Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
witwootoodleoo · 10/05/2017 22:21

I'm in two minds about this. The whole way through school and university I did no work and then taught myself everything within the last few days before each exam. I went to 1 lecture in my entire 3 year degree course Blush I got straight As (before A*s) and a 1st class degree.

However, whilst this approach worked for my maths GCSE I'm just not convinced it would have worked for A level maths which looks particularly difficult to me! I'm actually vaguely tempted to try it for old times sake now...

Siwdmae · 10/05/2017 22:40

I decided on a total whim to re-sit my French A level this year. I got a D originally because I did zero work, pretty embarrassing for a French teacher!

I know the outgoing specification incredibly well, having taught it for several years and I always ensured that I went through all the work/syllabus extremely thoroughly before giving the students anything to do. I have al, the available past papers, which I'll be doing under controlled conditions plus I have all my textbooks and loads of vocab games I made for the students over the years. The exams are 5th and 19th June. I will be revising properly (several hours a day, most of each weekend) until then.

My last 2 A level groups all achieved Bs and As. I am going to be far more sympathetic (i promise I'm a nice teacher!) to the students than previously. The stress of doing the oral exams back to back yesterday was no fun! I have sweaty palms at the thought of the Year 13 essay and I'm wishing I'd kept examples from my amazing girls last year!

I will be amazed if your ds gets a very high grade, but fair play to him, I hope he does very well.

HelloPossums · 10/05/2017 23:59

Siwd good luck! Smile also I really don't mean to pry at all or to be rude in any way, but I'm presuming that you studied French at university to become a French teacher. How did you manage to study French at university with a D at A level?

Original poster
user1494154933 · 11/05/2017 00:43

Surprisingly he has worked hard today. Got up at 6, did whatever he considers learning for this exam until 6 pm which is when he then went to work!

I'm still not convinced. It's only the first day. Apparently he is "really pleased with the core 1 papers" lol. He has to be piss taking.

No, I have never posted before... I wish I was in my 20s!

OP posts:
Sleepdeprivedredhead · 11/05/2017 06:30

I definitely faffed about with my A levels. Sat down and read the text books before the exams and did really well (3 A's and a B) my preficted grades were rubbish. BUT this was when there were 100% exam subjects and none of them were maths.

NeverTwerkNaked · 11/05/2017 06:42

I did no work for maths GCSE (I used to compose songs during the lessons Blush). Then had a tutor for about 5 hours in the final few weeks. Got an A.

I did no work for general studies a-level and got an A.

But I will still be very impressed if your son manages this!! Hope you are going to update us all on results day Grin

BitOutOfPractice · 11/05/2017 06:54

What an interesting experiment! Grin

He's obviously confident if he's stumped up his own money though.

Brokenbiscuit · 11/05/2017 07:00

Interesting thread! Good luck to your ds, OP! Whatever happens, he will take something from his experiment. If he fails, that might be a more valuable lesson than if he passes!

lovemakespeace · 11/05/2017 07:03

Haha this is great. He obviously has a lot of character OP. Sure that will serve him well in life. Look forward to hearing how he gets on Smile

lovemakespeace · 11/05/2017 07:03

Haha this is great. He obviously has a lot of character OP. Sure that will serve him well in life. Look forward to hearing how he gets on Smile

Siwdmae · 11/05/2017 07:04

Siwd good luck! smile also I really don't mean to pry at all or to be rude in any way, but I'm presuming that you studied French at university to become a French teacher. How did you manage to study French at university with a D

I swapped subjects after a year in France, thought I'd have a year out before starting my English degree.

MsAwesomeDragon · 11/05/2017 07:10

Ha ha ha ha ha. Maths AS is definitely not an exam you can learn in just a week starting from a B at GCSE.

I have a class full of kids doing maths AS next week (the first exam is on Wednesday) and the ones who had B at GCSE have needed to work extremely hard all year in order to be in with a chance of getting a grade.

If he'd got a really high A* at GCSE then I might have said he could manage it, as then at least he'd have shown he has a natural ability in the subject, and would be able to do the bits that are covered at GCSE.

