When (and why) did exams get shorter?

Combined science will be 6x 1.10 (2 per science)

@DorotheaDiamond, you might be interested to know that one of my DC took 11 GCSEs in 2022 comprising 25 separate exam sessions, averaging 1.5 hours each, giving a total of 37.5 hours of exams. Many years earlier, I sat 11 GCE O-levels comprising 21 separate exam sessions, averaging 2 hours each, giving a total of 42 hours of exams.

Neither I or this particular DC selected subject options with a separate coursework component. So, on the basis of this very limited historical comparison, average exam sessions are shorter but there are more exam sessions per subject.

Obviously there is a whole separate debate about terminal exams vs coursework and total number of subjects that should be taken in one sitting, but, aside from that, my DC said that whilst lots of shorter exams meant each was less energy sapping, there were fewer weekdays without any exams so you had to hit the exam period fully up-to-speed; fewer 'gaps' for last minute revision.

I kept my original papers (hence the data above) and asked my DC to review these. The question types and topics were pretty similar in their view; the only noticeable difference being a greater emphasis on mechanics in my Maths papers (perhaps a reflection of a more industrial-focused economy at that time).

If DD had sat them she would have had:
2 Eng Lang, 2 Eng Lit, 3 Maths, 6 science
then
3 Geography, 2 RE, 1 Food & 1 Drama (with both of the last 2 also having practicals)
So 20 for 9 GCSEs.

Also - don’t assume a shorter paper is easier! I teach exams where in my opinion the time given is very tight and an extra half an hour would make the whole thing much better. It’s like those artificially short timings they give contests on the Bake Off.

Exactly this. If exams are shorter, OP, do you not think this is an added challenge for pupils..? Or are you trying to claim that the exam content has been reduced too (ie they have to do proportionately less in the exam?

For the poster who said kids have less time in each school day this is actually not true. I did the same times as you but we got 1 hour 20 min for lunch plus a 30 min break. My kids are in school for 8.30am untill 3.10pm but only get a 30 min lunch and a 20 min break so actual class time is longer now.

Ah, yes, OP, iGCSE do have far fewer exams- as you can see. That explains the confusion, I think.

Today's GCSEs seem to be very much a marathon. I came across a post of mine from 4 years ago where I was worrying how DD2 would cope with 20 exams (her elder sister only had 13). As it turns out she was the second covid cohort and missed y11 anyway.

I think the content of most GCSEs is pretty good, certainly the RE was way more interesting than mine.

It's just a rubbish system for the less academic, there aren't any options for them.

Last year's GCSE session was particularly gruelling I think, as the exams were spread out, with sufficient gaps between the different papers so that if a pupil missed papers because of Covid they would be recovered in time to take the next one in the same subject and would get a grade based on that. My DS did 20 odd exams and they seemed to go on forever, starting well before half term and I think they lasted at least a couple of weeks longer than normal as he didn't get the really long break that my elder children did.
Yes, the exams are shorter but there are more of them. Several subjects had 3 papers and if I recall rightly there were 4 things for French. It seemed relentless pressure compared to my O levels in 1982. We didn't have any exams before half term except maybe the orals for French and German and then all the written exams were done fairly quickly after the holiday. I certainly remember having heavy days where I had one 2.5 hour paper in the morning and another in the afternoon but I think I'd rather that than what my son had which seemed to be one fairly short exam most days but it went on for weeks and weeks.
It's definitely different these days, but I don't think it's necessarily easier. I think some people think it's still like it was in the fairly recent past with lots of coursework etc and don't realise how demanding the new syllabi are. DH and I are both scientists by trade and we don't think the science or maths GCSE or A level courses our children have taken in the last few years are easy at all. I can't really comment on the other subjects but I presume they are of a similar standard. I am sometimes a bit surprised by things that aren't covered, or at least not in the depth they were in my day, but then there are other topics on the GCSE syllabus now that I didn't learn about til I was an undergraduate as they were new then! I'm not sure things are easier, or more difficult overall, just different. Times change.

1982 O levels:
Eng Lang1 2hrs & Eng Lang2 2hrs
Maths2 2.5hrs + ?
RS 2.5hrs
Eng Lit 2.5 hrs (P&P question: From your knowledge of the characters give your impressions of two of the following marriages Mr&Mrs Bennett, Lydia&Wickham, Charlotte&Collins. Support your answer by detailed reference to the novel)
Latin1 2.5hrs & Latin2 1.5hrs
French3 1.5hrs + Oral & Listening?
Physics1 2hrs + Multichoice
Chemistry ? + Multichoice

DD sat 22 different exam papers last year. And that was with one entirely coursework subject (Art) and one mostly coursework subject (Drama).

I was the first year of GCSEs and I sat about 12. I agree my papers were longer, but DD has still done way more overall.

School days may be shorter but breaks are also shorter.
My old school day was 9-3.45, whereas DD's was 8.30-3, but she only got 30 minutes for lunch and 15 minutes for a morning break whereas I had 60 minutes and 20 minutes.

Thank you @abitsharp - you are quite right. I agree with your earlier post that the whole exam season is very gruelling for the kids. I wish that people who claim exams have got easier had to sit 30+ papers in such a short period of time!

Some of my O Level (1987) and A levels (1988), the exam papers were the only form of assessment for that subject over the entire course. No coursework whatsoever.

This is the case for academic GCSE subjects now.

theres some course work for practical subjects like drama but not generally for academic subjects.

I agree there are definitely more exam papers now. This seems fairer as there’s less bias if you happen to be unwell that day and underperform and better for pupils with SEN who require extra time and probably struggle with long stretches of concentrating at the best of times. What advantage are longer exams?

GCSEs and A levels have a greater element of coursework than they did a generation ago.

Some of my O Level (1987) and A levels (1988), the exam papers were the only form of assessment for that subject over the entire course. No coursework whatsoever. I imagine modern written exams are shorter if that qualification is also assessed in other ways.

Ha ha. Students sitting GCSE English exams alone (that's lit and Lang- which is the vast majority of kids) will face around 8 hours in an exam room. That's plus their other GCSEs.

I can't comment on length of the day, but we're already one of the most inefficient countries in terms of hours spent in school. Length of school day and length of terms does not equate to amount of learning.

@ElegantPuma Aqa Lit GCSE P1 is 1 hour 45 min

@Notellinganyone I think you are misinformed. AQA English GCSE is 2 x 1hr 45min. English Literature GCSE is 1 x 1hr 30min and 1 x 2hr15 min.

FWIW, AQA A level English Lit is 1 x 2hrs 30min, 1x 3hrs and two coursework essays, each 1,500 words long.

English Language GCSE is 2hrs 15 and A level Unseen is the same.

I teach A Level English Lit. For my exam board, pupils do 2 exam paper, each of 2 hours 30 mins, so 5 hours in total. I'm sure my pupils would LOVE for it to be longer - pupils are expected to do a lot in less time! I find this especially at GCSE... pupils really struggle with lack of time.

That’s the same as my old school day, but I realised recently that despite my DD finishing 30 mins earlier classroom time is actually 5 mins longer as she gets 45 mins instead of an hour for lunch, plus they scrapped the afternoon break which was 20 mins.

tbh with the time it took getting out and back in for the playtime it’s probably even more than 5 mins extra class time.

Also - don’t assume a shorter paper is easier! I teach exams where in my opinion the time given is very tight and an extra half an hour would
make the whole thing much better. It’s like those artificially short timings they give contests on the Bake Off. For a 20 mark A level question they have about 25 minutes and it’s an insanely short amount of time for the amount of content and knowledge they’re supposed to be able to put into that answer.