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Discuss: Reasons behind top grades
ANOTHER year of record-breaking A-level and GCSE results - but what do you put the success down to?
Every year it is claimed exams must be getting easier for results to be constantly improving.
But is it really as simple as that?
What about other factors, such as teenagers today being brighter than previous generations? Or maybe it is pupils' hard work that is achieving the results, not the exams actually be any easier?
Is the standard of teaching and level of support given to students improving and therefore contributing to better exam results?
Rather than the subjects themselves getting easier, do you suspect that maybe the marking is getting softer?
Or is there no particular reason for the great results and pupils should just be congratulated for their achievements?
As good as the results are, do you think they may cause problems further on, making it difficult for universities or employers to judge one student from another?
Whatever you views on exam results, add your comments below.
9:53am Thursday 21st August 2008
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CommentPosted by: amy, west wickham on 3:36pm Thu 21 Aug 08
i worked my butt off for these exams.. its not fair for people to put it down to papers getting easier
i worked my butt off for these exams.. its not fair for people to put it down to papers getting easier
Posted by: Charlie, Bromley on 3:50pm Thu 21 Aug 08
[quote][bold]amy[/bold] wrote:
i worked my butt off for these exams.. its not fair for people to put it down to papers getting easier[/quote] You may have worked your "butt off", but you didn't learn how to:
1 Use Capitals correctly (i=I) and (its = It's).
2. Use fullstops correctly (.. =., and at the end you are missing one completely).
3. Use apostrophes correctly (its = It's).
Now, when I took my exams, you would have been marked down several points alone in your TWO sentences.
So now then, shall we still talk about exams getting easier.
amy wrote:
i worked my butt off for these exams.. its not fair for people to put it down to papers getting easier
You may have worked your "butt off", but you didn't learn how to:
1 Use Capitals correctly (i=I) and (its = It's).
2. Use fullstops correctly (.. =., and at the end you are missing one completely).
3. Use apostrophes correctly (its = It's).
Now, when I took my exams, you would have been marked down several points alone in your TWO sentences.
So now then, shall we still talk about exams getting easier.
Posted by: Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The All Knowing Guru, The Classroom on 4:57pm Thu 21 Aug 08
Everyone knows that the examinations have been made easier by multiple-choice questions making up a substantial amount of them.
Multiple-choice questions, no mark-downs for appalling punctuation and grammar, together with more marks given to those students with 'dyslexia' (around 85%) and 'HDHD' (around 15%).
With this sort of help, is it any wonder that the results keep getting better and better?
[bold]Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott[/bold]
Everyone knows that the examinations have been made easier by multiple-choice questions making up a substantial amount of them.
Multiple-choice questions, no mark-downs for appalling punctuation and grammar, together with more marks given to those students with 'dyslexia' (around 85%) and 'HDHD' (around 15%).
With this sort of help, is it any wonder that the results keep getting better and better?
Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott Posted by: Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The Great, Detention on 4:59pm Thu 21 Aug 08
Apologies: [bold]ADHD[/bold].
The [bold]dyslexia[/bold] must be catching!
[bold]Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott[/bold]
Apologies:
ADHD.
The
dyslexia must be catching!
Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott Posted by: Mick, Walderslade on 7:18pm Thu 21 Aug 08
[quote][bold]Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The Great[/bold] wrote:
Apologies: [bold]ADHD[/bold]. The [bold]dyslexia[/bold] must be catching! [bold]Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott[/bold] [/quote] Even Erastus has dyslexia, I think you maybe able to claim some kind of invalidity benefit, I think thats what ADHD etc were discovered for. On a serious note I may take my exams again, sure I could get better results than last time 30 years ago.
Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The Great wrote:
Apologies: ADHD. The dyslexia must be catching! Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott
Even Erastus has dyslexia, I think you maybe able to claim some kind of invalidity benefit, I think thats what ADHD etc were discovered for. On a serious note I may take my exams again, sure I could get better results than last time 30 years ago.
Posted by: Mark, Dartford on 9:45pm Thu 21 Aug 08
Is texting part of the curriculum now?
If so,no wonder there are so many celebrating.
Is texting part of the curriculum now?
If so,no wonder there are so many celebrating.
