GCSE Support Thread 2013

Thanks. That seems to be what her teachers said and she feels she did back up her theory. I wish they had done the normal gcse rather than the igcse so that it wouldn't all be down to the exams.

As long as she backed up her points with evidence, misinterpreting the unseen shouldn't matter too much.

Dd had edexel iGCSE English Lit yesterday. One essay went well where she had to compare 2 poems but the unseen seems not to have gone so well as she misinterpreted the poem. She realised this after talking to her English teachers afterwards. They seem to think if she wrote a good essay it would still be ok - does anyone know if that is right? English is her best subject (and whats she wants to do at university) and she is predicted A* but I am worried that she may have lost that now.

I breathed an audible sight of relief when DD1 texted to say the extract had been from the Narnia film. I was rather worried it was going to be Giacchino and Trek, which might have made her lose her bearings! I was slightly sad it wasn't my mate wot writes film music - but that was always going to be a longshot since he's more telly anyway.

DS thought music listening was mostly ok but he was more interested in telling me that one of the invigilators fell asleep!

Eng lit poetry went well here too, and the strange space question on physics also mentioned! He said he didn't agree with space travel as there's so many hungry people in the world, the money could be better spent! Proud mum! :)

Don't do anymore but hope you enjoy yours, will enjoy a with you later. Here's to a few calm and restful days before it all starts again.

Eng Lit (poetry) yesterday was "well good" apparently. something about conflict, and the poem was one they had had a revision lesson on last week. hoping for a B.
half term anyone?

DD hoping for A Music, has A so far, but think she needs mid-A today to keep it.
Target is B, prediction A so putting a lot of pressure on herself.

Spent much of last night reading the Student Room posts, trying to second guess the section B questions.

DD didn't offer much comment about Physics or Eng Lit (Poetry) yesterday. Music today - she has tended towards a bit of a fatalistic attitude these last two days - 'oh well, if I just get a D for today I'll still end up with a B' - when she is on target for a fairly secure A for Music. I hope it is just the weariness and that the break now will revive some enthusiasm. The rest of the exams after half term are more evenly spread so less tension about what to revise when.

Good luck for those taking exams today. We're off to the Leavers' Service later this morning - DD is equipped with tissues (there will be tears) and permanent marker pens (to write on shirts).

Does anyone else here have children doing the AQA dual award Science IGCSE? My son says that the second round of Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers are harder, as they are the 'additional' element of the dual award. Is this right? I was hoping that as the first round had been OK-ish for him I could relax a bit.

Nah - she still has 2 more but won't start cramming for them until Friday

Well, your DD has obviously finished her exams so she's got a year off now, not just a week! if she chooses to do something else in her exam free time that doesn't negate the fact that her exams are over. Lucky thing!

Week off?

I know it's half-term but DD has 3 days of workshops and 3 days of rehearsals I won't see her from Sunday lunchtime until Friday evening / (not sure how I feel about that)

ds reckoned the govt sneaked the space question in to gauge potential future interest

Music here as well then a well deserved week off for our DCs

DD mentioned the space travel question too. She said it had nothing to do with anything on the syllabus so she just guessed an answer - only a one-marker anyway, but weird.
Music tomorrow and then a night off revision!

DD said exactly the same about the Physics Aqa Unit 3 today - said was good , not as hard as expecting and the bizarre question about Space as to whether money should be spent on researching it. At this point she did check the front of the paper to make sure she had been given the correct one!

Will have to ask dd about the space travel question! She said for their German listening, the cd player was turned up so loudly that it was kind of distorted, gave her a headache, and the room next door could hear every word!

I'm just glad she's done for the week. The rest of the papers are spread out enough and should be fine. At least I'll be calmer because she can look like she's had time to do some work!

Ds has his school exams still tomorrow, and dd2 has a Spanish speaking controlled assessment, so they're still both nervy. took Roll on Friday night.

DD says physics ok but says not going to take Eng lit at A level anymore after today - oh well, back to the drawing board! Is there any A level considere easy as a 4th subject needed again ....;)

Ahh.. Now I'm wondering if ds got completely the wrong end of the stick - he thought the biology IGCSE was quite easy ... This could well mean he's gone off at a tangent and missed the point of the questions entirely

DS said that he has absolutely no idea how he has done in English lit which is worrying as he can be a bit of a loose cannon in essay type subjects.

We have Music tomorrow too
"I have all Bs so I can get an E in this & still pass"

WJEC Eng Lit was "OK" AQA Physics P3 "fine" but she also mentioned the bizarre 1mark space travel question. No idea what they wanted to see for that one. I'll be interested to have a look when the mark scheme comes out

Yes Leeds2, my daughter had IGCSE Biology this morning and found it terrible. Such a shame, she's continuing for A-Level and got an A* in her January mock, so we really thought it would be better...