oxbridge and module resits - Do they know?

The A* grade is a bit different from the current A grade. It is not the same as building up enough UMS points. You have to be consistent also - getting high marks in all the modules, not having a strong and a weak module balancing each other out.

When I did my training last year, we were told that QCA expected to award very few A* grades. They can adjust the grade boundaries to give them exactly what they want (increasing a little each year).

I'm talking about the new spec, senua. Since it is a new spec, there is very little info around.

If he is doing the old spec, then presumably he is in U6 doing A2. There is still scope for resitting though.

My brother read medicine at Cambridge and was also very good at English/writing etc at school. I think you need that - doctors need to be able to communiate and far too many in the past have had the personal skills of a newt but been very clever.

Also the Cambridge admissions people advocating this have said they aren't going to be specific as to which A level has to be an A*, just that one has to be (to show a certain degree of academic rigour I suppose) and that it evens out the independent v state 'confidence' at interview worry.

I think it has to be a good thing in the long run because at the moment there is a huge disparity in those pupils who get 3 As, some are incredibly super bright (and would reslish 'harder' A levels) and some, quite frankly, aren't, but on paper look as though they are because of the re-taking of modules etc, type of subject they take etc., school they go to(but that's another argument...).

Yes, I find it surprising that people are saying it's a bad thing that it will be easier to see who is clever and who is not so clever. Surely it's good we have A - C so why is it a problem to have A* to C?

The thing is, as I see it, most of the successful Oxbridge candidates at my DCs grammar school DO get over 90% in all their modules etc so they will get the A* grade. They will be glad it it there, some of them really do find the current A levels 'easy'!!

There are very few that get offers who aren't likely to get 'top' As at A2, as opposed to just scraping an A. So really it is better for your DS, notanotter, because it will weed out all the just scraping 3 As students.....

I am also not so sure it will particularly advantage the independent sector (as has been argued by some elements) because they might find not all of their students can get the absolute top grade whereas those really, really bright and motivated children in the state sector do tend to get the top grades whatever.

What a lot of people don't realise though is that Cambbridge definitely (and prob Oxford by other means) DO already look at whether students are getting 'high' As or not. Having said that, they are looking for POTENTIAL as well so the interviews and all the other tests (eg for medicine, English, history, law) also help.

I disagree, ST. Although your advice about getting papers returned in advance of the chief examiner's report sounds excellent advice for most subjects, isn't Maths the odd one out because it has not gone with the new / A* syllabus.
Also, if Otter's DS is going for a resit, he will want the new grade in place for UCAS forms in the Autumn because Jan 2010 will be too late to influence admissions tutors.

Notanotter,

Are these UMS points that you are referring to? Do you know maximum UMS available for the papers?

I wouldn't worry about grade boundaries at this stage as every mark contributes towards the final A2 grade. Even if they scraped an A in the module, it might still be worth resitting.

I would be inclined to have the paper returned for him to see where he went wrong. As a teacher, unless I was an assessor for the awarding body, I would want to see the marked papers as this is a new specification and it will be a while before the mark scheme and chief examiner's report comes out. TBH, it is crazy to go into a resit blind.

If he is definitely continuing with the subject to A2, he doesn't need to rush into a resit now. He could do it next January, when he will be a year more mature, and have had some other teaching that will grow his confidence (if you are saying it was Mechanics he struggled with (is this a Physics paper?), the no doubt all the Mathematics he is doing now can only help him with that). By January 2010, there will be 2 past papers and 2 examiner's reports to go on. Personally, I would wait.

"he did well in the rest with one 89, four mid 90's and critical thinking 100!"

What's to be depressed about!?
Actually, I found the comment, "i rang school today but no nearer a solution as they really did not know" depressing but not altogether surprising. Any more news today? Don't forget the obvious solution - phone up Cambridge and ask them. I have heard that they are helpful as they are desparate to be seen as open, egalitarian and not clique-y and (obv.) they want to encourage the best talent to come to them.

I don't think it is depressing - it is merely acknowledging the fact that so many students get 3 As or more at A2. Over half the students at DS1's school get at least 3 As every year and they don't all expect to get into Oxford, Cambridge or the LSE but end up across the Russell Group universities.
What is depressing is the quality and amount of teaching for undergraduates at some Russell Group unversities - but that is another subject and a very good reason to try to get into Oxbridge.

The thing is, the prevailing culture is that you can do resits. A lot of schools treat the January modules as 'mocks' with the firm view that they are going to do them for real in June.

Obviously, the awarding bodies are happy with this situation, especially when they get the January fees, along with fees for remarks and/or returned papers.

I don't think Universities or UCAS can change their entrance requirements while this practice goes on.

I am sure will be fine. Wasn't sure whether to post info as your DS has done very well otherwise and he doesn't need to be disheartened at this stage BUT he does need to know what the level is he is aiming for. Those other modules sound fab!!!

I'm sure Cambridge will take into account students taking modules unnecessarily early etc.

Sorry I meant to say that just the usual UCAS form is now used at Oxford (was rushing to get DD her milk and didn't read it back!) No idea at Cambridge. The old Oxford form has now been abolished and didn't have modules on it. So there is no requirements as far as I know for modules to go on for Oxford applications BUT that may always change and many schools do put modules on the references.

I guess you mean re-sits in the summer? I.e. the new mark would be out before the UCAS form goes in? In that case I think a re-sit might be a good idea. A bad module mark wouldn't be the end of the world if all else was good but the competition will have very high marks and it is difficult to have confidence in a predicted 'A' if the module marks don't seem to back it up. I don't think that a re-sit would show-up at Oxford unless the school said (no idea about Cambridge) and many people do re-sit, I've come across schools with a policy that everyone re-sits even with a good A!

Yes, it is just the UCAS form now for applying, no separate 'paper' form (there used to be a blue, quite complicated form for Cambridge, with space to add every module and result, and a smaller form for Oxford!!)

So they just put Oxford/ Cambridge on the UCAS application as one of their choices, as per the other universities. But then they are sent, online, a questionnaire from Cambridge which will include module results.

Module results are also referred to by their academic referee at the school in their reference if they are exceptionally good. Students can also refer to their results in their Personal Statement for other universities who don't ask for the module results (i.e everywhere bar Oxbridge, I think, although I may be wrong re medical degrees...).

Is that the case in Cambridge Milliways? Just the usual UCAS form is now used (the Oxford form has gone and it didn't have modules on)

Bagsforlife - you are right. DD had an online application requiring all UMS marks and I think the school have to verify them.

On the entry forms you have to list the UMS points gained in each module up to AS level, and they get the points for all modules at A2 level later.

DD got a "low" A grade in 2 oral exams so re-sat them this Jan to bump up her final A2 mark and try to ensure solid A's. She was questioned about this grade in her interview! (even though had overall A grade AS levels in 5 subjects).

SOME subjects state a % required in certain modules at A2 level rather than just A grade (eg friends have offers of 100% in Maths, or 95% in X module), but generally if he is taking early and gets the new result before the application is required, they need never know.

Most of the students who are applying to Oxbridge at my DCs school get 90%+ in their modules (some get 100% - it is scary). I would imagine most of the successful Oxbridge candidates across the country are getting these sort of results. I imagine they have to look at module scores to differentiate between the candidates who are all predicted 3/4 As.(BTW I am not an admissions tutor or anything but I do have some input into the university applications at the school so I know what sort of results they are getting). But they still have to take the BMAT test and will have an interview.