Posted by: Geoff, Northfleet on 2:10am Fri 22 Aug 08
After getting a A+ in, Hoar( Horse owner and rider),I must admit that the questions do seem to be getting easier.
When it comes down to 'spot the difference' between three horses( one with a leg missing),I do feel that it would be difficult, not to pass these 'modern' day exams.
After getting a A+ in, Hoar( Horse owner and rider),I must admit that the questions do seem to be getting easier.
When it comes down to 'spot the difference' between three horses( one with a leg missing),I do feel that it would be difficult, not to pass these 'modern' day exams.
Posted by: Sweary Stan, Lee on 3:08am Fri 22 Aug 08
[quote][bold]Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The All Knowing Guru[/bold] wrote:
Everyone knows that the examinations have been made easier by multiple-choice questions making up a substantial amount of them. Multiple-choice questions, no mark-downs for appalling punctuation and grammar, together with more marks given to those students with 'dyslexia' (around 85%) and 'HDHD' (around 15%). With this sort of help, is it any wonder that the results keep getting better and better? [bold]Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott[/bold] [/quote] What did I tell you?
Your Lord Erastus Theobald Piggott The All Knowing Guru wrote:
Everyone knows that the examinations have been made easier by multiple-choice questions making up a substantial amount of them. Multiple-choice questions, no mark-downs for appalling punctuation and grammar, together with more marks given to those students with 'dyslexia' (around 85%) and 'HDHD' (around 15%). With this sort of help, is it any wonder that the results keep getting better and better? Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott
What did I tell you?
Posted by: Martin, Dartford on 9:06am Fri 22 Aug 08
The main reason behind these apparent "improvements" in exam results, is political spin.
I am 41 years old, and when I sat my GCE's they were marked using a percentile system:
A grade - top 10%
B grade - next 15 %
The only constant was that a C grade was set at 45%.
I would love to see the exams remarked in the old way - I wonder how many kids would get C and above????!
As with everything else that politicians interfere with - the whole system is knackered and no longer fit for purpose.
LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS!
The main reason behind these apparent "improvements" in exam results, is political spin.
I am 41 years old, and when I sat my GCE's they were marked using a percentile system:
A grade - top 10%
B grade - next 15 %
The only constant was that a C grade was set at 45%.
I would love to see the exams remarked in the old way - I wonder how many kids would get C and above????!
As with everything else that politicians interfere with - the whole system is knackered and no longer fit for purpose.
LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS!
Posted by: Mark, Dartford on 9:22am Fri 22 Aug 08
[quote][bold]Martin[/bold] wrote:
The main reason behind these apparent "improvements" in exam results, is political spin. I am 41 years old, and when I sat my GCE's they were marked using a percentile system: A grade - top 10% B grade - next 15 % The only constant was that a C grade was set at 45%. I would love to see the exams remarked in the old way - I wonder how many kids would get C and above????! As with everything else that politicians interfere with - the whole system is knackered and no longer fit for purpose. LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS![/quote] Well put.
Martin wrote:
The main reason behind these apparent "improvements" in exam results, is political spin. I am 41 years old, and when I sat my GCE's they were marked using a percentile system: A grade - top 10% B grade - next 15 % The only constant was that a C grade was set at 45%. I would love to see the exams remarked in the old way - I wonder how many kids would get C and above????! As with everything else that politicians interfere with - the whole system is knackered and no longer fit for purpose. LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS!
Well put.
Posted by: Anonymous, London on 9:58am Fri 22 Aug 08
Well said Charlie and Mark. The standard of written English these days leaves a great deal to be desired and, in my day, would not have resulted in an GCE O-level pass (and certainly not an A-level). As far as I am aware, text-speak is not correct English and therefore should be marked down.
The other reason I think the results are apparently so much better is that a fair percentage of the exam mark comes as a result of course work done during the year. When I was at school it was all down to how you fared on the day - good or bad. Course work didn't come into it.
My husband has always said that he would have passed many more O-levels if his course work had been considered because he always succumbed to nerves on exam day. His school reports constantly said: "His exam results do not reflect the stadard of work achieved during the year".
And so there is no doubt that exams today are much easier, given that marking is no longer strict and how you do on the actual day hardly matters.
