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Original poster

Length of GCSE exams - Do DC with extra time cope?

34 replies

TeenTimesTwo · 25/01/2019 19:21

We've just had GCSE options evening for DD2, DD1 having done GCSEs 5 years ago under the old system of CAs, but with terminal exams.

Not only does it look like DD2 will have considerably more exams than DD1 (20 instead of 13), but the average length of exams seems to be longer too. Many more at 1:30 or 1:45 compared with 1hr exams DD1 had.

That's OK, I think. But one English Lit paper is 2hr15mins. Even that isn't unreasonable as a one off.

But: DD2 qualifies for extra time. (Yes I know this is a good thing and I shouldn't complain). With the extra time, the English Lit paper comes in at 2hr47min, which seems massive, and the 1:30 papers come in at 1:52.

I'm really concerned how on earth she is going to cope. Hopefully her stamina will build up over the next 2 years? Is that to be expected? Can anyone (teacher or parent) reassure me?

OP posts:
HarrietSchulenberg · 25/01/2019 20:33

A 1hr 30 mins paper gives 23 mins extra time. Teach your dd how to best use this. It could be to spend an extra 5 mins planning each long answer plus 4 mins to proofread her answer or an extra 2 mins to really read the question plus 5 mins proofing, or whatever works for her. For English, History or other papers with extensive writing, allocate time per question and build her extra time into that so she's not faced with a yawning chasm of 23 extra mins.

Smalldogwatchingsquirrels · 25/01/2019 20:15

the ones who do use it effectively have built up the stamina / generate the adrenaline to cope

^This. Even motivated students with 50% extra time plough on through.

Original poster
TeenTimesTwo · 25/01/2019 20:03

So far DD has needed & used the extra time in all her tests.
So Small are you saying that some complain they are bored and have too much time, but that the ones who do use it effectively have built up the stamina / generate the adrenaline to cope?

OP posts:
Smalldogwatchingsquirrels · 25/01/2019 19:58

It does make the exams more tiring, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. My students generally use every minute of their extra time in the essay subjects, less so in subjects like maths. IME the only students who complain are the ones who haven’t done sufficient revision to use the extra time effectively.

LoniceraJaponica · 25/01/2019 19:58

Those exam times are the same as when DD took her GCSEs three years ago. However, they are still shorter than when I took my O levels many moons ago. She took 23 exams in total, but she did 2 GCSEs in year 10 and took maths 6 months early, so she only took 17 exams in the summer of year 11.

I think the suggestion of using the extra time for the mocks is a good one. DD had extra time for her A levels, and it was a massive help, but it meant that some of her exams were over 3 hours long.

Original poster
TeenTimesTwo · 25/01/2019 19:51

Merge Thanks. She has been having extra time since y7 and school are good at ensuring it for all formal tests. She is exhausted after just a normal day at school as it is (doing any homework in the week is a struggle, and pointless to even attempt maths then). We are trying with revision routines for tests.

I really like the idea of biscuits part way through - hadn't thought of that. I did resort to Coca-Cola for DD1 at one point during GCSEs, for the caffeine hit. Smile

OP posts:
MergeDragons · 25/01/2019 19:46

I'd be making sure that your DD gets her extra time in all mocks to make sure that she gets used to it. I got 25% extra time and yes some exams were long but when you are doing it it tends to be ok. Get her to think of the exams in sections. Also when I had a very long exam (Advanced higher English) 3 hours normally, became 3hrs 45. I took a biscuit in and asked if I could eat it half way through. The examiner was fine with it.

As for the resilience aspect it is tough. Exams are exhausting enough but add in the extra time and whatever the underlying condition is it can be very hard. I think being very supportive during them/ any mocks accepting that afterwards she'll be exhausted and probably won't want to do revision in the evenings. Get her into a good revision routine from now so that she doesn't need to cram at the time.

Original poster
TeenTimesTwo · 25/01/2019 19:38

I forgot to say, DD1 had extra time, and was OK, but the exams were shorter and she had considerably fewer of them! She took a lot of 'nurturing' through GCSEs, so I am really wondering how on earth DD2 (who is generally less resilient) is going to manage.

Not that there's really anything I can do about it anyway I suppose.

OP posts:
terriblyangryattimes · 25/01/2019 19:32

I had extra time allowed when I did my GCSEs (admittedly in early 00s) and was allowed to leave when I felt I had completed the exams. Hopefully this is still the case as I think if I had been sat at looking at my answers/essays for all the extra time I would have driven myself mad and started to doubt what I had written. Hopefully someone will have some current info for you though!

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