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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DS thinks he can teach himself to pass an exam in a week. AIBU to think he is wrong?

755 replies

user1494154933 · 07/05/2017 13:45

This is going to sound ridiculous and I wasn't going to post, as you'll probably call me stupid Blush or irresponsible, etc.

My son is now 18. He isn't a 'genius' or anything like that. He did ok at GCSEs but didn't try hard at all. I used to try my best to get him to revise for him exams, he refused to and said it was pointless and exams don't help etc. which is ridiculous because as much as I do agree it's about memory, you clearly do need to know, anyway, he did ok and got accepted into sixth form, he decided not to go and got a part time job but did a part time photography course in the evening (he is still doing that).

I don't really know how it came about but I think I brought it up about how his exams were important and does he agree now he has matured and he was saying how he doesn't agree because exams aren't showing how intelligent you are, etc. and anyone can do them if they learn the exam technique. Last year (around december) he was telling me how he was going to prove it, he booked himself into the Maths AS exams for this summer (last year you can do these ones I believe). He hasn't learnt anything yet Hmm and I keep bringing it up (he spent £150 odd pounds for the exams (private candidate) and will sit them at his college he goes to part time) and he is telling me 'to wait and see'. He says when he has a week until the exam he will start learning the technique of it? I could slightly understand if a different subject, but he seems to think for Maths it works the best. I really don't understand his whole thinking behind this, but can't wait to be like WTF when he doesn't pass...

AIBU to think this is just stupid and not possible?

OP posts:
ZilphasHatpin · 14/05/2017 23:17

I mean, didn't you ever wonder why the exam papers have student numbers rather than names?

noblegiraffe · 14/05/2017 23:31

I've got a MN reputation, and sad though that might seem, I wouldn't want to risk that. People pay more attention to me on here than they do in my actual job!

Where is the OP today?

Biggreygoose · 14/05/2017 23:49

I reckon it could be done. I did similar at uni for the first two years (engineering).It's not like I'm some math genius either. Did no work for gcse and got a B as well.

I'm just a lazy arse who does very well under exam conditions.

Original poster
user1494154933 · 15/05/2017 00:04

Hiya noble I'm here :) just been super busy. today! This might be quite a long post as lots of replies!

My son says he will happily pay you your salary for an hour?

Also, I know lots of you are saying a B isn't very good and I do feel a bit mean for saying that now. DS was gettings Bs in his papers at the end of year 8 (not the level equivalent (as it wasn't marked in grades when he was in year 8), but at g&t club), he got his first A at the beginning of year 10. His teacher's GCSE prediction was an A* the other prediction (that's predicted from year 7) was an A, he was on the g&t list for a year when in year 8. He went down hill in year 10, never went to classes, had a bit of an attitude and was in isolation a lot. His grades dropped. He began changing and his mock just before the exam was an A, but he got a B on the day. I suppose the argument still stands that someone with natural ability (which I know sounds mean, even I don't think he has - he isn't a genius!) would have gotten higher, so probably irrelevant info. But I feel like I owe that to my son to just explain the situation. He regrets it every day. Maths was one thing he did love.

I feel like that's why there may be more to him doing this now than just to prove a point, but we will soon see. He loves photography, but I think he wants that to be more of a side business type thing when he gets older, as he knows a career in it is hard, so know knows, maybe his plan is to actually do something to do with maths! I still doubt it though... As he is going about it in a stupid way...

Thanks all.

OP posts:
tararabumdeay · 15/05/2017 00:23

Read the questions carefully, nothing is impossible if you know the basics. There are hundreds of ytubes for every level and spec. Watch three times over and if you can do it on the third attempt you've nailed it.

Exams are designed so most students succeed or have a good grounding to improve upon. If they don't then it's usually cba or the fact that GCSE is not suited to the learner's strengths.

With some background knowledge and week of cramming I think it's possible, and let's face it, AS is just GCSE plus another year of exposure and a teenage interest in the subject.

This last statement is not in the least derogatory towards AS achievement or teenage's interest when there's so much more potential and the exam system doesn't work for everyone.

TotallyEclipsed · 15/05/2017 00:57

I have all noble's doubts, and respect her views and opinions but hope he does well none the less. I know one child who self studied M3 as an extra module (so had had no lessons, but did also do physics, so would have known anything in common with that on the syllabus) just for fun and because it was after all the other exams. Didnt start work on it until the other exams had finished so did just one solid day and two evening's study for it and aced it (can't remember if it was full marks or just close, but a high a*). That child had had full marks or close on every maths exam they'd ever sat, and had previous for full marks on maths exams they'd not covered the full syllabus for having intuitively seen how to do things they shouldn't have known how to. But they did always have a good attitude and attend lessons (even when they were boringly too easy), so it's a bit different to the OPs ds.

There is always the hope/remote chance that OPs ds does have the same sort of natural ability but dropped his marks through carelessness/lack of practice/easy or boring stuff missed that they didn't care about rather than lack of talent... So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him and very interested to know how it all turns out for him too.

