Easier exams in private schools counted in the same way as harder state school exams

[greentheme23]

I'm shocked by this

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/aug/24/private-schools-igcse-exams-easier-gcse-university-admissions?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Yet another example of money triumphing over talent and hard work!

[Namenic]

Do you think equality of qualifications suffers? I guess hardness of the paper can be ‘corrected’ by changing the grade boundaries. But if a paper is not very differentiating - a couple of marks can mean a bigger difference in grade which leaves more down to chance. Particularly an issue for subjects where there are not that many people sitting.

[noblegiraffe]

Gove wanted to do single exam boards.

schoolsweek.co.uk/why-having-one-exam-board-isnt-smart-sounds-gibb-ofqual-single-body/

[Namenic]

I would think multiple exam boards is worse for individual students: if one has a problem the students are going to look worse than those at the other boards.

If there was a single exam board per subject, if there was a problem loads of people would be affected and more likely to reach national news and institutions can make allowances.

[noblegiraffe]

That’s what Ofqual are for though, to make sure that there’s parity between exam boards.

Edexcel maths had a problem this year, the paper was leaked. Ofqual will have monitored that closely. Same with the Romeo and Juliet fiasco a couple of years ago.

[Namenic]

Do you think uni/6 form offers will be altered for people who sat the leaked exam paper?

I can see how fewer people are affected if there are multiple exam boards but I would say potentially individuals could be more disadvantaged. But you could say that leaks are always going to happen and different exam boards do limits the number of people affected.

I wonder if having a single exam board may improve quality control of the paper itself - economies of scale and more resources into checking?

[Metempsychosis]

As Noble said upthread, you can’t tell how hard or easy an exam is by looking at the syllabus and format: only the grade boundaries will give you that answer. If this years’ exam boards decided to set grade boundaries at the level which would give the same pass rate as last year - whether that’s 10% or 90% - then the exam is not “harder” in any practical way (except for the teachers).

I tend to agree that the private schools have used IGCSEs as a way to avoid the uncertainty of dealing brand new GCSE exams, and that’s perhaps an unfair advantage but not cheating in the straightforward way that the OP suggests.

[BogglesGoggles]

IB is definitely a higher quality of education ( not sure if the same is true of iGCSEs). Quite frankly the GCSEs are a bit of a joke anyway. I know someone who sat their maths GCSE pissed and still got an A* under the old system.

[noblegiraffe]

Do you think uni/6 form offers will be altered for people who sat the leaked exam paper?

No. Edexcel will have investigated, conducted statistical analysis of attainment across all three papers and awarded what they consider a fair grade to all students who sat the exam, while denying a grade to those who undeniably benefited from the leak. This will have been checked by Ofqual.

Colleges will just have to trust those grades.

[BasiliskStare]

Ds did IGCSE ( the Uk version not the international one ) My view is a pupil can only take the exams put in front of them and many of his friends got into very good universities with iGCSE results. Also did some subjects in 6th form as Pre U rather than A level. ( he had interviews at university entrance so that is another factor ) But honestly I am not sure iGCSE is easier , some would say harder , or at least if you think easier not enough to worry university admissions

[Tanline]

Dcs private school selected CIE igcse for 2 language options because it’s less challenging than Edexcel! My Dc sat languages with both boards and said without a doubt CIE format was far easier, scored 98% on 3rd language. I do wonder because these are 3rd languages picked up in Y9 the school chooses the most advantageous board.
But school only uses Pre U rather than A level for languages as they feel it is more in line with a Uni courses.

[cardamoncoffee]

I have experience of both. One DC sat mostly IGCSE's at an international school abroad (not a private school, so no vested interest in protecting the private sector)

IMHO the IGCSE's cover a lot more content, which is supposed to reflect the lack of coursework component. The sciences for example have content that is AS level. I think overall it is easier to do well at GCSE due to the coursework, one of mine wasn't particularly strong at Eng Lang but managed to get an A due to getting help with coursework, which brought the grade up significantly. My other who sat the IGCSE had one question she hadn't fully prepared for and dropped a grade as a result, although her skills are much better.

