To think that 70% should not be an A

[Arealmanithink]

Background: I'm American. Grading is different in the US. In the US, the scoring goes , 89-100% = A, 79-89% = B, 69-79% =C anything below 65% is failing. I don't think the school work is that different but I do think that the standards are lower in the UK. I'm amazed.

When I did GCSE's (15+ years ago), 17% was a C grade in Maths

Surely it depends on how hard the test is? Using a bell curve is much better than rigid arbitrary boundaries. You’re wrong.

What do you mean by '70% is an A'? In which exam/marking criteria?

Surely it's impossible to say the standards are lower than in the US just based on the percentage? You'd have to also compare the difficulty level of the exams themselves (not the school work).

@superram

Surely it depends on how hard the test is? Using a bell curve is much better than rigid arbitrary boundaries. You’re wrong.

100% ^^

@Sparklfairy

When I did GCSE's (15+ years ago), 17% was a C grade in Maths

Well this explains how I got a C in GCSE maths in 2002. I always wondered as I was bloody terrible at it.

Totally depends on how difficult the exams are so your comparison is meaningless.

It all depends on how difficult it is to get that 100%.

University teacher here so possibly slightly different One of my students once asked me what they would have to do to score 100% in one of my exams. I told them if the archangel Gabriel came down to earth and sat the exam he might just about pull it off, but that I certainly didn't expect to score 100% in one of my own exams. That 100% is set to offer a chance to properly reward the best piece of work you could possibly imagine. In 30 years of teaching I have never yet come across it. Wonder if this helps.

I have not noticed that the quality of the American students I have taught has been noticeably higher but that could of course be sample size.

Highest percentage I have ever awarded was 92% and that was a truly exceptional piece of work.

I’ve known exams when an A at uni was 65%.

The open uni is better- 85% is an A, 70% B, 55 a C.

A pass should be around 50 imo.

Afaik it only takes 40% to get a 3rd class degree.

I would suspect that the test here are harder than they are in the USA? I certainly wouldn't pass a present day British GCSE.

The standard of questions in examinations is higher, when I was at university if an American educated student studied with us for a semester they required higher grades and an entrance exam due to the standards required for an ‘A’ being lower than those in the UK. Plus it isn’t strictly 70% as grades are awarded proportionately.

You also have to remember that the exams you sit at the end of high school at age 18 are sat at the end of high school in the UK at 16. We also have grades A and A* (well, now they’re called 8 and 9).

What do you mean by '70% is an A'? In which exam/marking criteria?
I assume they're talking about degree classifications.

I teach some Americans who have moved over in year 10. They were top of the class in the US but working at a grade 4 here. It doesnt prove anything about the educational system but it seems the focus in America is different to here.

’It all depends on how difficult it is to get that 100%.’

That ^

The exams are set so that it’s impossible to get 100%. It’s not that our standards are lower it’s that your exams are easier.

Percentages for written work at university don't really mean anything anyway. A 70% essay at university doesn't mean your essay was 70% correct. It's meaningless and just a way to quantify something subjective/qualitative.

Each grade at university (1st, 2.1, 2.2, 3rd, fail) has written grade descriptions and that is how grades are assigned. e.g. a first is assigned based on the maturity of the critical analysis, the resources used, the accuracy, etc.

American school tests are multiple choice, which skews comparisons rather.

You're wrong for all of the reasons pointed out

I was always astonished by the US grading system because it seemed so easy to get a high score - when I was at university the people getting 80% on a regular basis were exceptionally brilliant - the sort of person who you would encounter once every 5-10 years in a high school.

Exams should be marked the same as music theory.

70% is a pass
80% is a merit
90% is a distinction

Dinosaurs passed their exams with extinction!

I have studied in the US and the UK. The US ( at a top 20 college) was a lot easier for assignments and exams. A lot of smaller assignments throughout the semester and in some classes opportunities to do extra credit activities. You can’t compare based on grading systems.

You are wrong. Grade boundaries change every year. It is not set beforehand but reflects the difficulty of the exam.

YABU. Standards are not lower in UK.

If you look at the Education boards, of Americans moving to the UK, they remark at how advanced our DC's are, and therefore are often placed into lower year groups than their age.

As others have said, you're wrong.

It's extremely difficult to score over 70% in most exams where 70% marks the start of the A grade. Visiting American students have to have this explained to them or they think they're failing. It is also common for their UK grades to be inflated so that a UK grade doesn't damage their grade point average and put them at a disadvantage compared to students who stayed in the US.