Has he perhaps been secretly working hard on it all year?

peukpokicuzo · 11/05/2017 07:20

I'll be interested to see what happens.

I know nothing about the current syllabus but 70,000 years ago I did a modular a-level course where 4 modules=an a-level and the first 2 modules were shockingly easy - and could have been done by a moderately bright gcse student for an AS.

Fluffyears · 11/05/2017 09:05

I was lulled into a false sense of security with my standard grades (Scottish version of GCSE) as I did very little work and got good grades. Higher (A levels) was a different kettle of fish and was much more difficult.

alltouchedout · 11/05/2017 09:07

Are you sure he hasn't secretly been working on this for ages and is just pretending it's all last minute?

LTBiscuit · 11/05/2017 09:12

Place marking for result! Grin Really hope he does well x

corythatwas · 11/05/2017 09:17

Three possibilities here:

either he will fail spectacularly= do some important learning

or he will be the golden goose= do some important learning re his own abilities

or he will in fact have swotted secretly for months= done some important learning

Just sit back and bet on the results.

ZilphasHatpin · 11/05/2017 09:31

You know what, I really hope he does it!

I don't consider myself academic at all but I went to college a few years ago to get a university access certificate. Maths was one of the courses. In school I sucked at maths. Really hated it. During this course I found that I am shit at retaining information. I found myself having to re-teach myself the whole course before every exam as I just couldn't remember what I had been taught 8 weeks previously. It worked for me and I passed the course with highest commendation. (You could have knocked me down with a feather!) I think some people are better suited to the "cramming" type of learning and if he is only doing one subject then I think 1 week of intensive learning is possible for a reasonably intelligent and disciplined person.

SoulAccount · 11/05/2017 09:44

I agree with Cory.

Various outcomes;

  • He swots up, works hard, fails. Worthwhile because he has taught himself some new maths, maybe enough to re-kindle his interest in it and sign up for a taught cause, and maybe learns that success is built on longer planning.
  • He swots up, works hard and passes: gains a qualification, maybe gains confidence and interest in his academic abilities alongside his photography.
  • Gives up, lazes around and fails.

OP: what is gained in any of these scenarios by you doing anything than supporting him to study? I am interested in why he has such a stated need to prove things to you. Could be arrogance, could be a history of feeling put down.

IcingSausage · 11/05/2017 10:08

What an interesting experiment!

I do think exams are a skewed way to assess pupils' aptitude and ability.

As pp here have demonstrated, in many cases they only examine people's ability to cram and retain information in the short term and perform on one day.

What would surely be more representative of people's true abilities in a subject would be continuous on-going assessment throughout the term of the course.

Good luck to your DS!

Lessthanaballpark · 11/05/2017 13:24

What would surely be more representative of people's true abilities in a subject would be continuous on-going assessment throughout the term of the course.

Well they used to have coursework which was closer to that but they decided girls were doing too well at it so scrapped it!

ZilphasHatpin · 11/05/2017 14:21

Personally I (female) hate coursework and perform much better in exams but I know it isn't the same for everyone.

MsAwesomeDragon · 11/05/2017 15:27

I don't think coursework was scrapped because girls were too good at it, although that was a "big concern" for a while. It's been scrapped because it's too easy to cheat. Coursework done at home as well as school is easy to get someone within the family to do it (my sil brags about getting a C in English because her cousin did all her coursework for her so it didn't matter that she did appallingly badly in the exam), or a friend, or pay someone, or even just download one from the internet. There are even some teachers who may be tempted to "help" more than is allowed, especially when our pay is linked to grades, I knew a couple of those in previous schools. Controlled assessment, done in schools in exam conditions, is also pretty easy to cheat at if you want to. Get someone to write your essay for you, then learn it and regurgitate it in the lesson.

Perhaps regular exams over a longer period would be fairer, rather than all at the end, but modular exams have been scrapped too as they're "too easy" and schools played the system of resits, etc.

GrimmDays · 11/05/2017 15:54

It's his money maybe it will teach him a lesson. As long as he's not just siting in his ass 24:7 contributing nothing and doing nothing is let him crack on.

TeenAndTween · 11/05/2017 19:59

How's it gone today OP ?