Well said Charlie and Mark. The standard of written English these days leaves a great deal to be desired and, in my day, would not have resulted in an GCE O-level pass (and certainly not an A-level). As far as I am aware, text-speak is not correct English and therefore should be marked down.
The other reason I think the results are apparently so much better is that a fair percentage of the exam mark comes as a result of course work done during the year. When I was at school it was all down to how you fared on the day - good or bad. Course work didn't come into it.
My husband has always said that he would have passed many more O-levels if his course work had been considered because he always succumbed to nerves on exam day. His school reports constantly said: "His exam results do not reflect the stadard of work achieved during the year".
And so there is no doubt that exams today are much easier, given that marking is no longer strict and how you do on the actual day hardly matters.
Posted by: Biscuit, London on 12:02pm Fri 22 Aug 08
The exams, marking systems and grading are not the fault of the youngsters who have worked hard and done well. We should be proud of them and congratulate them.
Don't forget all us old'uns that whereas we just learnt for 2 years and then were examined at the end, pupils nowadays have coursework deadlines and exams proper throughout the 2 year period, constantly keeping them under pressure. They have to perform well all the time during that period. We just had the pressure bit at the end.
I agree that marks should most certainly be lost for poor English - spelling, punctuation and grammar. I think this is in deference to immigrants and is very wrong. We should be proud and precious about our language, like the French are.
The exams, marking systems and grading are not the fault of the youngsters who have worked hard and done well. We should be proud of them and congratulate them.
Don't forget all us old'uns that whereas we just learnt for 2 years and then were examined at the end, pupils nowadays have coursework deadlines and exams proper throughout the 2 year period, constantly keeping them under pressure. They have to perform well all the time during that period. We just had the pressure bit at the end.
I agree that marks should most certainly be lost for poor English - spelling, punctuation and grammar. I think this is in deference to immigrants and is very wrong. We should be proud and precious about our language, like the French are.
Posted by: Don't be fooled, SE on 2:41pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Results have not improved where it matters the most, ie. in the bottom end of performance tables. The number of school leavers who fail to acquire basic skills in reading, writing and maths remains high year after year and well above other European countries. This is why we have a huge uneducated underclass that is a burden for tax payers and law abiding citizens for the rest of their lives.
Results have not improved where it matters the most, ie. in the bottom end of performance tables. The number of school leavers who fail to acquire basic skills in reading, writing and maths remains high year after year and well above other European countries. This is why we have a huge uneducated underclass that is a burden for tax payers and law abiding citizens for the rest of their lives.
Posted by: Charlie, Bromley on 3:26pm Fri 22 Aug 08
[quote][bold]Don't be fooled[/bold] wrote:
Results have not improved where it matters the most, ie. in the bottom end of performance tables. The number of school leavers who fail to acquire basic skills in reading, writing and maths remains high year after year and well above other European countries. This is why we have a huge uneducated underclass that is a burden for tax payers and law abiding citizens for the rest of their lives. [/quote] Is your implication there that uneducated people, by default, are not law abiding?
Owch!
Don't be fooled wrote:
Results have not improved where it matters the most, ie. in the bottom end of performance tables. The number of school leavers who fail to acquire basic skills in reading, writing and maths remains high year after year and well above other European countries. This is why we have a huge uneducated underclass that is a burden for tax payers and law abiding citizens for the rest of their lives.
Is your implication there that uneducated people, by default, are not law abiding?
Owch!
Posted by: kaykay, dartford on 7:53pm Fri 22 Aug 08
my son has worked and studied very hard ,and doesnt need people putting down his results ,he got 2 a,s and 6 b,s and deserverved every single 1 of them.well done to all you students ,who did their best..and i am proud of my son
my son has worked and studied very hard ,and doesnt need people putting down his results ,he got 2 a,s and 6 b,s and deserverved every single 1 of them.well done to all you students ,who did their best..and i am proud of my son
Posted by: The Boss, Bromley on 10:24pm Sun 24 Aug 08
How well were you prepared for life after a pressure exam at GCE? This did not reflect the life after school. Are we better prepared now?
How well were you prepared for life after a pressure exam at GCE? This did not reflect the life after school. Are we better prepared now?
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