[Amcor]

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2019/03/18/igcse-exam-board-denies-tests-easier-gcses-say-private-school/

[MrsNorth]

As a slight aside to OP's comment, Welsh students currently benefit in a similar way as the Welsh system has retained the 'old' modular A levels where students can bank marks achieved in Year 12 towards final A level grades. State schools in England did not have this option.
So there isn't just a private v state 'advantage' but a Wales v England advantage at the moment.
I doubt that admissions tutors are allowed to discriminate betwen an A grade achieved at an English/ Welsh/ private school.

[SirTobyBelch]

I think overall it is easier to do well at GCSE due to the coursework, one of mine wasn't particularly strong at Eng Lang but managed to get an A due to getting help with coursework, which brought the grade up significantly.
There isn't any coursework in English GCSEs any more (there is in Welsh ones, and Northern Irish schools can choose).

I doubt that admissions tutors are allowed to discriminate betwen an A grade achieved at an English/ Welsh/ private school.
We are allowed to (I had discussions with Qualifications Wales about this) but it would cause so much controversy that it would be likely to have a negative impact on our applications. I think it's inevitable, however, that an English student will take a university to court for requiring her/him to achieve the same grades as a Welsh student when the assessments are so different and the Welsh qualifications can be argued to be "easier" on the basis that they are less reliant on end-of-course exams.
The other point I think is relevant here is that there is a formal mechanism by which Ofqual in England, QW in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland work to ensure equivalence of standards, and CCEA introduced a C grade this year to avoid lack of alignment between grades in Northern Ireland and England (i.e. C=4, C=5, B=6, A=7). Cambridge Assessment, which runs IGCSEs, is not part of this as Ofqual no longer accredits IGCSEs.

[Manontry]

I would thought the igcse would have higher grade boundaries but could be wrong.

[SchrodingersUnicorn]

I've taught both. The IGCSE is definitely not easier. Generally it has slightly less content but is much more in depth. It's a nonsense that they are easier - the reason private schools have stuck with them is they dont have to dance to the government tune and change their syllabus every 5 minutes. It means teachers can be better prepared and develop better resources. Hence, better marks. Nothing to do with the exam/course being easier.

[Ali86]

Also it's not true to pitch them as 'easier private school' exams vs 'harder state school exams' anyway. A slight majority of GCSEs sat in private schools are now the standard GCSEs not iGCSEs here and it was not that long ago that state schools were shifting the other way here

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

You are right Ali. DD's school has started to transition over and sat 50/50 this year and most others locally are planning to do so. Ignoring the mad rantings of the Guardian, Indy schools have always said that they abandoned GCSEs because they included a large amount of coursework. Now that has been removed they are returning to the new harder final assessment GCSEs so the evidence would suggest that it was their genuine reason. They were always going to give the new exams a couple of years to settle in, get some practice papers etc and for me that's what isn't fair, Indy schools have a choice whereas state schools just have to get on with it. It will be interesting to see what Eton does because their using IGCSEs is a huge marketing feature for the qualification which is sold all over the world.
Brighton College was the first to swap to all GCSEs and has had another record breaking results year, converting has actually improved their results.There is a rather depressing piece in the Telegraph today about the need to introduce a grade 10 because 9 is the commonest grade at the top performing schools.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/03/gcses-may-need-grade-10-private-school-chief-suggests/

[SirTobyBelch]

When the 1-9 grading system was announced it was absolutely obvious there would soon be a grade 10. Nigel Tufnell's turn will come...

[Manontry]

Introducing a grade 10 is a horrible idea. If they need to distinguish between grade 9 candidates then why not interview? Or introduce a new exam taken only by the kids who are predicted 9s? Like CAT testing.

Why devalue the majority of kids grades?