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Secondary education

Help me understand grades in the S1 CAT4 report please (Scotland)

5 replies

WeAllHaveWings · 15/10/2016 18:49

DS(12) has just received his CAT4 report. It is split into 3 sections which I understand are the old/new:

Standard grade = Foundation/Nat 3
Intermediate 1 = General/Nat 4
Intermediate 2 = Credit/Nat 5

It then has for each subject the likely grades achieved with a grade of 1-7 for Standard or 1-9 for Intermediate 1 and 2.

I sat my O'Grades 30 years ago when you got an A, B, C etc. What do the grades 1-7 or 1-9 relate to?

For example, does a 1 relate to an A* or >90% and a 2 an A and >80%. I cant find anything to explain these grade levels.

Also why are there only 6 subjects at intermediate 1 and 2 (Computer Studies, Biology, Chemisty, Maths, English, Physics) and 26 at Standard?

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Roseformeplease · 15/10/2016 18:56

Standard Grade was last sat about 4 years ago, Intermediates 3 years ago. School seems to be putting equivalences for N4/5.

1 and 2 are A
3 and 4 B
5 and 6 C
7 and 8 D and 9 N/Award.

N4 is not graded - only pass fail where Int 1 was graded A-C.

Lower down (S3) grades are 1-4 with 1 being beyond age and stage and 4 being well below.

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Roseformeplease · 15/10/2016 18:58

It worries me that your school are using long since defunct qualifications, seeing what you wrote at the bottom.

Most schools do 6-8 subjects in S4. In S1/2 they would do the whole lot (Curriculum for Excellence)

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WeAllHaveWings · 15/10/2016 19:10

Thanks Rose that helps. Also just found this

Courses at National 2, National 3 and National 4 will not be graded. They will be assessed as pass or fail. Courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher will be graded A to D or ‘No Award’.

The CAT 4 report says Standard Grade, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2. Maybe it's just their software is out of date Confused, I guess when they get to S4 it will be Nat 4/5.

I know they only select 6-8 subjects for S4, why are there only 6 subjects listed in the report for intermediates? For example French/PE/Art are only listed in the Standard table, does this mean you cant take these subjects at intermediate in S4?

Lower down (S3) grades are 1-4 with 1 being beyond age and stage and 4 being well below. - I don't understand what you mean?

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Roseformeplease · 16/10/2016 16:29

Sorry. Just back.

We grade S1-3 with grades 1-4. 1 being top and 4 being bottom. There are grades for better than top or worse than bottom but it gets very confusing. Ungraded (i.e. unable to read and write is a 9) 7 and 8 are below a 4. 5 and 6 are above a 1.......

Quite ridiculous.

Not sure why then quote number of Int 2s. But, Int 2= N5 and they do 6 in my region, more in some others. That will include PE if chosen as an academic subject. But they all do PE, RE and PSE on top of their chosen exam subjects.

Does that help?

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Roseformeplease · 16/10/2016 16:30

Oh, CAT are a commercial enterprise and are predicting grades based on IQ type tests. I doubt they can predict N5s yet as they won't have enough data but Int 2=N5 although in my subject (English) N5 is easier.

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