Computing AS/A level why twice as hard as arts for A*-B?

[grumpyoldbookworm]

This year's results show A*-B 30something% for computing and 60sonething% for arts subjects. Why? Especially as computing is probably more useful... (ok I only said probably)...

Doesn't mean it's twice as hard, though. Computing is a fairly rare subject (ICT is the most common A-level, surely?) and many ICT teachers won't be computing specialists.

Computing has always had a much smaller A*/A grade percentage than sciences & maths, but these things aren't supposed to be equal. Allegedly the exam boards look at the ability of the students sitting each subject and adjust accordingly (so, further maths, as an extreme example has a stupidly high percentage of children getting top grades as only very bright children take it and home economics is the opposite).

If you look here you can see how the different subjects compare for grades (it's 2010, but it doesn't change much year on year).

So while its probably quite geeky people who choose computing, many of them may not be as conventionally academic as for some more mainstream subjects.

I also think people choose it without quite realising what they're getting into and it's hard to do well at if you don't quite 'get' programming and the other part that trips people up is the project (worth about a quarter of the overall marks) which is time consuming, and not always to the taste of those with a 'hacker' mentality (who hate documenting everything properly), so quite a few (sometimes very able) students throw away marks there. It's also possible that it's not a well taught subject as well qualified teachers in the field are rare (and can often earn a lot more outside teaching).

Computing gets a slightly higher percentage of top grades than ICT for what it's worth Brian.

I know from talking to ICT teachers that they get loads of students who don't know what they're getting into! They also consistently have problems getting coursework out of students, which I suppose is a result of the cohort they have, probably kids who will be able to work something out but detest having to document, explain and evaluate each stage.

Most seriously good computer scientist I've met, including the one I'm married to did not do IT at school.

Seriously able pupils take science, maths and further maths at A'level. They are way more highly regarded. They learn computing along the way and at university.

Many physicists do computer projects, As do some chemists. DH did a computing MSC because pure science jobs are thin on the ground, his project had been a computer simulation and he wanted to stay near his GF. I'm not quite sure which was the most important