Exam Results - A Level's

[MikeyC]

This could be quite an argumentative topic here. Again, results are out and everyone is saying the exams are getting easier. However, in my opinion, its not the exam papers themselves which are getting any easier/harder, its the marking. Currently, if you get an 'E' grade, its considered a pass. Scrap that. In my opinion, only a 'C' grade or above should be considered a pass. Nowadays, you prob need to get about 40% of the questions right to get an 'E' grade, hence why the pass rate is 96% at the mo and why there is the uproar of them being too easy.

My solution is simple. Make the minimum pass 'C' grade. Make it so you need 70% of the questions right to get a 'C'. 80% of questions right to get a 'B'. 90% of questions right to get an 'A'. I feel this would give a fairer view of exam results, it may sound harsh, but I think it needs to happen.

[Craggles]

If the 'C' grade was a pass, then there would be even less distinction between low passes and high passes.

Personally i'm aiming for A-C results, same as in my GCSES - and consider results below a D a fail really.

Grade boundaries are decided on how well the whole country did in the test - and this is what I think is wrong. I think there should be set boundaries when the paper was set. If the whole country aces the paper, everyone is rewarded. If the whole country struggles - no one gets the high marks.

Craig
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[dibbster]

[karen_moomin]

Different people have different perceptions of acheivement. I guess it depends what you're aiming for and what you're happy with getting.

I'm past exams and stuff now (thank the lord!), but personally I agree with craggles that a D feels like a fail because it's not a very high %. I can't really see how they can justify saying that getting 40% correct is a pass (albeit a low grade) because it means 60% of what you put in the exam is wrong!! If more of your knowledge is wrong than right, then surely a pass should be out of the question??

I got a D at GCSE for French so consider myself a failure in that subject, and a D in General Studies at A level, so consider myself crap at writing essays about politics and working out where the dot should be on a cube if you rotate it a certain way! (that's all I can remember about my GS exam!)

[Ste]

Quite happy for them to do it now, but glad they didn't do it when I did my A levels a year ago as if they had grade C as the pass grade I'd have two less A levels now.

[Going2fast]

Just got my results, think i need a custom title which reads "Pro. Fuk Up"

I got a C in ICT and the other 3 subjects (psychology,sociology, stats) i got U's. Gosh arnt i looking forward to my folks coming home. Well it was nice knowing you all.



Andy
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[JonB]

Unlucky Going2fast!

I get GCSE results next week and I consider anything below a C a fail as the 6th form college wants at least 5 A-C passes, therefore anything below is risky.
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[sv_cath]

You beat me Going2fast - when I did my A levels (a good few years ago!) I got a D and a U.
Don't worry about it - exam results aren't the be all and end all!

[Ste]

[Going2fast]

Cheers somerset scratcher and sv_cath. To be honest i myself don't feel to bad, its just my parents i'm worried about. Don't know if i'm just being silly though. Anyways plan to join the police now

Also somerset scratcher don't worry mate, you'll be fine.
Andy
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[LorryDriver71]

[Craggles]

I wasn't 100% happy with the AS results I got but they were to be expected...

Physics: Overall C, Module 1 & 2 got As and Module 3 got an E
Maths: Overall D, Stats: D, Pure: E, Mechanics: C
Media: 2 C's for the modules i've done
General Studies: E (GS is a bunch of shite anyway)

I think I'll definatley retake Module 3 of physics, and still need to do my media coursework (Open to ideas for short films!)

Havn't completley wasted this year because I still have my Oracle Certification, and I'm part way through a CCNA too.

Craig
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[stinkwheel]

I did the Scottish system. In Highers and Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (CSYS), a D is a fail.

In the CSYS, around 60% of the final mark is based on course work, lab books and a dissertation. I went into my sixth year exams needing 15% to make the grades for my conditional offer.

It is a different way of doing things compared to the English system and I think better with regard to further education. Teacher input is minimal (I did an hour a week for biology and chemistry) which gave them time to tell you what to read up on. The rest of the time was spent doing experiments, writing up lab books and preparing your dissertation. This was not timetabled, it would be perfectly possible to piss about the whole time if you wanted to (I used to spend every tuesday fishing and work the rest of the week)
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[Danny]

[stinkwheel]

Psychology, the specialist subject of people who spent the first year of their computing/engineering degree in the pub.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[yambabe]

Psychology, the subject taken by nosey people who can then proceed to tell you how to organise your life and WHY you're a paranoid psychotic just by studying your body language......

(I got a C in my psychology A level by the way, but that was *ahem* years ago when they were MUCH harder! )
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[karen_moomin]

Although I never did psychology/sociology/media at any level as a singular subject, as an arts graduate with the school of sciences I can see both sides! I still take offence at people saying they are easy subjects because it's not necessarily true. My degree involved many aspects of these and it was not bloody easy!

As for A level, I'd like to see some sort of proof of this supposed "easiness" of arts subjects before I believe it. Some people may see them as an easy option, but everyone is different so it's subjective to say that one thing is more difficult than something else.

Take me and my brother for example: He was a genius at Maths, Physics and Economics (his A level choices, if I remember correctly) whereas I was always good at English and Geography. He is admittedly crap at English which I found relatively easy at GCSE.

People are different, people have different interests, people have different ways and levels of learning - don't take someones achievement away from them because it's in an arts subject.

The other thing people are forgetting is dedication to learning. For all we know, all people studying sciences may spend all year dossing around, get low grades and then make the hard working art students look better! (Unlikely and very generalised, but I'm just trying to make the point that there are lots of factors to consider!)