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Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (8) Dozens of DCs, 1 DH and Flashcards in the fridge

999 replies

mmzz · 16/05/2018 21:35

Previous thread

OP posts:
Teenmum60 · 22/05/2018 13:24

DD's English was open book and coursework (Edexcel iGCSE), although she would have preferred exams rather than coursework. The school had a choice with the same board 100% exam or 40/60% coursework/ exam...given it was a new exam I think they probably aired on caution and opted for coursework. The grade boundaries are higher where coursework is part of the exam.

AlexanderHamilton · 22/05/2018 13:14

Only independent schools tend to do the IGCSE (CIE).

I personally think open book exams for English helps facilitate greater depth of underStanding. Closed book seems a backward step.

Theimpossiblegirl · 22/05/2018 13:11

I'm confused about the different exam boards too, especially as some children get open book exams and coursework while others don't. It doesn't seen equal or fair. Who decides what school does what board?

hmcAsWas · 22/05/2018 13:04

I am thankful for different exam boards - on the whole CIE has been great : 30% course work in history, 50% in English language, and in English lit a 'friendly' text (Secret River - my dd seems to be the only dc who dislikes it, but she dislikes reading in general) with no need to memorise poems plus an open book for Macbeth later this week.

We've also done AQA, OCR for PE and have Edexcel for Maths

callitwhatyouwill · 22/05/2018 13:03

AQA English today for DD2 - Romeo & Juliet & Pride & Prejudice. Her verdict (brief as she’s going into Geography) was it was okay but the questions were weird

HesMyLobster · 22/05/2018 12:52

It is so confusing!
It would make so much more sense to me for them all to do the same exam in each subject. I still don't really understand the reason for multiple exam boards Confused

AlexanderHamilton · 22/05/2018 12:39

Phew - Edexel paper 1 is Shakespeare & Post 1914
Paper 2 is 19thC & Poetry.

LooseAtTheSeams · 22/05/2018 12:38

It is confusing - the exam boards offer pretty much the same novels and Shakespeare plays but their papers are in different orders and ask the questions differently!

Oratory1 · 22/05/2018 12:37

Thanks Teen and others - I really felt you were all rooting for him this morning !! Yes he said Purple Shoes was a bit weird but hopefully he wrote something - a few weeks ago that would have really thrown him, then he said he could have done either of the Of Mice and Men ones (Crooks and Loneliness).

Original poster
mmzz · 22/05/2018 12:33

AlexanderHamilton sorry that will be me confusing things. AQA would have been A Christmas Carol and R&J today, with AIC on Friday.
I was talking about the wrong exam board.

OP posts:
LooseAtTheSeams · 22/05/2018 12:32

Nettles I expect he remembered enough - and examiner will reward what he did know!
I'm pleased about Frankenstein question as it was the last thing I revised with one of my students
Second - all of Paradise Lost! I am really impressed!

AlexanderHamilton · 22/05/2018 12:31

She wants to take English Lit for A Level too.

AlexanderHamilton · 22/05/2018 12:30

No normal Edexel. Unless she got it wrong & Christmas Carol was today oops if so - hope it didn’t throw her off.

hmcAsWas · 22/05/2018 12:27

Dd (also dyslexic - extra time and a laptop) found CIE English literature okay. Poetry analysis was preferable to the extract on 'Secret River' which she found hard (she dislikes the book ) but still doable. Apparently she managed to include reference to onomatopoeia in the poem - just boggling at what a dyslexic spelling of that might look like Grin

Original poster
mmzz · 22/05/2018 12:27

AlexanderHamilton Your DD is doing iGCSE? Because AIC is on Friday, but R&J is today

OP posts:
AlexanderHamilton · 22/05/2018 12:22

Not heard from dd but she & aCouple of other’s had phones confiscated last week for having them out in School.

She did R & J & Inspector Calls today (Edexcel)

HesMyLobster · 22/05/2018 12:10

Well Done Oratory's DS! Huge relief for you! Star

Sos that sounds heavenly right now!

Teenmum60 · 22/05/2018 12:10

Oratory1 - good news.. DD was pleased that the character was Crooks but wasn't entirely happy about her Anthology comparison ..apparently, the first question was about Purple shoes...but glad that is another subject finished...

Straight home and now on the laptop doing Physics revision.

Original poster
mmzz · 22/05/2018 12:06

I just checked again and there's a lot of tweets saying the AQA R&J question was: How does shakespeare present relationships between adults and young people?

OP posts:
Sostenueto · 22/05/2018 12:06

Well done Oratory!WineStar

Sostenueto · 22/05/2018 12:05

Pimms ( small glass) a slice of homemade Victoria sponge cake and tuna and cucumber sandwich. I lead such a hard life!

Oratory1 · 22/05/2018 12:04

Phew survived !! Answered three questions.

Sostenueto · 22/05/2018 12:02

That's just where I'm going now lobster its lovely outside!

Sostenueto · 22/05/2018 12:01

Yes dgd liked both Frankensteins and Romeo and Juliet themes. She was just disappointed she couldn't use quote about flowering pump!WinkShockGrin

HesMyLobster · 22/05/2018 12:00

GrinSos you're probably better off outside on your lovely patio!