Answer to 2003 Part Q1

[PJW]

For the benefit of others who may be reading this, the format of the 2003 paper is that the candidate only has to answer two questions - one on Signal Aspect and Route Control Tables and Point Control Tables instead of three questions for last years papers.

No, it is the same as other years "Either answer ALL or part A AND one question from part B, OR answer three questions from part B".
i.e. as well as the stated Control Tables to be done in 60 minutes (approx) you must also do one written answer in the remaining 30 mins (approx).

The issue is that in those years, there was no aspect sequence chart as one of the part B questions; in those years it was part of the module 2 rather than module 3. I know that many opf those that do the CTs expect to do the aspect sequence as their part B question to aoid the writing ones; BEWARE that there is no guarantee that it'll always be there. Indeed I think that the examiners feel that it is too easy and predictable compared to the rest of the paper; there were certainly moves afoot to revise / eliminate. Whether it will be apparent in 2008 is anyone's guess- my guess is that it won't go entirely BUT it may not be "just as previous years". Look at the Mock 2008 written paper for my take on the form in which the aspect sequence question may appear