Whole class has done badly in mock A’level. Covid related?

My year 13’s are struggling with the sheer amount of stuff they need to revise. They didn’t have to do it at GCSE because of the way their exams worked and it’s a really steep learning curve 🤷🏻‍♀️

In subjects that build on previous knowledge like maths, sciences and languages missing 40% ie 2/5 terms of the gcse course made a significant difference to their A level starting point.In things like history and geography it would not make much difference

At dds school in some departments they put the hardest questions that they can find in the mock .
Has not done any real past papers to get a more realistic idea?

Internal exams are not the same as having the experience of a proper external exam.
Less pressure. More idea of what is going to be on the paper. May not even be sat in the exam hall, as some schools don't have the room to do that with year 12 so they are just in classrooms.

As some schools were not able to finish the GCSE syllabus that has affected some A level study. If they didn't cover an area at GCSE then they need to cover it and add extra info on top for A level.

Surely the current year 13s will have had a full set of internal exams at the end of year 12? Everything was pretty much back to normal last year.

This year group have been impacted by COVID, yes. The tests they did in lieu of actual GCSEs were not the same as they didn't cover the whole spec in one go. Also they may not have been taught the whole syllabus for GCSE so have gaps. In sciences, many did very little practical work as even when schools reopened the restrictions made it very difficult.

Isn't the difficulty of the subject subjective?
After all most A level maths/FM students are good at maths in the first place. DD excelled at STEM subjects at GCSE and A level, but she found English literature less easy. She prefers subjects that have clear right or wrong answers and isn't very good at waffle.

At GCSE she achieved her highest UMS marks in physics out of the three science subjects, but didn't understand it at all. She just mmorised everything and did loads of past papers to practice on.

Chemistry is no harder than maths or physics.

If she's y13 why would it be covid? She would have been y10 during lockdown?
Presumably she did well in her GCSEs which were effected, and a levels are a whole different ball game.

How did she get on in her end of Y12 exams?

My daughter's school 2019 boundaries. She did as expected.
I think if the whole class did badly then that demonstrates a lack on the teachers part, and isn't that one of the reasons they do mocks? But mocks aren't the only exam, how has the class done in other assessments? As I said, my daughter did as expected, meaning she has been assessed all along, doing past papers (in areas they have covered) several times, as well as coursework and class work - all which give an indication on not only how the individual students are doing, but how well the teacher is teaching.

Exam technique varies from exam to exam so mocks highlight that. Eg computer science is notoriously difficult compared to English etc different skills and requirements to pass. Get her to practice past papers and use the mark schemes ribmstch her answers to.

Do you mean that the class have all done badly compared with the target grades the school expects them to get, or just that they are what you consider low grades? Is your dd predicted a B?

At DD's school the whole class did badly in one paper in a geography A level mock one year, but they managed to claw it back by the summer.
I think it was mainly one topic they hadn't covered.

Often schools will mark mocks harshly so students don't slack off. Chemistry is a pretty objective subject to mark though- it's not like an essay where the individual marker's judgement comes into it a lot.

Marking harshly vs marking leniently in chemistry and physics is often only a difference of a few marks.

Was it a full mock- all 3 exams, or just one paper? If it was just one paper, which exam board and was it paper 1, 2 or 3?

Which year's grade boundaries were used?

Did she manage to complete the full paper in the time allowed?

What did she do when she was struggling with a question?

Does she have any thoughts as to why she did badly?

I would say our Y13s across the sciences are finding things tough- I think having never sat formal exams (even though they've sat lots of assessments and a set of Y12 exams) has impacted them. But I wouldn't say they are all getting 2 grades below their target (is the B a realistic target, or was it always an optimistic prediction?).

Saying "the whole class did badly" isn't always very meaningful- it's likely to be a group of <15 students and there can be big fluctuations in ability year on year. And it also won't necessarily help her achieve her uni offer.

I do think grade boundaries will be low(ish) this year, but I think it might also be worth speaking to the teacher and asking for their take.

Is there any possibility of getting a tutor to help with a bit of last minute cramming over Easter?

Yes, the DFE has told all schools they need to retain mock exams 'in case'. You should be able to get a copy though.

Is this rhe cohort where they did a series of short tests knowing the subject matter for their gcses. It may just be lack of revision technique when they are having to address the entire syllabus in one/two papers.

Also chemistry is known as one of the hardest if not hardest A levels. Often schools will mark mocks harshly so students don't slack off. It is also a subject where some focused tutoring may help.

Check with the school though which it is likely to be and don't always believe the whole class did badly excuse.

I work in a secondary school. Across the board our y13's performed pretty badly in their mocks. Remember it's the first time they've sat a formal exam. They didn't do GCSEs. Try not to panic. Talk to the school/college. If it's a whole class thing you can bet the teachers are working at plugging gaps.

Has your DD been through her papers with the mark scheme to work out what the problem is?
Not knowing the content?
Not answering questions in the way the mark scheme wants?
Not giving full answers?
Maths letting her down?

Do this and use it to help focus revision for the actual exams.

Mocks are often marked harshly to give students a kick up the bum.

My classes have had loads of exam practice in year 12 and virtually did exams in year 11 . Didn't yours do in class exams in year 11? That's what replaced public exams. Ours now do two sets of mocks. I f anything will affect their final grades it will be under teaching and over testing them!

My classes all just did pretty badly in their mock. Turned out most of them didn't revise and during the study leave they were given upped their hours working in Sainsbury's/local pub/leisure centre...

My daughter's A'level Geography teacher said to the class he could tell from their mocks that they hadn't had revision practice/experience due to missing GSCEs due to Covid.

well your dd's interpretation of everyone else's grades may not be very accurate. The whole class (which could be a small number - is it?) may not be as smart as they should be. There are some kid doing a levels who should not be due to GCSE's being graded too generously for covid. I would be focused less on everyone else and get your dd to look at what she needs to learn / revise if she is to pass the real thing.