data is numerical and counted." The connective signals the comparison the command demands; two separate definitions usually score only 1.
Classify only the measure the question names
When a study collects both forms — say a diary and a rating score — classify only the measure the question names. "Is the anxiety score qualitative or quantitative?" is about the score alone; answering for the wrong measure, or both, can miss the mark.
Every study produces data. One of the first things to describe about data is its form: is it made of words or numbers?
Definition tip: "quality vs quantity" is too vague to earn the mark. The examinable contrast is words vs numbers — describe the form.
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