Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other - thread 2 - exam time

[SilverBlue4]

Here we go

It’s worth reminding candidates going on to sit the remaining maths papers that if you can’t do part a and you need a value from part a to do parts b, c etc. - you can still get some of the marks. Just pick any value for the missing variable, and use that in the next parts of the question. There will be method marks available, even if the accuracy marks are lost.

Reading back, I hope my previous post didn’t sound glib. I’m really sorry to hear so many students had an awful experience with the Edexcel maths paper.

Is Edexcel maths the one they had to withdraw in parts of Europe? It sounds awful. I do hope your dc bounce back from it and P2 is better.

Economics 3 for DS this morning, he’s worried about this one and has been up half the night prowling around. Thank goodness it’s the last one.

I know DS has largely done a different board to others but he has found his papers very hard too, so I think the examination boards have been harsh this year. Hopefully that will be reflected in the grade boundaries.

Best of luck to our economists and biologists today 💐 you guys have got this 👏🤛

Mine did Edexcel maths today. He also does further maths. He said the problem lies with the fact the exam asks questions with the knowledge the further maths students gain in class and that way isn't taught in the maths course. Very unfair to the kids who don't also do FM.

Good luck to all those with exams today. Economics paper 3 today - I don't think any revision has been done for this one.

Good luck to everyone today! What a relief it must be to finally be done @Ventress , I am very jealous!! 😄

I looked at the maths petition - it has over 10,000 signatures this morning and some heart breaking comments. I do hope the exam board see it. Obviously the next papers won’t be changed but the boundaries need to be considered and next year’s papers may need a new review!

Good luck everyone! @AuntyBulgaria my DC has also done minimal revision for Econ 3 so really hope it will go ok for them. Can't remember what exam board it is but hoping it isn't Edexcel after all the maths exam horror stories from yesterday.

@Ventress your DC must be the first to finish his exams on this group - how exciting! Are you doing nice something to celebrate? I wonder whether it will be a massive anti-climax or if they will be over the moon with excitement.

Good luck to all economists and biologists today!

I think we finish first as OCR has no history 3 paper @Fabfabfab but, yes, it’s great to know that it’s almost over. We are going out to DS’s favourite restaurant on Saturday.

DS has been really worried about economics 3. Mainly the multiple choice questions as most have many seemingly correct answers. He and DH did a lot of papers last night. Oh well, we shall see 🤞

I hope your dc do well today @AuntyBulgariasnd @Fabfabfaband everyone else!

Thank you @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. Over 10,000 signatures is huge! Let’s hope it generates a statement from Edexcel putting candidates minds at rest at least.

Good luck to all those taking exams today! It’s my other DCs most problematic GCSE exam today (history p2) so slightly anxious about that, but a day off the A level treadmill at least!

@Fabfabfab it is Edexcel (for DS) for Economics today. 🥴

Good luck to everyone today. DS has told me it’s very paper dependent for him today (Bio) and he really doesn’t want to see anything about fish or insects .

Can you possibly link to the petition; I’d like to read it?

Here is it

Some of the comments are clearly pisstakes now unfortunately, but the most are from students who sound genuinely upset and disheartened, and worried about the implications for uni.

www.change.org/p/demand-a-fair-review-of-a-level-mathematics-edexcel-2026-paper-1

Yes there’s a few idiots jumped on board in the comments section which is not helpful but what can you do.

That’s interesting. This is my
youngest and I’ve not known any petitions to be started before with my older ones. I wonder if it makes any difference

I read them and it upset me. Will be worse for the students . Why do people do this? It's very obvious they aren't students.

Because they’re nasty trolls who enjoy other people’s misery. I wish there was a way for the petition owner to remove them.

I wanted to report them but couldn't figure out how

Good luck for everyone today. DD got through her History paper ok on Tuesday - just a few left now.
Re the Edexcel Maths: everyone of Dds friends found it horrible, she said even the friends whose whole life & special interest is maths found it tricksy.
Hopefully the boundaries will be good for them🤞

There was one for the atrocious TMUA last year but it made no difference. Maybe Edexcel will be more forthcoming, if only to give reassurance around the process re. grade boundaries being fair and reflective of the difficulty.

Some reactions on yesterday's Edexcel maths. We just told DS to move on and concentrate on today's Econ and the next two maths papers.
As everyone found it hard, he felt a bit better.

Oh thank goodness. DS has just text that economics 3 was the best paper he’s ever had and he may have salvaged the A star.

He doesn’t even need A stars! His firm is three grades less than his predicted grades.I hope he’s not still thinking about Oxbridge next year. I’m not sure I can go through that again😂

Hope all the others with exams have had a good morning

@Ventress I've also had good reports from economics (Edexcel) this morning.

Excellent, I’m so pleased to hear that @AuntyBulgaria. DS is OCR so it sounds like the paper was good irrespective of board.