Do you think these exams are getting easier?

In my opinion they are not. I have just finished my GCSE's and got 6 A-C's of 9 possible A-c's. To get those results I put in lots of revision which has enabled me to get into the 6th wherei wanted to go. Prior to the exams, I did many test papers from previous years and I would have to say in the past tests' have been easier. The main reason for exam results rising is due to the ever improving standard of teaching. Schools use many methods now which can help students greatly which were not used in the past.
eg, at my school leading up to the exams, all students had testson the computers to see which method of revison was best for them. After this students students knew which which option was best for them, watching revision videos, reading books making notes........

People should celebrate the hard work of teachers and students when exam pass rate rise, not question whether the tests are getting easier.

is this a muliple choice question?

I've heard this said a lot of the time and will only be prepared to give my opinion when I get to see a recent GCSE geography paper and see how much of it I can answer after twenty five years or so. Could anyone tell me where to find such a paper?

Wallbuilder: you could try approaching a geopgrahy teacher at a nearby school? They often keep papers to hand to help the following year with their revision.

Personally no I do not think the exams are getting harder. My step daughter is more than capable of getting good grades for her GCSE's but she didn't put the effort in and failed all but two. It is a shame she has to work an extra year at college to get these grades back but a lesson I hope she won't forget.

Congratulations to those who were succesful in their exams, a job welldone!

Moon

Working in the education sector, I know that exam paper markers have now been told not to penalise use of slang and text message syntax on papers and to be much more flexible if the student uses wrong words, such as mixing up 'stethoscope' and 'telescope'.

It's also interesting to note that many universities are having to set up remedial reading, writing and arithmetic classes.

I did my GCSEs 5 years ago (is it really that long!!) and got 9 A-Cs, I felt I didn't really try hard and I feel I am just lucky as I retain facts quite well. This is all you really need at that level. Most of the subjects are pretty irrelevant the exams only really test your abilty to recall facts.

This showed when I came to do by A-Levels I initially struggled. I started putting in more of an effort and trying to use some analytical skills as well as recalling facts and my grades slowly improved. I finished with A,C,D (tip for anyone choosing A-Levels, Business Studies is quite an easy course that is slightly more respected than some of the other traditionally soft A-Levels, still don't think I deseved an A though!) which I was quite happy with.

I then moved on to my degree and I am jsut about to go back for my final year after completing my placement. During the first two years I have averaged a First. It has been difficult but I have found it a lot easier than people who have taken less traditional methods to get on the course.

So the point I am trying to make in a round about kind of way is that, yes GCSEs and A - Levels probably have got easier in terms of the knowledge you come out with. However they do provide you with the skills you need at the right times and help you choose a particular profession which you can then go on to prepare for at degree level.

when i took my A-levels, 8 years ago now, i must have done past papers for the previous 10 years. I couldn't have picked an easier or harder one from the group (except when i did a statistics maths paper by accident, when i was doing applied and pure). So on that basis and assuming that things haven't changed since I don't think exams are getting easier.

Someone on the news made a comment on this the other week. He pointed out that Everest is now climbed at least 10 times a week, but that doesn't mean that Everest is lower or flatter than in the 1950s. It just means that the equipment used to complete the task is more user-friendly.

Originally posted by markham
Someone on the news made a comment on this the other week. He pointed out that Everest is now climbed at least 10 times a week, but that doesn't mean that Everest is lower or flatter than in the 1950s. It just means that the equipment used to complete the task is more user-friendly.


lol that's excellent, it's not the exams that are getting easier it's the standard of teaching and research tools that are getting better and providing more.

I think that having a PC at home and access to the Internet must surely be a big advantage.

When I took my GCSEs, BBCs were all the rage!

Originally posted by alchresearch
I think that having a PC at home and access to the Internet must surely be a big advantage.

When I took my GCSEs, BBCs were all the rage!

I can remember BBCs when I was at junior school lol!

I think it's more the standard of schools that makes the difference than having access to the internet.

Most students with the net just spend their time on this forum anyway! :P

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
I've heard this said a lot of the time and will only be prepared to give my opinion when I get to see a recent GCSE geography paper and see how much of it I can answer after twenty five years or so. Could anyone tell me where to find such a paper?
http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/geo_a_assess.html

There you go wallbuilder try a few of those past geography papers out. I personally think they're probably too different to compare. Are people getting brainier or are the questions getting easier? Who is to say?

It really ****** me off when, every year, the grades improve slightly, and instead of praising the students for achieving high grades, they are told that, in all honesty, they didn't really get that A grade, it's just that the system's a mess. Sure, I don't believe that education's a meritocracy, and I don't believe that I would have achieved the grades I did if I had a different background. But to tell students that the tests are easy? That's laughable.

The exams these days are incredibly stressful, and I don't think adults realise the amount of pressure that students are put under. One of my friends started self harming in this years exam season, and many people (including myself) became ill with the stress. When my dad was younger he took maybe 7 O-Levels, and 3 A-Levels, as was the norm. I took 11 GCSEs and 5 AS, and am going on to do 3 A2.

