FP1, Yesterday's Edexcel AS further pure maths, anyone?

DS said the FP1 paper was 'Interesting. Interesting in the sense that I'm sure I never covered one question anywhere on the syllabus.'

Which, given he was randomly teaching himself rather than doing it through school, is entirely possible.

DD2 said it wasn't bad. She said her friends had mixed views - some thought it was awful and some okay. I remember a similar response from DD1 and her friends last year. I do think the papers are getting a bit harder each year. The best preparation seems to be doing some gold/Solomon papers which are always a bit harder than the standard past papers and then the actual exam doesn't seem too bad. DD2 still has S1 to sit and will be doing some of these harder papers in revision. But each of our DCs see/copes with things differently - the general consensus on mumsnet was that physics was ok but DD thinks she didn't do well in that exam!

Am hearing dire things about yesterday's C2 paper.. Entire class at DS's school were floored.. Similar tales of woe were emerging from other schools in the area... Perchance something may have gone awry???

Sorry to hear that. I remain blissfully oblivious to whatever board dd is sitting, but it isn't Edexcel. Again, disparities between boards are so unfair, aren't they? I remember that, too, from older dc.

My DS says that the C2 paper was the hardest he has ever done

How did your DCs find it?

The Hitler spoof was fantastic, thanks for that, ancient!

Needless to say, I say nothing to dd and offer no advice. It makes life much easier for me! With my previous dc, I did indeed get too involved and complicated the picture for him. I certainly grew to hate exam boards and all their vagaries.

I've mentioned it to DD2 and told her to make sure she does some gold/Solomon papers. She thinks it is funny that the papers may have been leaked.

Yeah, I know that they adjust the grade boundaries and all that if the paper is hard, but I am not sure its enough.
You see, when the questions are very hard it causes my DS to panic and in a skittish state he runs wildly from question to question. He wastes loads of time on unnecessary details, focuses on nothing. It basically throws off his entire exam strategy.

He is practising on the harder papers so that he does not get into such a tizz, but just anticipating a harder exam is stressing him out.

Why does this happen so often at Edexcel? And how can they be sure the replacement paper won't be leaked too?

Oh, dd didn't sit a paper on Tuesday, so I don't think she does that board.

Cock-ups in papers are cruel, although if a paper is hard, then they adjust the marks, I believe - some variation in difficulty is inevitable. But Maths is a funny old subject, because afaik you can mix and match modules and re-sit some, so eventually you can get there. I certainly can't get involved in adding up the UMS points, or I would go mad. You kind of need a Maths A level to understand how the modules add up. And I would never get one.

I've heard no rumours about cock-ups at all; hope for every dc's sake they don't have to do any replacement papers - I'm sure the board would do everything it could to avoid that. TSR can be a real rumour-mill.

The C1 Hitler spoof had me crying with laughter and I didn't even sit the thing. Or maybe that was why I was able to laugh at it? Poor Jess.

Hope so! DD2 found the C1 paper good.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3239901&page=140&highlight=Replacement
Someone on student room is saying that C1 and C2 were posted on Twitter.
They couldn't make them resit C1 could they? I assume not.

2 years ago there was a cock-up with the C3 paper where most sat the replacement paper which was apparently very hard, but some still sat the original paper which was easier. I hope they don't get the replacement paper.

Have any of you heard that the C1 paper was leaked before the exam?

Apparently the C2 one was as well (according to Twitter, TSR and my DS maths group's gossip). There is wild speculation that they will sit a replacement C2 paper next week.

My DS says replacement papers are always harder and has started doing regional and international past papers as preparation.

I'm not 100% sure what any of that means, but thought I would pass the info on in case it helps anyone.

Be warned though, this info may cause extra stress and panic in your DCs.

Hi, ancient - dd and I have a deal not to discuss any of her exams, but I think she may have done C1. No idea if it was Edexcel though - I literally have to keep right out of it. So similarly I have no idea if it was hard.

I could mention in passing that C1 is being discussed on MN however, and she may tell me what her lot say about it. Was the Times view that it was unusually difficult?

Bloody exams, eh. I am glad to keep out of it this time around. She says I make her anxious if I say anything at all; so I don't.