GCSE's Have Got Easier

[LGTL]

I've got a HND in business and finance.

 

A HND, and you're moaning that GCSE's are getting easier??

 

Forum gold.

[dune]

But an HND was dead hard to get and academically rigorous! No, really, it was.

 

A Pass is relatively easy, but a distinction isn't. I passed at Merit average.

[Barfy]

I was helping a friend's kid revise for their GCSE higher maths papers this year, and yes the first part of the paper seemed ridiculously easy. But it got progressively harder, until the last third of the paper which gave me plenty of cause to stop and think (I did A-level and degree level maths, as well as accountancy - albeit sometime ago). When you look at the papers along with the marking schemes, they are clearly designed to find the student's level. An A* student should be able to complete the paper with a good grade, but a C grade student (on the higher paper) will probably not even attempt the last four or five questions.

 

I don't think the papers are any easier per se, the same things are taught as when I did my GCSEs in the late 80s. It's more the fact, that as others have indicated, the style of assessment and grading has changed over the years making comparison of O-levels, earlier GCSEs and modern GCSEs largely irrelevant...

 

... all IMO of course

 

And just from the point of view of my own ego, I have just this week been awarded LLB(Hons) completed in 4 years whilst also working full-time and being addicted to the past three incarnations of Call of Duty!

[View From The Top]

A Pass is relatively easy, but a distinction isn't. I passed at Merit average.

 

I'm sure we are all amazed at the high level of academic success you've had and stand in awe at how it's led to a success professional career for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh.

[GenevaSaint]

And just from the point of view of my own ego, I have just this week been awarded LLB(Hons) completed in 4 years whilst also working full-time and being addicted to the past three incarnations of Call of Duty!

 

I salute you sir, that is a hell of an achievement given the COD addicition.

[GenevaSaint]

Try a real job one day.

 

Go on Dune, I'm intrigued, what real job did you get with your HND in business and finance?

[Saintandy666]

'O' levels were aimed at the brighter students. If it was thought a student would struggle with 'O' levels then that student would take a different exam called a CSE.

 

Well, there is foundation and higher tier anyway, so it's similar.

[Smirking_Saint]

Are we sure we want to get dune started on students?

 

The choice you mentioned already exists by the way

 

TBF i was hired and had to do the degree, has to be a better way than racking up loads of debt and not get a job. I already have a job and get paid a wage and expenses !

[mcjwills]

I tend to agree that the exams have been dumbed down, and even university education appears to have gone 2 tier, I mean anyone who says they are taking media studies on a CV are not taken overly serious as opposed to a practical degree as the person taking the electrical qualification. In the end the qualification does is get you the interview, because how you perform at that will get you the job, I have interviewed people that have excellent qualifications and their attitude stank with their know all attitude, but slightly less qualified people have shown a willingness to listen and learn.

[Smirking_Saint]

I tend to agree that the exams have been dumbed down, and even university education appears to have gone 2 tier, I mean anyone who says they are taking media studies on a CV are not taken overly serious as opposed to a practical degree as the person taking the electrical qualification. In the end the qualification does is get you the interview, because how you perform at that will get you the job, I have interviewed people that have excellent qualifications and their attitude stank with their know all attitude, but slightly less qualified people have shown a willingness to listen and learn.

 

I agree, personally i would have never gone to get a qualification off of my own back so to speak.

 

I wanted to work in electronics and my first job was as a trainee project manager, unfortunately i didn't like the company but took a technical trainee position at Scottish and Southern working for the electricity distribution arm. I got a 3 year pay scale with set incriments, sent on a degree course and also have done on job working and training for authorisations etc.

 

I can do nothing but say good things about training positions such as this and appreticeships (my first job was a 4 year apprenticeship where i got my HND and NVQs)

 

They are the way forward, not crappy no mark pointless degrees such as media etc

[ST Randy]

I'd p1ss the easy exams kids have today. I never bothered revising when I did them at school and waltzed through them.

 

Out of interest what O levels and A levels did you take?

[chrisobee]

One thought Argentina was in Africa!!

 

Oh, where is it then

[Kadeem Hardison]

I've long said that the year on year improvement in GCSE grades has not been due to better teaching, brighter pupils, or Brown throwing money at schools (paid for on the giant credit card), and finally my view has been vindicated - The Exams Are Now Easier!

 

http://search.bbc.co.uk/click/p/2/ds/latest/t/New%2520science%2520GCSEs%2520%2527not%2520tough%2520enough%2527%252c%2520says%2520watchdog/id/17231394116453127672081635929219000/sp/26fe8149e8316056ef2aefa724dab6fa/-/http%253a%252f%252fnews%252ebbc%252eco%252euk%252f1%252fhi%252feducation%252f10319979%252estm

 

GCSE English currently requires you to be able to retrieve and select the key points in a text. You'd clearly fail, as that article is saying that the examining board rejected DRAFT exam papers because they weren't rigorous enough for their standards. If anything, it is testament to the high difficulty level that they set that they are rejecting papers. You are really are quite a thicko.

 

If you believe that they are easy, put your money where your mouth is. Name a subject, I'll find an example exam paper from one of the examining boards websites and you can sit it. I'll even trust you to time yourself and not to Google the answers. Then we can get a teacher on here to mark it.

 

What do you say, dune?

 

Any teachers want to volunteer to mark dune's A* response?

[View From The Top]

Out of interest what O levels and A levels did you take?

 

You don't seriously expect our resident Nazi supporter to tells us do you?

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

GCSE English currently requires you to be able to retrieve and select the key points in a text. You'd clearly fail, as that article is saying that the examining board rejected DRAFT exam papers because they weren't rigorous enough for their standards. If anything, it is testament to the high difficulty level that they set that they are rejecting papers. You are really are quite a thicko.

 

If you believe that they are easy, put your money where your mouth is. Name a subject, I'll find an example exam paper from one of the examining boards websites and you can sit it. I'll even trust you to time yourself and not to Google the answers. Then we can get a teacher on here to mark it.

 

What do you say, dune?

 

Any teachers want to volunteer to mark dune's A* response?

 

I'll second this, if he accepts, I will happily post on here a 12 mark question from a GCSE history paper (with source) and mark it to current specifications...

[Saintandy666]

I'll second this, if he accepts, I will happily post on here a 12 mark question from a GCSE history paper (with source) and mark it to current specifications...

 

And as it's just a source evaluation question he can't moan he doesn't know the subject