University 2020 :5: Results day approaching and beyond

[MillicentMartha]

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3855474-University-2020-4-The-wait-for-grades-and-better-days-ahead?pg=40

Less than 3 months to go until we have a better idea what the future has in store for our DC. Let’s hope that even if most lectures are online that accommodation is open and they can move up, across or down to their university towns and start their student life.

We should have been in the middle of exams, instead we have this strange limbo of lockdown. It could have been worse, though.

Yes DS is private and would probably mainly work independently and then try and get some revision input from school nearer the time or go and sit in some of the revision lessons next summer. It’s all Maths/STEM so mainly a case of practise papers.

Although it’s just speculation at the moment and I think he, like many, would find actually knuckling down for a resit quite hard. I hope there aren’t a lot of dc tempted or persuaded into a resit thinking they can do better than a teacher grade, they may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

DD hasn't looked at school work since the end of the Easter holidays. As far as she is concerned, her A level books are closed, especially as she won't be studying those subjects at uni. She has a vague plan to resit year 13 if necessary, but this summer is really her only chance of a place on the course of her dreams. We'll worry about Autumn exams or resits just after 8am on 13 August. I don't think her heart would be in it.

DD has received a lovely email from uni today saying they are looking forward to welcoming them on campus from 21 September with a blend of online lectures and face to face workshops and seminars in small groups. Very happy DD.

Art and Design based courses will be using NEAs for the Autumn exams so I took that to include DT.

On thing to note is that if DC take the exams in Autumn this year they are not classed as resits. Therefore the better of either the assessed grade or the Autumn grade can be used without reference to the other (if lower). If you wait to take the exam in Summer 2021 then it is a resit and both grades will need to be included for any future UCAS grade. This may make a difference to applications at some unis.

Seems so unfair on Drama and Music students that none of their practical work will be assessed - my DS’s friends had already submitted 2 compositions and 1 performance. The 2nd performance was due on March 23rd, so lots had already submitted that too.

That's interesting Seasonfinale although does make sense. So the Autumn exams are seen as effectively part of this round. That is worth bearing in mind.

@SeasonFinale - No, 'Art & Design' does NOT include DT (Design Technology) which falls under 'Design & Technology':

Art & Design:
Art, FIne Art, Graphic Communication, Textile design, 3-D design and Photography

Design & Technology:
Product Design
Fashion and Textiles

I think it's been another one of those badly worded 'grey areas' which have stopped people worrying about the Ofqual proposals too much and they're going to get a shock in autumn if they ask to take the exam.

DfE guidance for Higher Education out later today.

..... and OFQUAL are considering reducing NEA for next year as teachers need to catch up with teaching. It is a difficult situation, but as you all know, some people choose subjects because a high NEA component plays to their strengths. Sad times.

www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-launches-consultation-on-2021-exams-and-assessments

Monkey - I haven't read that yet, but if that's the case and they reduce the NEA component, then presumably that means that NEA from 2020 couldn't be transferred/submitted for 2021 as it would constitute a different % of the total.

What a mess!

The 2021 proposed change to subjects are listed in the consulatation and it seems that is the Autumn exams only that won't have the NEAs rather than the summer ones next year if you read the subject by subject proposals.

@SeasonFinale looks like you are right and the TES article I read was bit alarmist. The split between exams and NEA seems to be the same, but things can be a bit less finished.

Sorry!

@SeasonFinale ah yes, just looked and you're right.

It does beg the question though whether if a student felt 'undergraded' this August they could resubmit all their completed NEA work from 2020 e.g. in DT, into next summer's exam series and then just take the exam then, rather than taking an exam only in autumn?

@Divoc2020, you would hope so as they weren’t ‘officially’ marked and moderated this year, they just formed part of the overall grade estimated.

Seasonfinale - could you tell me please where you found the information regarding summer 2021 exams being classified as a resit? Thanks

Although SeasonFinale's point that both grades would need to be declared if student takes 2021 exam is important.

We had a letter from the school today outlining the process for results (it's via email) but also the limited right to appeal to check that a mistake or 'administrative error' hasn't been made in a student's grade.

Anyone else wonder whether these 'administrative error' appeals might be a coded way of saying "look, if you really think your grade is wrong contact us and we'll have another look. If you were on the borderline and moderated down, we might change it"

Do they have to report the % split of each grade immediately?

It is in the very first Ofqual information published that they are not "resits".

The appeals are for process errors. The schools will be sent the standardisation and other data used by the Exam Boards that is used for their particular school. The school will be able to see whether incorrect data has been used.

It is highly unlikely that an individual student would be able to use the appeals process but an example given was that there were two students with the same or similar names and the incorrect assessments and marks used to feed the teachers calculations of grades or ranks ie. the wrong data was used. Also if the pupil is clearly an A* student and got 3 x D one can assume there has been some form of proecdural or processing error. The schools get the results the day before Results Day and no doubt will have picked this up prior to the student getting their marks.

Another thing to note is that if your DC do elect to take any of the exams in the Autumn sitting they are able to request a review of the mark the same way as you can had the exams been sat in the normal manner.

The exam board will be deciding appeals not the schools so the schools won't have the ability to change a pupil's grade. Indeed the Head of Centre will already have confirmed that the grades submitted are correct. They definitely won't switch you up a grade and rerank you in that grade as they simply can't.

Sorry - keep seeing new points to answer.

Goldendog : Anyone taking exams for the second time is usually a resit. so if you get a grade calculated this summer if you take it in Autumn it is not a resit as it is in effect part of this round of exams. However if you choose to take it next Summer it is a resit (as it usually would be).

I'm a little confused to read some mention hear of coursework not being taken into account for subjects like Music and Drama.
Those are DS two subjects.
Surely a grade based mainly on teacher assessment will include a significant consideration of coursework.
And the exam was never meant to count for so much in those subjects.
DS had completed several of the performance and composition aspects.
We're not too worried as after autumn auditions he has a nice generous offer from music college/conservatoire (2 E's minimum)
But I'm curious and a little confused.

@JugglingFromHereToThere , the NEA's won't be taken into account for any students wishing to take the exams in the autumn, so effectively the grade would then only be based on the exam paper. My understanding from my ds teachers is that the grade they have submitted for the grade the student will get on August 13th does include an element of teacher assessment for the NEA but they won't have been externally moderated as usual.

Thank you Lightuptheroom that makes it a lot clearer (illuminating as your name suggests!)

Can be tricky to catch a conversation in mid flow

And ooh, that does seem weird for such practical subjects. For example no performance element for music.
No acting performance for drama?
Seems kind of typical for this government though (is it fair to blame them?)
They've always seemed to have a thing against coursework and wanting to move back to exam only like it was in the good old days.
Whereas I feel a good balance is much more sensible. And I'm all for some room for teacher assessment too.
I also like learning to be a home school partnership as, I feel there's so much you can learn outside the classroom.

I guess that's what we've ended up with this Spring and Summer!
Not sure I'm so keen on it now!
DS looking on it pretty much as an extended Summer break.
But I guess we're all getting through these strange times the best we can.
Must get him to practice trumpet a wee bit more.

I'd be inclined to hope that DC get what they need to progress this Summer and go with that.
Not tempted in the least (for DS) by the prospect of doing the A levels this autumn or next Summer.
But I guess it's always good to have options, and the possibility does potentially make things fairer.
As always it depends on what you want to do with them and whether you can do that with the results that come through in August.
Good luck everyone!

@JugglingFromHereToThere thank you! I'm a cornet/trumpet anything in between as long as it's not in bass clef player, struggling to motivate myself to play at the moment, but must get back to it! Ds A levels all include a % NEA and as he's a bit rubbish at exams (struggles with horrendous hay fever and atmosphere related allergies) so it's extremely unlikely he would want to do the exams in the autumn. Problem is he had a big backlog of homework prior to lockdown so goodness only know what the teacher assessment looked like, though he did manage to get work to them which they asked for , so fingers crossed they realise that he's a bit more than loads of missed homework!

The autumn exams are an odd and unique thing! It is really interesting that people will only have to declare the best of the grades. That means that if I had a DC who was marginal for a course they want, I would be urging them now to plan to do the exam for at least 1 in the autumn.

If a DC got BBD in the centre assessed grades, re-sat and got CCC, they would only need to declare BBC and that is what their exam certificates would say (if they requested new certificates). If they got DDD, the teacher assessed grades would stand.

The could JUST re-sit their weakest subject and have a chance of boosting their grade without risking it going down. That is a very interesting option.