What I will say, however, is that although the exams are not easy, they are not a fair measure of the students interest and understanding of the subject. As already mentioned, GCSEs are a measure of retaining facts, and very little else (even in subjects like English Literature this is the case), and AS levels require a very set structure of answer, with certain facts and conclusions to be drawn. Because of this, students are almost geared into writing in very similar styles and therefore don't get to express themselves within the subject, as this doesn't get the high grades.

To be fair though i do find working a lot more stressful than a few challenging exams. Some people just dont take stress well but to be fair its a good preparation for real life and taking responsibiliy and the challenges of the jobs they will lead to.

Originally posted by alchresearch
Working in the education sector, I know that exam paper markers have now been told not to penalise use of slang and text message syntax on papers and to be much more flexible if the student uses wrong words, such as mixing up 'stethoscope' and 'telescope'.

It's also interesting to note that many universities are having to set up remedial reading, writing and arithmetic classes.

NOT to penalise??

I'm sorry but this concerns me. We were told at schoold that English was of primary importance as how bad our English was would be applied across our exams when marking our papers.

I mean if you cannot use your writing to communicate what you know how on earth are you going to pass? This is ridiculous.

Moon Maiden

there've been a few cases in the news where a paper was marked down for bad grammar or for using phone text writing through, ie contractions like l8 (late). The examiners were critisided for doing this and the students (not particularly bright ones though) complained that it was unfair...

I bet you can tell I don't take much notice of the news :) - I find this disgusting. There is no way kids should get away with lazy writing!

Moon:mad:

That is absurd, students writing in 'text language' on their English exam papers?!?!?!

What next?!?!

EVERYONE should leave school able to read and write well. I cringe when I see things that have been badly written, and struggle not to think badly of the writers - I try and remember that maybe they're dyslexic, not just lazy or stupid (although my partner is very dyslexic, but bless him, he makes a major effort to check and double check everything he writes down so that he doesn't come across as ignorant.) It's simply a fact that prospective employers, and many other people you meet through life will have more respect for you if you're capable of writing and speaking clearly in what is after all your native language.
Oops...Cosy rants about language again...and I'd been doing so well...

Re-formulating the grading system:
Okay, so if everyone is so much better at doing exams now, and we are drowning in A grades that are starting to become meaningless, then it is time to look again at the grading system...pull everything up, raise the requirements needed to get an A, B, C, D, etc. You can't go on using the same system that was in use twenty years ago if things have changed so much. Its an utter nonsense. Make grades make sense again!

Cosy

If they put exams back on a sliding scale then grades would be more respected and it would be easier to distinguish who is the brightest student

By sliding scale I mean a curve, so the top 10% of exam papers get an A grade, next 20% get a B and the majority of students fit into the C grade. The C would actually mean what is supposed to 'Average'

Exactly, Skatiechick.
Why on earth did they stop doing that in the first place? It makes no sense!!!!

Cosy

Well I dunno about GCSE's or A levels getting easier, but I know when I did my GCSE's like 3 years ago I found them a piece of ****...

but y'know, I've been scoring high grades in my science and maths since I took my SATS in junior school... I've never been good with languages though...

the only things I revised for at GCSE was english and german, and I passed everything A - C except for technology... and I also left school with a GNVQ in engineering :)

as for A levels... well... A levels are a LOT harder than I thought, and I only ended up passing 2 out of 3 of my subjects... thankfully I still got into Uni... dunno how, perhaps cus I was applying for a Computing course and I have a stupid amount of experiance in it for my age

y'know, at the end of the day qualifications suck, some people are good at some things and others aren't... I wouldnt say I was a genious, but I'm certainly intelligent, but no matter how hard I ever work at it, I'm always going to have poor spelling and grammar!

From my point of view, the rot is starting at primary school. We get kids coming into Y7 who don't even know how to write their own names. What are primary schools teaching? It's certainly not basic reading, writing and arithmethic.

They don't even teach the 'times table' any more.

Originally posted by xafier
... I wouldnt say I was a genious,

Oh, the irony...

impossing a sudden change will always be unpopular with the people close to that change, ie a few years either side, as it makes comparisons between those years very difficult to do.

If we are drowning in A grades (Which i'm not sure is the case), then great, lets hope more of them go and do A levels, and that more of the A level people go and do degrees.

Originally posted by cosywolf
EVERYONE should leave school able to read and write well. I cringe when I see things that have been badly written, and struggle not to think badly of the writers - I try and remember that maybe they're dyslexic, not just lazy or stupid (although my partner is very dyslexic, but bless him, he makes a major effort to check and double check everything he writes down so that he doesn't come across as ignorant.) It's simply a fact that prospective employers, and many other people you meet through life will have more respect for you if you're capable of writing and speaking clearly in what is after all your native language.
Oops...Cosy rants about language again...and I'd been doing so well...

