GCSE exams

One PP mentioned the number of hours of exams - I think that's stayed pretty much the same from when I did my Olevels - fewer papers, but longer ones.

And that's why pupils typically took 8 subjects routinely: only the very diligent took 9 or 10.

The actual length and number of papers is determined by the exam boards - obviously in consultation with the government, but final call is theirs.

What mechanisms (if any) exist to monitor, and if necessary censure or sanction, exam boards if they are setting exams of excessive duration?

Basically they have just shoved the modular papers to the end of the year. Different subjects seem to have wildly different numbers and lengths of paper and amounts of CAs and practical work to equal one GCSE.

Its been done in too much of a hurry. It's a total mess!

My memory is that in the O Level days we did far fewer exams (one paper per subject?) but that the exams themselves were way way longer.

I agree the GCSEs do feel like a hell of a lot to cope with - it's a very long time to sustain the momentum and stay motivated. DC3's final exam happened this morning, but some of his friends finish next Friday, which will be 6 weeks since they started.

Re CAs teaching different skills - I think much of it is mostly memorising stuff (especially with MFLs).

Totally agree though with the aim of the latest changes seeming to prevent young people actually doing well in their exams. So unfair that this year's cohort are being disadvantaged compared with previous years' Year 11s. Bloody Gove.

The English system is insane.

At university we had a maximum end-of-term 2 week exam period, which started the day after teaching stopped. Most people finished all exams within 7-10 days of when teaching finished.

I will have had 6 years of this. DD2 starts as DD1 finishes as they are three years apart. AS levels really are a set of exams too many.

Generations of students did perfectly well without them.

As for Goves changes, no one seems sure what DD2 will get.

Completely agree it goes on too long and is so difficult to keep them motivated. I feel I couldn't care less now so I don't blame them if they start to think that towards the end. It used to be you'd have a break between now and A levels but they've got AS levels next year. Constant examining and monitoring plus the ever changing goal posts and requirements from Gove.

We did 2-3 weeks of exams, one 3hr paper a subject (plus a short ad maths one for set 1)

DD's have been spread out all over the place with RE at the beginning and end. 4 hours RE, but less than two for Geography and only an hour each for double science - it's a mess.

Yes our way was stressful, but it was manageable because you knew you had to have your revision done and dusted when the exams started.

DD has had bugger all study leave, they have had revision classes all over the place. After school, during exams, during study leave, in 1/2 term. Just typing it into her iPod took an age.

This is on top of Art, drama and music that went to the wire, taking out revision time.

My DC's experience of GCSEs has been an eye opener for us.

Not only are CAs adding to the pressure, the content is broader and more in depth compared with O levels and I was surprised to see stuff that we covered for my A levels.

With O levels, there was usually one paper for each subject, not two or three and these were over in a few weeks, not months.

Yes to more content - the science GCSEs contain stuff that would have been on the A level, as well as all the new science since the O level days.

And from next year, your KS3 children will be learning much of what's on the current GCSEs, then in KS4 they'll study a significant amount that's on the current A level.

It shifts right down to KS2 (I've no idea about KS1). Is an alarming amount of abstract content that most teenagers struggle to comprehend (due to the development of the brain).

There is more content in modern exams and more subjects.

My DD is doing 23 exams thats over 30 hours of tests; not including all the other controlled assessments and GCSEs she sat in year 10

Our children have way more pressure than we ever did.

I agree with the length of time over which the exams are spread out. DS has been taking GCSEs (if you count French Aural) for over 2 months. He still has a week to go and 6 papers. He's fed up and exhausted by the whole thing. It didn't help having over 2 weeks off in the middle.

It's so hard to keep up the impetus for them.

Of course titchy, but then it is usual to have studied the course for the exam in school/at home (if home ed) before taking it!

Unfortunately for me, I had to learn one of the subjects from scratch then teach it, as there'd been a succession of different teachers and a lot of the course material hadn't been covered (which friend's DD discovered when doing past papers at home!). That was rather interesting to be sure, took me a couple of evenings and then I had to explain it before she could learn it. Luckily for an adult, that particular GCSE is mostly covered by common sense/life experience, so I didn't have too much to figure out!!

DD is doing 28 exams spread from 13th May to 20th June (with Half term in the middle there)
THe current year 10s are doing less subjects
the current year 9s less again

so the number of exams will revert back to how it was before modular exams were invented

Presumably bronya that was with two years of 3-4 hours a week being taught the subject, having in class tests, homework etc. you're not seriously suggesting someone could spend four hours learning a brand new subject and then get decent grade?

4 months of revising?! Really Raspberry?

Gawd that sounds horrific. I don't think I ever studied more than a full day for anything (different education system).

When I did O'levels in the 1980s, we had mostly finished the courses by Christmas, did mocks in January and spent the rest of the time revising.

We hadn't spent months trying to finish coursework, and only finish the course in some cases in the last lesson.

My DS is also going through the long-haul of the exams now. There is no way there is 4 hours of learning for each subject, I think its quite insulting to suggest that.

It will be even worse for DD in 2 years.

We did Textiles in 3 hours, ICT in two, Biology in two... Then did a past paper each. That was with revision guides though!

Well, I did O Levels in the 1980's and I don't remember the exam period being sooooo long and I am fairly certain I didn't do 22 separate exams for my 9 O levels.

I also know I could not learn DDs entire Biology syllabus in four hours.

The amount needed to learn isn't that much (you could learn it in a couple of hours - 4 max)

Really?? No way could I learn all DD1s American West in a couple of hours, or her Biology B1.

I do get the feeling that exams are shorter these days so it seems more (though I may be wrong on this as DD is only y10).

Apart from the fact that I only did 8 O levels (owing to my school's weird options I couldn't do 3 sciences) I don't think DD1 is really going to have more exams than I had. But she will also have had loads of controlled assessments too. e.g. I know I had 2 physics and 2 chemistry, 3 for French if you include the oral, etc.

The main problem I think is that younger parents haven't been through the terminal exam system so it seems like loads to them.

Yep, my dd also has 22 exams spread over six weeks. She has been great about revising and is keen to do well but to be honest she is bored and tired with the whole process now. It all feels too strung out and I agree that the process feels poorly thought out.

the amount needed to learn isn't that much

I agree with 13Stitches, this is nonsense! Have you seen GCSE History recently?