Original poster
user1494154933 · 15/05/2017 01:22

noble good idea for him to do it Monday so some time to go over bits he needs to. He is in bed now lol, but I will tell him that in the morning. He might say no, but that's then his problem.

PDF from scanning is fine, it's very nice of you. Just say if you would like some money for it, DS is happy to pay.

OP posts:
CatchingBabies · 15/05/2017 04:32

Love to know how he gets on. I think he can do it.

DixieFlatline · 15/05/2017 05:11

If it actually mattered to him, he would have surely put in sustained effort over a more sensible time frame rather than playing a game with it.

Indeed. Which is why the 'he sounds quite disciplined!' responses to him putting in a solid two-three days right before the deadline after slacking off for months made my eyes nearly roll out of my head.

This is me in my natural, lazy, arrogant, complacent, procrastinating state. In the DS' position I'd have benefited far more from failing and learning that lesson than from winging a pass via lucky sets of questions on the day. Which is why I share noble's hope that he gets a fitting result.

As BadKitten has said, maths mark schemes leave little to no room for interpretation.

And Zilphas, no matter how clear-cut the maths mark schemes are, they're hardly going to get rid of anonymity on maths papers when everything else is anonymous and using the same codes. What would be the point?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 15/05/2017 06:21

YY Dixie.

The last minute crash revision technique is the one I applied to GCSE and A-level and I don't think disciplined is a word that has ever really been applied to me.

Although a week is probably more revision than I'd do.

GnomeDePlume · 15/05/2017 08:04

SoulAccount
It's a fault of an exam system over continuous assessment.

Totally agree that it is a fault of an exam system. In theory continuous assessment gives a better demonstration of a student's ability. The problem has always been the practicality of administering such a system.

Does that undermine everyone's achievement?

To an extent I think it does. Anomalous exam results do affect other people where university places are at stake.

SoulAccount · 15/05/2017 08:38

So maybe exams should only be taken after a course of a certain length? Attendance would be easy to monitor, where continuous assessment is not.

Someone working very hard for a week could actually tot up close to the same number of curriculum hours over two and a half terms.

ZilphasHatpin · 15/05/2017 09:19

no matter how clear-cut the maths mark schemes are, they're hardly going to get rid of anonymity on maths papers when everything else is anonymous and using the same codes. What would be the point?

When did I say they should get rid of anonymity on maths papers? Confused

kaitlinktm · 15/05/2017 11:06

So do they really not have names on exam papers any more? I thought it was names AND numbers.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2017 11:56

I thought it was names and numbers.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 15/05/2017 12:09

Where I am in the US there is a continuous assessment and exam system for math. There is computer based testing throughout the year. The testing is hideous, at the end of each module, again at every nine weeks, then a huge load of tests at the end of the year - School district tests, then state tests, then the federal tests.

The teacher sets three or four projects during the year. These count in a huge way towards marks. However if a project goes badly, a teacher can give a student additional testing. If they do better on the test, the teacher takes that grade.

The homework is delivered and graded via computer and the computer tracks the marks.

The final grade is a combination of homework, testing throughout the year, and project work. What the OP's DS is doing would not be possible as not doing the homework, testing, and project during the year would mean he would have failed before even going into the test room.

marcopront · 15/05/2017 12:09

For Cambridge IGCSE and International Baccalaureate exams it is names and numbers.

DixieFlatline · 15/05/2017 12:31

When did I say they should get rid of anonymity on maths papers?

You were trying to argue that there must be a reason maths papers are anonymised. I'm saying there is a reason papers in general are anonymised, but you cannot use it to argue that maths papers can be marked subjectively. Could you seriously not figure that out?

Kokusai · 15/05/2017 12:57

I love noblegiraffe .

Nothing else useful to add.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/05/2017 13:25

We're not talking about crash revision though are we? We are talking about crash learning from scratch. Not going over stuff already learned.

Original poster
user1494154933 · 15/05/2017 13:39

He's doing the mock paper at 3pm, he hasn't looked at any January papers or last years, so it will be one of those and he said I can pick Grin

OP posts:
bakingdiva · 15/05/2017 13:59

I have to confess this is how I passed 3/6 of my chemistry A level modules. I studied all of the past papers and they had consistent questions. I pretty much learnt the answers and tweaked them on the day. I got a B for chemistry.

ZilphasHatpin · 15/05/2017 14:21

You were trying to argue that there must be a reason maths papers are anonymised

No, not maths papers. All papers.

"didn't you ever wonder why the exam papers have student numbers rather than names?"

Unfair marking isn't exclusive to maths. If this were a student doing geography I would be saying the same.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 15/05/2017 19:27

Chemistry is very different to maths though.

And I presume you had also been to lessons and done some work over the two years as well, baking. That's a bit different to coming at it completely new a week before the exam.

And even the OP's DS seems to have moved on from that idea and bought a textbook to go alongside the papers.

TeenAndTween · 15/05/2017 19:40

So has he done the mock?