Y11 2023/24 thread 5 - results!

Can anyone who did a Btec help me understand the results. There are 2 different results on the results slip for the same btec:
74 L2D
74 L2P
No idea if it's a distinction or a pass?!

DD noted wryly that with a very high 9 (and 100% for speaking) in French, and “only” an 8/Merit in English Language, she’d be better just speaking French to us from now on!

I hope everyone’s 6th form or college plans have come together now that the dust has settled. We know a wonderful talented youngster who was expected to ace the exams en route to a planned medical career, for whom results day brought a tremendous shock. He’s gone into the bank holiday weekend without a 6th form place anywhere. So hard on them at such a tender age.

With Maths for both set of mocks they did all 3 papers so I do think the mock results are more accurate then.

I'd much prefer if we could do full mocks, but it's a logistical nightmare

My DS did paper 1 for his Eng language mock last Nov, got a low 6. In Feb did paper 2 and got a low 9.
He was predicted a 7 plus, got a strong 7, both he and I didn't think would get a 9 just based of 1 mock paper.
With Maths for both set of mocks they did all 3 papers so I do think the mock results are more accurate then.

@Scattery I honestly think getting the papers back first is best. It's a lot to spend if there was nothing awry

That's a good idea, @MrsHamlet thanks. DH was the one to write the exams officer. I'll see if he asked for the papers back. I have never done a GCSE so this is all a new system to me. If I could see that he filled out all portions or that the numbering wasn't messed up, I'd definitely rest easier even if the grade stayed the same.

@Scattery have you asked for the Lang papers back first?

DS did his main set of mocks with volunteer invigilators in exam conditions (in the hall, with everyone, no talking, no phones, etc), and another set under slightly more relaxed conditions. Not sure who graded. He consistently got 2-3 marks higher in English than he got as an actual score. I think what I can't get out of my head is that he used a laptop (he has additional needs) and what if something went wrong? That's why I wanted Lang to be reviewed, since it's right on the border of a 7. Other reason is his chosen college wants a 7.5 average for students to do 4 A Levels and the two 6's he got puts him slightly under.

Am not usually the type of parent who makes a fuss about exams. Not someone who kicks off about minor things or thinks my DS can do no wrong. But I just can't shake the "huh" feeling given what I know of DS's capabilities.

@ResultsHere in my class, a couple of disappointing ones - but not very surprising given the individuals. And a couple of ones that surprised in a good way - but students who were really putting in the work.

On a cohort level, a few who didn't get the very high grades their teachers were expecting, but we (I) will have a look at the papers to see what's happened.

For the English teachers, I can completely see that predicted grades aren’t always accurate. But did you have any results in your cohort that made you raise an eyebrow?

@Rumplestiltz paper 2 lit is a beast! Ours only sat that for the first time in the real exam. We literally cannot fit it in.

I'm a teacher and examiner with many years of experience, and some of mine didn't get what I predicted... in both directions!

I think the pressure got to some in a negative way, and others used it to turbocharge themselves.

This is such a good point @MrsHamlet Same in our school, I think they only did parts of each paper for English language - like the creative writing on one sitting and the comprehension in another. They certainly never did all of the lit papers in one sitting - the stamina needed for paper 2 is quite something.

Very true @MrsHamlet although you would hope that with years of experience in these things schools would be able to hone their skills in predicting from mocks.

My DD and most of her friend group got either their mock prediction or a grade up in most cases.

I've been thinking about mocks.

In my school, we're only allowed one slot, so they do one paper out of the 4. That's true of all subjects - one slot max.

So although they've done all parts of the exam in exam conditions over the course, they only time they ever do it all is in the summer of y11.

And the papers are marked by class teachers who - with all the will in the world - are going to be somewhat lenient in applying the mark scheme in a way that an examiner won't.

So when Fred gets a grade 5 in his mock, and a 4 in the real thing, there might be a reason for that that's not to do with exam boards at all.

DD was two grades below predicted and mocks for English Lang as well. She was surprised as she's always excelled at Lang.

I spent no more than two weeks on it from start to end this year, and that felt like too much.

No apology needed - I didn’t realise it didn’t count in English boards until last year when my nephew was doing his and he was rather miffed as he’d put quite a lot of work into it, and was a natural communicator and felt like it wasn’t worth the effort. I agree that it’s a really important skill and like that CCEA still values it

@FerminRomeroDeTorres apologies - I stand corrected. I miss the days when we did it because it was a useful skill and it counted.

Worth noting for any parents in NI, that for CCEA board, the speaking and listening component of English Lang most definitely does count towards your final grade.

There are 4 units for CCEA - Units 1&4 are exams, worth 30% each. Unit 2 is Speaking & Listening and they do 3 tasks (individual speech, role play and discussion group) with the combined score being worth 20% of the overall grade. Unit 3 is Controlled Assessment - 2 tasks - one is analysing a piece of written work (DD did Of Mice and Men), and the other is analysing spoken word - they have to listen to two speeches and then answer a question on them. This unit is also work 20%

The speaking assessment is compulsory. As with all NEA, marks should have been shared with the candidate before submission to the board.

But it's an endorsement on the certificate, not a qualification. And it doesn't contribute to the qualification.

We had a letter about it from the school explaining that the students would be doing this as a part of the exam but that it would have no effect on their eventual grade from the written papers - it seemed to be something that was compulsory to do as a tick-box thing only.

I don’t remember hearing from school about it directly but DD talked about it, what her topic should be, when her time slot was, practised a bit at home etc. so we were very much aware of it happening.

@Soccermum13 the first thing family member said was "they might not have marked a question" but I thought that highly unlikely. However given your story it is obviously possible...

That's so wonderful @WillimNot . Well done to your boy. Good schools and teachers can be literally life changing.