Summer Science GCSE grades 'down'

Dontlikepink I'm not quite sure what you are talking about, but the information that is being leaked about grade boundaries being hiked sky high and results being worse this year is new, and it's clearly related to political manipulation.

Is that result of a change made in 2011, or is that a new installment of the continuous moving of the goal post?

I think what makes me so frustrated and, basically, angry, is that the schools who gamed the situation, the ones who let their students take exams in little dribs and drabs, an English exam here, a maths exam there some science modules at a different time again - they contributed to the situation (and especially the resit culture) that gave Gove the confidence to just Hulk!Smash everything in the middle of the two year GCSE cycle. But the kids at those schools stand at least a chance of being less severely affected than the kids at schools which didn't game the system, where all the kids take linear exams at the end. I'd be very worried if my Dd1 had taken 5 GCSEs in May/June, of course, but at least I'd know she had some old paradigm results in the bag. As it is, Dd1 has all 12 exams potentially about to be fatally compromised by Gove's messing. And as I said upthread - although most people seem to be worrying about C/D borders, I think it will be the A/A* students who are smacked. And that might have been Dd1 (although given the circumstances under which she took her exams, really, who knows) :(

cream I think that anyone who took exams in May and June is in. Very precarious position because Gove has clearly gone mad. Kids who took ALL their exams in May and June are clearly in a worse position than kids who took some of them before - because this year is clearly year zero for political manipulation. :(

Circular, to be honest, anyone who wasn't seriously assaulted the day before her first GCSE, and who had to take them all with a broken hand, is lucky in our book. The benefits that the people who have taken all or part of 50% of their GCSEs at sittings before this summer when compared to those who did the linear exams in may and June pale in comparison to that. But none of that changes the fact that, like with English last year (except that was reversed for many people, no?) something Very Odd is clearly happening this summer. And the kids who did all their exams This Summer rather than having them spread out look like being in a significantly worse situation than those who did take modules at every sitting since whenever. Pointing that out is hardly contentious surely? Like you, I am worried about my child and in a thread about the effects of the politically motivated muckings about that are going on in relation to the may and June exams, going on about exams taken in January and last summer is a bit insensitive, don't you think?

This is very demoralizing, confusing and unfair on the young people. DS is in Y10. The goal post keeps moving, how can DC adequately prepare?

Could anyone clarify - did the syllabus or test papers change again compared to the specimen they issued in 2011? Are there going to be more change next school year?

Russians, the science modules last year were the first sittings for same syllabus - first teaching started in 2011. They had to be or would not count. There were rumours last year that science grade boundaries had moved too, but not clear how that affected those modules. Most of her set did well, a few retook to improve marks, none said that the retake was any more difficult.

DD was also 'lucky' enough to take AQA English Language last year. Probably so fixated on that, didnt really notice if her science marks should have been better.

Circular well, yes, obviously, that was my point. That's exactly the situation Dd1 is in, except she doesn't have the benefit of having taken several modules in easier times. :( I think, given the new Govian paradigm and the bad circumstances under which Dd1 had to take her exams, she has been exceptionally unlucky. Napoleon certainly wouldn't want her as a general.

Russians - but it is as bad when a kid that expects A*/A ends up with B/C and is unable to take an A level in that subject as a result.
After seeing the article Dzd thinks her chances of Taking Physics A level are doomed. Predicted A* but thinks she may not have even got the A/B she needs.

DD1 took Maths (Edexcel linear) in Feb/Mar this year. Grade boundaries were the highest for a while, and papers not exceptionally easy.

Dd1 isn't oblivious. She w the one who brought the story about the science grades to my attention. However our theory is that they won't want to have an increased de facto fail rate (ie below a grade C) - we reckon the shiftings will be around the As and As, with larger numbers of kids getting Bs and CS - much like it was when I was a kid all those years ago. Grossly unfair for the kids who would have been A/A students in the last few years, but perhaps not as bad as some fear for those at the C/D margin. Ultimately, Gove is not going to be ale to stand up and say 'you wanted more kids to fail, well look, more have'. His focus is on reducing the false impression that these exams are easy while still being able to trumpet improved education as evidenced by results. So, same number or more passes - but fewer top grades. Dd1 reckoned she ws screwed anyway what with her broken hand and having her face smashed in just before the exams. She is even less confident about the outcome now. :(

I don't think I'll bother reading any more articles about this as its too annoying and upsetting.

DS is happily oblivious and hopefully will stay that way till results day.

No russians its a moving of the boundaries in addition to the adjustment for exam difficulty following an instruction from Ofqual.

web not very nice for anyone. :( But it's possible the maths boundaries will be high because the exams were less difficult than anticipated?

mums that is certainly what happened in this area, last year. It took 24 hours but once they realised what had happened. At this rate employers and uni will have to keep list of what blew up each year, like wine vintages. Ah, she got an A in Maths in 2013, was that a good year for Maths As.

As one Headmaster commented, the goalpost are being shifted, just not by anyone with a working GPS

According to the sunday times Maths grade boundaries will be high as well and so the exam results will be lower than previous years. Not very nice for those on the C/D boundary.

Poppydoppy that would mean a huge UMS adjustment to get the 90%.

Just checked DDS result slip last year (OCR Gateway) and for the P1/P2/P3 unit she got 128/140 UMS which would be 91% - so just have scraped the a*. Not sure what the raw mark was though. That's 35% of the modular GCSE. P4/P5/P6 this year will be out of 160 (40%) and the CA 100 (25%).

Biology teacher seemed to think boundaries would be very high. Her CA was 42/48 and she has been warned that could be a B.

My DD took Gcses last year and a lot of her peers were affected by disappointing grades in English, and English Literature. I would prepare DCs as there were a lot of heartbroken teenagers coming out of schools thinking they had failed to do as well as predicted. It took around 24 hours before it became apparent it was a marking fiasco and the sixth forms let them know they were going to allow them on to the A level courses with lower grades based on teacher recommendations. Just preying they haven't got more of the same in store at AS level.

Grade boundaries change from year to year (and even within that - see last year's fiasco with the changes from Jan to June in English).

I'm a secondary teacher and would expect grade boundaries to be harsher in most subjects tbh. Gove has made no secret of the fact that he wants exams to be "harder" (except changing the boundaries doesn't change the content, but whatever...) and exam boards are businesses. They want to keep in favour with him just in case he ever manages to get his ridiculous plans in place for one exam board per subject, so they'll do what he wants.

What do you think the grade boundary will be for an A*? the student room predicts anything from 38/60 to 42/60.

Didnt see any mention of grade boundary changes for science, just that the syllabus is more difficult.
DD1 took the first modules of the new syllabus for each of Physics, Chemistry and Biology last year and did better than expected. Most of her set did very well (too set, average comp).
Found the second modules this year much more difficult than expected, and Physics a very strange format. Seriously worried as intending to take Physics A level.

Are igcse's affected or are they completely separate?