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listenloudly5145 · 24-08-2004, 02:11 PM

Everyone has been talking abt the A Level Results but i think people have forgotten (unless u just left skool) that the GCSE results come through THIS THURSDAY

so i hope everyone does great (including myself)

Lani · 24-08-2004, 02:49 PM

Yeah good luck you guys.

BigSister · 24-08-2004, 02:54 PM

Good luck everyone

Amy · 24-08-2004, 05:27 PM

Good Luck to all waiting for their results

Lance · 24-08-2004, 06:48 PM

Im waiting for my results over here in ireland but i dont get them til 14th september!I have the luck of the irish though!

Sticks · 24-08-2004, 06:53 PM

What is the betting that there will be a higher number of A grade passes

The problem with the modern GCSEs and A levels is that the pass mark is set at a fixed level as are the marks required for specific grades. (See figure 1)

When I did O levels we were told that the pass mark was moveable, depending on the median average of the mark spread, giving a spread where the pass mark may be higher than the standard 50% (See figure 2).

The marks required for the other grades were given using specific standard deviations

The only way to restore confidence in these bits of paper would be to return to such a system. However in these days of league tables it does not seem likely and the value of these qualification will continue to fall in the eyes of the universityies and employers.

sweetlittlesara · 24-08-2004, 07:26 PM

Good Luck for your exams guys!

Sticks - Grrr it really annoys me when people go on about how easy exams are these days, believe me, I took them and they werent a breeze! Why dont you try taking them?

As for the pass mark issue; I dont know, Im not an expert but I am pretty sure that the pass mark changes according to the difficulty of the paper, this is what I have always been told and when doing past papers the Pass Mark has always been different.

Sticks · 24-08-2004, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sweetlittlesara
Sticks - Grrr it really annoys me when people go on about how easy exams are these days, believe me, I took them and they werent a breeze! Why dont you try taking them?

I did not comment on the difficulty or otherwise of the exams, just on how the pass mark now seems to be fixed. As greater people pass the exams, their value to employers or universities to assist in the selection process diminishes. If anyone can pass an exam and everyone does, where is any sense of achievement. It is diminished.

Quote:

As for the pass mark issue; I dont know, I'm not an expert but I am pretty sure that the pass mark changes according to the difficulty of the paper, this is what I have always been told and when doing past papers the Pass Mark has always been different.

How did they assess that though, difficulty is subjective. I find some aspects of computers reatively easy, however I always get nervous about dealing with hardware modifications. My brother in law finds hardware trivial but has not got much of a clue about webdesign protocols.

The system I defined where the pass mark is only decided once all the marks are in, is objective using statistical method and much fairer.

If pupils have improved so more people pass a certain fixed goal post, where is the extra distinction for the exceptional elite? The statistical measure shows it.

listenloudly5145 · 25-08-2004, 05:18 PM

sticks, i posted this so that anyone who is awaiting GCSE results gets everyones support and good luck...throwing confusing graphs at us (especially now we are RESTING from graphs and what not) is, although very informative, NOT HELPING the fact that 99.9% of us are terrified of what our grades are going to be.

A simple @Good luck@ would of been ok...u didnt have to research

Amy · 26-08-2004, 07:27 AM

Fingers crossed fro you today folks

BigSister · 26-08-2004, 10:22 AM

Good luck every1
I got a C in my GCSE Media so im pleased

Stu xxx · 26-08-2004, 10:45 AM

Well done to everyone who got their results today - Exams should be abolished though! They cause stress and dont bring out the best work in people!

I (for example) got an A+ for my media coursework but got a d/c in the exam resulting in a C overall - it doesnt mean im crap at media (as i know im not) but just means that im crap at exams. So for anyone down about their results dont worry at college/uni/job interviews people look to what YOU are like not what your grades are xxx

BigSister · 26-08-2004, 11:05 AM

yeah i agree with you stu over exams i get all panic and dont do as well as I do in the coursework

Sticks · 26-08-2004, 03:48 PM

I disagree

Exams are a great leveller

The problem with coursework is that it favours the well off who own computers, broadband connections and electronic encyclopedias.

The child from the inner city is deprived of those things

Exams redresses that imbalance.

Exams are a test of character

Can you apply knowledge and remember it when you are in the field, well away from helpful text books and worked examples.

Plus it is not so easy to cheat in an exam as it is to cheat on course work, as essays can be downloaded off of the net and passed off as the student's own work.

ribbonstring5145 · 26-08-2004, 07:24 PM

I got 3 A*'s, 5 A's and a B

LEE · 26-08-2004, 08:01 PM

Congrats to everyone

BigSister · 26-08-2004, 08:42 PM

Well done ribbonstring thats great

rachb · 26-08-2004, 08:58 PM

Well done everyone

listenloudly5145 · 26-08-2004, 10:14 PM

hey i got an A, 5 B's, 3 C's and only 2 D's!! which although sounds crap is actually quite good for me

Stu xxx · 26-08-2004, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sticks
I disagree

Exams are a great leveller

The problem with coursework is that it favours the well off who own computers, broadband connections and electronic encyclopedias.

The child from the inner city is deprived of those things

Exams redresses that imbalance.

Exams are a test of character

Can you apply knowledge and remember it when you are in the field, well away from helpful text books and worked examples.

Plus it is not so easy to cheat in an exam as it is to cheat on course work, as essays can be downloaded off of the net and passed off as the student's own work.

How i was supposed to copy any work in my course work???

When I did my ALevels I did...

Media Studies - For my coursework I had to make a music video i used all the colleges own equipment for editing and filming - I also had to have a written write up - I recieved an A star for this work..

Performance Studies - We had to make up our own production about a certain topic as well as cheorographing our own dance - We where marked on our performance - I recieved high marks

For both of these subjects i recieved top marks for my coursework - coursework that did not need any form of computers at home but needed skill - a skill i had - but because of my poor performance in the exam I have nothing to really show for these skills as on an overall exam certificate it says im average - when im anything but!!

Exams are NOT a great leveller