Gove does it again!

Yes, you are right, it could have been a bad year for 'O' level candidates.

It's a difficult problem. If examiners make an exam too easy and lots of students get 100%, then I don't think pupils who got 99% should get a C grade, just because of norm referencing rules. So in that case, I do prefer the GCSE marking system, insofar as I understand it, rather than norm referencing.

Or the O-level year group could have been particularly weak and there's a 'normal' amount of A*-B grades.

As far as I know, and I'm a GCSE, AS and A2-level examiner, so I'm familiar with the examining system (too young for O-levels though). The Principal and Chief examiners do take into account the mark distribution when they have their awarding meetings (not that I attend them). It's one of a number of things they consider when setting grade boundaries. It should be considered, it should not be the only thing that determines grade boundaries.

Yes, that is possible. But then presumably, there would be very few A*s at GCSE for that particular year. No system is perfect, they all have their positives and negatives.

Equally, Claig a C at GCSE could have been an 'A' at O-level, that's the problem with awarding marks in that way - it's a measure of your ability in relation to the rest of your year.

True, with norm referencing or whatever it was called, then maybe an A at GCSE would have been a C at 'O' level and an A* could have been a B.

I lived through the 'good old days' and the bad old days of New Labour.

claig

"Agee, but maybe the low A should be a B and the A* should be an A, like in the 'good old days'."

but you don't know what it would have been in the 'good old days'

Agee, but maybe the low A should be a B and the A* should be an A, like in the 'good old days'.

Ah but it was a low A at GCSE - don't forget the top GCSE grade is A*.

I'm not hugely pro-GCSE - but I did think that was interesting.

start of sentences

Also, if you tie yourself in knots, don't put capitals at the starts of sentences and make spelling mistakes, and can still get an A, what do you have to do to get a B?

Yes, the examiner said "he tied himself in knots", didn't capitalise some words at beginnings of sentences amd couldn't spell the noun practice. He would have given him an A grade at GCSE and about 75% at O level, which was a secure A. So there was not much in it. Bit of a poor show from an adult BBC presenter, as opposed to a 16 year old.

But, the examiner didn't mention that the GCSE exam had speech bubbles which acted as clues and prompts to help answer the question, whereas 'O' level candidates were faced with a blank page.

Sorry, din't know about that bit. Will listen to it.

Oh damn I'd fail my O Level - misplaced bracket!

The bit where he's marked (the bit I heard is at 57.50)

The quote from Ernest Hemingway was one of the speech bubbles which gave GCSE candidates a clue about how to answer the question "When is it important to listen to other people?"

The O level candidates received no clues, no speech bubbles. The GCSE candidates received more than one clue, they received several speech bubbles.

Not that one - the presenter had done an exam himself - talking about Ernest Hemingway

www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/b01k2b1l
It starts at 11:20

O level questions was "Describe somebody in your school or community who pretends to be much better that he or she really is"

GCSE question is "When is it important to listen to other people?"
followed by speech bubbles which helpfully and conveniently suggest possible things to consider.

Aside from the fact that the O level question encourages independent, sceptical thinking with questioning of authority, and the GCSE question encourages obedience and respect for elders and betters, we are told that
O level answers are almost mathematical (i.e. right or wrong), whereas GCSE questions are more of a "personal response". Is this a euphemism for anything goes, prizes for all points of view?

Robert Peston said that the GCSE maths question "seems" a bit a easier.

The GCSE question is
"Mark is organising a party for his group of 17 Scouts?
Each Scout will need ..."

Someone emailed the BBC and said why is the word scout spelt with a capital 'S'?

Thanks, I will listen to it

Have a listen on iPlayer - the examiner gives reasons why he does better on the O Level - it's quite interesting and (if memory serves, I was having a conversation about rice krispies at the same time) is based on the GCSE needing a higher standard of analysis as opposed to memorising and repeating.

I think they probably read it before they put it up!

By publishing this article, the BBC may have inadvertently increased respect for the 'good old days' and Queen Victoria. It wouldn't surprise me to find that this article is quickly wiped from the web, cleared from the cache and removed to Room 101.

I think the reason that the public have left no comments so far, is because they rattled and breezed through the GCSE questions, but are still struggling through the O level question, with the help of an aspirin, an extra-strong latte and a bumper pad which is already full up with workings.

The BBC page says 'Let us know how you got on', but there appears to be no comments section at the bottom of the page where the public can give their view.

Fluke?

Have a look at the difference in standard

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnj3

Interestingly Paddy O'Connell (I think it was) did an English GCSE and an English O Level for Broadcasting House this weekend. He did better on the O Level.