Re-formulating the grading system:
Okay, so if everyone is so much better at doing exams now, and we are drowning in A grades that are starting to become meaningless, then it is time to look again at the grading system...pull everything up, raise the requirements needed to get an A, B, C, D, etc. You can't go on using the same system that was in use twenty years ago if things have changed so much. Its an utter nonsense. Make grades make sense again!

Cosy

Originally posted by alchresearch
From my point of view, the rot is starting at primary school. We get kids coming into Y7 who don't even know how to write their own names. What are primary schools teaching? It's certainly not basic reading, writing and arithmethic.

They don't even teach the 'times table' any more.

All three of my kids left primary school very literate, numerate and able to do all tasks expected. Why? Because unlike most parents of today we didn't tell them to bugger off when they did their homework or asked for help. We supported the teachers 100%. We didn't complain if the school punished them for doing wrong. We DID punish them ourselves if they didn't pull their weight. Maybe if some of these so-called parents took a little bit of responsibility for their kids learning and behaviour at school instead of thinking, 'Its not my responsibility, it's the school's!' then their kids might start learning.

After all, if half a class get good marks but the other half get bad marks then, taking into account the kids with learning dificulties, it can't be the teaching that is bad. The half class getting good marks proves that point.

i think "most parents" might be exaggerating the point a little.

The problem is you end up in an education trap, a bit like a poverty trap.
The parents who never did well at school don't bother to assist there children or take an interest, whereas the ones who did, do.

A simple study would probably show that lower income homes tend to have a less academic background, and the pattern continues, or gets worse.

It needs something more than just telling the parents it's their fault (it is, but they probably won't agree) in order to break this cycle.

I see your point about my misuse of the word 'most' Cyclone, but I can't agree with your point about parents who never did well at school not bothering to assist their kids.

I was useless at school, though well behaved by today's standards. I left with no qualifications. I now have a less than average paid job. None of my kids' ancestors ever went on to further education, so we are not generally an academic family.

My kids got every encouragement at school from day one. Ten years ago (aged 42) I enrolled at college and studied Environmental Science gaining 24 credits at level 4. Twice the amount required for University. I didn't take up the entry because I felt that I couldn't fit the study in and help my kids aswell.

I also know quite a few 'uneducated' parents doing low paid jobs who's kids are doing fine and behaving at school. Kids anyone would be proud of.

Basically, the point I was trying to make was that it is wrong to blame teachers for pupils' low grades if half the class turn up in the morning hell bent on disrupting the class (detrimental to the hard working kids), ignoring the lesson, being difficult and generally being confident in the knowledge that the teacher HAS to put up with it, and their parents won't do anything about it because they can't be bothered.

As I pointed out in my previous post, if 50% of the kids are getting expected grades or above, then the 50% not getting the grades must be kids who (a) aren't bothered or have the wrong attitude, PARENTS' FAULT! (b) have difficulties such as ADHD, Autism etc., THE SYSTEM'S FAULT! or (c) kids who miss a lot of school for some reason. POSSIBLY THE PARENTS' FAULT OR JUST HEALTH. After all, the entire class are being taught by the same person, using the same methods and under the same conditions.

Whatever the case, the blame is not the teacher's in my opinion.

Now, if a vast majority of kids in a class are failing you may be forgiven for suspecting bad teaching. However, I don't think that is the case.

i agree that it probably isn't the teachers fault, although the constant testing and changes in curriculum probably make the job more difficult.
I didn't mean to imply that all uneducated adults don't see the value in education, but I expect that if we did a study that you'd see more children of under qualified parents being the disruptive and ultimately uneducated children than those of parents with higher levels of education.

I see what you are saying there Cyclone.

Pity so many people don't see it that way, even considering the simple logic.

The words 'under-educated parents' however should probably be replaced with 'less intelligent parents' don't you think?

Cheers

:sad::thumbsup:

maybe. I was about to respond by saying that lack of education doesn't necessarily mean lack of intelligence, nor vice versa. But maybe you are saying that only unintelligent people don't see the benefits of education.

I think it's probably a bit of both. Someone who grows up having only had trouble at school because of their own behaviour, even if relatively intelligent, is never going to stress the importance of education to their children. Whilst someone who is not necessarily very bright, but did try at school and went through the system as an average student will probably aspire for more for their children and give them the help and encouragement that is needed.
I probably fall into that latter bracket myself, neither of my parents are highly qualified and i'm only the 2nd person in my entire family history (so far as we are aware) to have gone to university, but throughout my education my parents encouraged and supported me.

Originally posted by Cyclone
But maybe you are saying that only unintelligent people don't see the benefits of education.



The bit of the quote above is what I meant.

Anyway, I think we've agreed that wherever the blame lies, it is more likely to be at home rather than at school.

Thanks for the gentle debate Cyclone:thumbsup: