October A levels anyone?

[Skerryberry]

With so many getting results they were disappointed with, are any DS/DD's choosing to take the October A levels ?

Are they taking all their A levels or just one or two?

How are they planning to motivate themselves with exams only 50 days away? DC has not opened a book since March... eek!

I may need some hand holding!!

inews.co.uk/news/education/g...lowered-727954

Came across the above article. Not sure how reliable it is, but it appears that grade boundaries will be lowered and "pegged" to CAGs awarded in the summer rather than 2019 results.

inews.co.uk/news/education/gcses-a-levels-grade-boundaries-2020-autumn-exams-lowered-727954

Sorry think previous link didn't work

Thanks for the link @rbsk12. That was great news to wake up to!

DS will be working hard all weekend ready for the final week of exams. The end is in sight! I am glad your DS is finished and can relax not and move on with his gap year.

These are the CAG v 2019 results www.bstubbs.co.uk/a-lev.htm

I just hope this article is correct! Seems Gavin W has signed it off!

Thanks @Skerryberry, that's a really useful table, for everyone to see the CAG/Calculated grade vs previous years' by subject. Some interesting figures there.

DS spent all day yesterday on the sofa and very relieved that he's finished.

Here's hoping 🤞
I'm a bit cynical about all of it now! But it would seem the fair thing to do. Personally I think all the October candidates should automatically get a bonus grade anyway, just for sitting the damn things!

Hi guys, I don't understand the table. Why are there two lots of 2020 results?

@rbsk12 This is fantastic news! I've been feeling so stressed about grade boundaries. DS didn't get the chance to try the 2019 past papers for Further Maths because the school have washed their hands of him. The head of maths ignored his emails asking for access to last year's paper. Obviously it's a new spec so there are barely any resources anyway. So he relied on what he could access from the exam board's website but says the FM exams he has just sat were much much harder than the specimen. He wishes he'd had the chance to try the 2019 paper.

Hi @AKissAndASmile. One 2020 grade is the CAG and the other is the Ofqual Algorithm calculated grade before the U turn. Yes schools have behaved poorly in many cases - my DS had no response from the Economics Department at school about how best to revise and any resources they could recommend.

@AKissAndASmile well done to your DS for soldiering on. My DS was entered for Further Maths as a 4th subject but withdrew at the last minute as it was all getting too much. He had some issues with the regular Maths papers (Edexcel) as the format had changed, which we hadn't realised until @Skerryberry pointed it out!! I did ask him if wanted to try to get a look at a Statistics sample paper before Monday, but he just shrugged resignedly. He had done 2018 and 2019 papers but hadn't noticed much of a pattern between those two, so it didn't make a lot of difference that the 2020 papers have been 'weird'

Hi @AKissAndASmile. One 2020 grade is the CAG and the other is the Ofqual Algorithm calculated grade before the U turn.

Aah thanks...that makes sense!

Thank you @kitnkaboodle. This cohort have had it so tough....it's a great piece of news that the Autumn series grades will be aligned to the CAG cohort's grades. I'm amazed the government have realised that they would be disadvantaged if not....we were discussing this in our house just this week and we're stressing about it. It's the first bit of foresight this government has had!

@kitnkaboodle well done to DS for finishing the exams now. And thank you for sharing that link. I am also quite cynical but would love it if it is true. Is any other media reporting this?

I know our autumn bunch have pretty much been forgotten about in the media so if the link is true agree that would be the first break these kids have had. I will believe it when I see it. We are still soldiering on but exhaustion and saturation has set in. It really is like a feat of endurance. I think DD May sleep for days once the exams are done.

Sorry @rbsk12 I meant that at you. Teaches me to read too fast and not pay attention.

How have your DD's exams gone @noblecause ?

They generally seem to have been ok. She is another who walks out not knowing how they have gone. The first maths paper was hard but she felt she gave it a good go. One of her other papers she messed up timing a bit so couldn't do questions justice. But on the whole ok. I get the impression the grade boundaries will make a difference here for her. The lack of 2019 papers and Mark schemes hasn't helped as the older papers just don't show the format enough. Now if she can get through next week it will be on sheer adrenaline - she is attempting to study but really is on her last legs now.

Wish your DC good luck for the coming week. Last push now.

Thank you. Chemistry 3 and Maths 3 tomorrow. First and only day with 2 exams on same day 😰. Roll on Weds.

More on grade boundaries for these Oct exams today:

ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2020/10/19/setting-standards-in-the-autumn-series/

I'm trying not to get too hopeful about this, as 2020 has taught me to keep my expectations low!

Fantastic @kitnkaboodle!
I guess that is official word now. Though as you say everything has been so crap this year you just never know. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if DS got given a grade that was four grades below what he's expecting 🙈. DS agrees and said he wouldn't even be angry- doesn't have the energy

ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2020/10/19/setting-standards-in-the-autumn-series/

This seems to confirm that grade boundaries will be aligned with CAGS. It's a little obtuse...

Sorry @kitnkaboodle, didn't see that you'd already posted the link. My messages aren't updating for some reason.

@AKissAndASmile. Things are a bit like that in our house too. Because of lack of contact with the school (and anybody, really), my DS has literally no idea what grades to expect based on his performance, or based on what kind of adjustments will be made. It'll be a miracle when he actually staggers through to the end. This morning's Chemistry 'didn't go badly', which is good news all round.
In a way, I'm kind of wishing that he had waited for summer 2021 resits instead of putting himself through all this. Maybe others feel the same, although I know that some of your DC were definitively 'told' by unis to sit them this month.

We are nearly there! Maths went well this afternoon. I am now humming 'One Day More' from Les Mis to myself!!

Your DS will be shattered tonight @kitnkaboodle.

Thanks for the ofqual link. It was a bit rubbish that they said 70% don't usually improve their grade. I hope this has not all been for nothing.

Yes, my DS thought Maths this pm went well too. Paper 1 seems to have been a bit of a mess for him, but the other Papers have gradually seemed easier. Physics tomorrow a.m. then finito. I wouldn't read too much into the 70% thing @Skerryberry. That's in a normal year when candidates resit an exam in June that they sat the previous June. Not comparable to this year when nobody has sat anything previously. Anyway, they are falling over themselves elsewhere to say that these Oct exams are NOT retakes. The amount of work and stress my DS has undertaken since August seems so unfair compared to those who got handed CAGs that they were satisfied with.

Arggh! Physics Wednesday a.m , not tomorrow! Sorry for the potential scare!!

Agree with all of you. Except the maths paper today - it was awful. What board are you all doing?