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Original poster

To doubt my DP over exam claims?

72 replies

Wonderrwall · 12/10/2020 22:12

Ok, not a major issue but I'd love some help resolving a dispute. My DP took GCSEs in early 1990s. Says he had to write between 30 and 70 essays to submit for English coursework (100 percent coursework). Mine were half coursework and we submitted 5 essays per English GCSE. I think he probably did 10 per GCSE but did any of you do 100 percent coursework exams in the 1990s and do you remember how many essays/pieces of coursework you submitted?

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 12/10/2020 22:55

@Wonderrwall

My DH went to a Grammar, said he had an unbelievable amount of 'O' levels... {'O' levels were far more demanding than GCSE's in my experience}...But he lost his certificates.

We teased him about it... Who really loses exam certificates.

Even better, he said his MUM lost them.... His mum was the most super organised woman ever, and wouldn't have lost them, surely?

Do you doubt him?

oakleaffy · 12/10/2020 22:59

Maybe it just felt like a lot of essays?

'A' level essays were about 3,000 words long.

I did 'O' levels {being an older person} and they were all Exam based.

All coursework must be bliss!

Exams were good for those who listened in class and who had good memories..but coursework would help those who are more diligent about homework. {Just casting mind back to last Century here}

Tambourinetunes · 12/10/2020 23:05

We did a lot like PP has said it was so the teachers had more to pick from and also we would do draft essays then act on feedback or start again. This was early 90’s.

Bubbletrouble43 · 12/10/2020 23:07

I did 100% coursework English lit in 1991 and I would bet my house it was 20 essays absolute tops probably less. The reason I know this is I was a lazy fecker at school and no way could I have got more than that submitted.

Ellmau · 12/10/2020 23:10

Coursework also helped those with, er, helpful parents.

Original poster
Wonderrwall · 12/10/2020 23:23

He does now say it might have only been 30-40 in total and each essay was only 400 words. Does sound similar to some previous posters who are saying they had to submit quite a few pieces of work though. I am starting to believe him.

OP posts:
timeforanewstart · 12/10/2020 23:30

@Ellmau that rarely happened in out school as parents then made you do your work , plus you also did work in class and if you handed something in of a much more superior standard then it would most likely of been noticed plus you had some controlled condition pieces and no internet to help
Its like the goverment actually trusted teachers back then

NoSquirrels · 12/10/2020 23:34

@NoWordForFluffy

I think it was 10 per subject. But you'd do more than that to pick the best ones for your folder (92-93).

Same for A Level Lit. in 94-95.

This. I think?

To be honest I’m quite impressed anyone can remember. It’s not something I’ve decided to commit to long-term storage, obviously.

oakleaffy · 12/10/2020 23:50

@Ellmau

Coursework also helped those with, er, helpful parents.
Oh my goodness....

Hadn't even considered that.

FallonsTeaRoom · 13/10/2020 00:20

1986 English Lang/Lit we handed in 2 ring binder folders packed with essays/creative writing.

FallonsTeaRoom · 13/10/2020 00:21

We still had an exam to do under controlled conditions but that was for 25% of the final result. Course work was 75%.

BeneficiaryMadness · 13/10/2020 00:35

Op why are you trying to ‘catch him out’ or prove him wrong?

Witchend · 13/10/2020 00:47

I did 100%coursework.
We had to hand in 8 essays, all of which counted for language and about half for language.
We then did one unseen for language and one for literature.
However we probably did 20-30 essays, and about 8-10 unseen so you could pick your best ones. For example I know we did 3 different books and wrote an essay for each, but only chose one to go in for the exam.

MitziK · 13/10/2020 08:00

I think most of my coursework was around 700-800 words for GCSE.

I did get an A though (no such thing as an A* then, my actual mark was 94 and 97), so there wasn't any need to redo anything.

If he found 400 his maximum, maybe they wanted him to do a bit more than 2 sides?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 13/10/2020 08:02

Why does it matter? I can't even remember if mine was all essay/all exams/a mix and I'm only 35. I'd be pissed off if a partner quizzed me on my GCSEs

user1493494961 · 13/10/2020 08:06

I'm also wondering why it matters.

TurquoiseDragon · 13/10/2020 08:29

I did O levels, and my English Language was 50% final exam and 50% essays written under exam conditions through the final year. 7 essays, best 4 submitted for that 50% of the marks (cross marked by two teachers). So no coursework (1985).

But I do recall a lot of fuss in the years following introduction of the GCSEs due to the fact that 100% coursework inevitably led to a massive increase in higher grades being awarded, which is why some form of exam was reintroduced, to cover at least part of the marks available.

I remember some people almost frothing at the mouth about "dumbed down" GCSEs, and they were certainly considered to be lesser qualifications than O levels back then.

MitziK · 13/10/2020 08:52

I also remember the 'why are we making it easier for girls to get higher marks? It's their problem if they aren't as good as the boys at exams' comments.

And Lo, behold the change back to 100% exams 'because coursework isn't fair on boys' when Gove came in.

Didn't work out too well, really. Girls still outperform now they have better options than married with a baby at 19.

Savemyusername01 · 13/10/2020 08:57

Agree it doesn’t matter. He may have forgotten some details. That would be normal. I taught English in the days of 100% coursework and I can’t remember the exact number of written assignments.

Original poster
Wonderrwall · 13/10/2020 09:00

Thank you for all your replies, it has been really interesting hearing about how different the assessments were back in the 80s/90s. As I said, it's not a major issue. DP is just prone to exaggerating at times and I was a little skeptical about how many essays he had to write as I wrote far fewer for my GCSEs (10 in total). I tried to Google it but had no luck and hoped the lovely people of MN might remember their own days. However, I now think he may well have had to write lots of pieces as some of you did. I have apologised to him for accusing him of exaggerating and we've had a good chat about it.

OP posts:
kittykarate · 13/10/2020 09:05

Well he had exaggerated - I don't remember having to churn out an 'essay' every week, which is pretty much where he'd have to be to get to 100s. I think across the 2 years it would have been a maximum of one every month or so, so maybe 18-20? Which were then whittled down to 5 pieces for the portfolio.

Swimmum1206 · 13/10/2020 09:15

I did GCSEs in 1991 and did English Language and Classical Literature. We had to submit 10 pieces of coursework. It seemed great at the time not having to do an exam, but then moving onto English Lit A Level and we had never taken an English exam before!

SusannaSpider · 13/10/2020 09:15

I took O level English in '85, we were a test school for the GCSEs that were to come and our English Lang exam was 100% coursework. We submitted a big file of work, can't remember how many pieces, but it was a lot. We also had a spoken component, which was a nightmare as the teacher made it quite clear she hated my accent.
We had similar for art, a huge portfolio and exhibition of work.

SusannaSpider · 13/10/2020 09:16

And yes, it was probably about an essay a week.

tearstainedbakes · 13/10/2020 09:27

Jeez, you've all got good memories. I can't even remember my GCSEs

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