What’s happening with A levels for everyone?

[ClarasZoo]

No idea yet at DS college. They are working on it..

DS2 has assessments of some description the third and fourth week back after Easter. Further than that, details-wise, I am not sure (this came in the middle of several pages of dense prose from the school and I was rather losing my marbles by that point). Tbh, if only they explain it clearly to the students, I'll be happy.

Ours hasn't confirmed yet

Assessments the same two weeks as MarchingFrogs dc .. 2 per subject. Thats all we know so far

Final test (using DfE tests) w/c 19th April afaik.
They've been doing continuous assessments during the whole course.
They may well change the dates/format though...they have form.

'Exams' the last two weeks of May half term at DD's college but nothing has been confirmed in writing and it is likely there will be other assessments taking place before then that will count towards final grade.

When does everyone think they will finish for good?

3 weeks of exams, all 3 papers for biology not sure about other subjects.

Exams finish approx mid May and school finishes for May holiday.

DS2 says they have been told that Maths teaching will continue, to complete the syllabus. Not sure about English Literature, but if he never has to look at another poem by Owen Sheers, it won't be soon enough, apparently. (Sorry Mr S). Personally, I can't see the attraction of Eng.Lit A level at all, having been scarred at arm's length decades back by my cousin's trauma with Bleak House.

Art would normally have finished earlier anyway.

Exams for the last week of April and the first two of May. What was the point of cancelling the national exams?!!

I know, they seem disadvantaged by having them earlier!

DD's college are (we think - keeps changing!) planning to continue teaching until the end of April, and then hold exams in May. Apparently 75% of the grade that would normally come from exams (i.e. the non-coursework bits) has to be assessed in testing done under timed conditions.

They've been told that they'll have up to 4 chances to prove themselves in each subject, but if they are happy with their grades earlier than that then they are done and can leave college.

Feels a bit like A levels by another name, just a bit earlier, after a massively disrupted year and DD is quite stressed...

My daughter is very worried, she was under the impression there would be more smaller assessments but her school will determine the grades 'primarily' from the exams starting in 6 weeks.

It seems like the cobbled together solution to no exams is worse than actually sitting the exams!

Exams this week and next, but shorter exams than a normal A level, as I guess they have missed massive parts of the syllabus.

Two exams for each subject each 2 hours long...one just after Easter and one 3 weeks later. All under exam conditions. She only has one subject with course work which will only be 20% towards the final grade.

The stress this has caused my daughter :( seems pointless to have cancelled A-levels.

We still don't really know. Big 6th form college. I don't think anything is happening before Easter though and there will just be one set of 'exams'. DD is scared to take her foot off the pedal and has lived in a state of up and down stress since September, as they were being assessed so much last term, as well as learning new content, doing homework.

My worry is that apart from form teachers and parents of Y11 or Y13 students, no-one else in the country is aware of the shitshow the incompetent Gavin Williamson has created.

The narrative is exams cancelled, less stress and an easy ride for our young people. The reality is quite the opposite. I can't believe he has been able to keep his job.

Not form teachers - just teachers that should say.

@Todaytomorrowyesterday

Two exams for each subject each 2 hours long...one just after Easter and one 3 weeks later. All under exam conditions. She only has one subject with course work which will only be 20% towards the final grade.

The stress this has caused my daughter :( seems pointless to have cancelled A-levels.

Is this their mocks? The guidance says the assessments should be under times conditions bit one hour long and in class settings.

"The narrative is exams cancelled, less stress and an easy ride for our young people. The reality is quite the opposite. I can't believe he has been able to keep his job."

This is so true, of course A levels are hard and stressful but short notice exams after such disrupted learning is horrendous.

Yep exams by stealth here too . Two 45 min exams per subject in a few weeks time. dc has no idea how much these will actually count.. although another school nearby is saying that they will make up 90% of their Mark. Really stressful .

We are not in the UK so one exam board have exams going ahead as scheduled end of May/ beginning of June and the other exam board will be doing a combination of exams and coursework. The coursework is due in before Easter holidays and the exams will be after easter up to May. It’s all very arse about face if you ask me!

Two sets of exams here, end of April and end of May. No reduction of content as they have completed the syllabus but some choice of questions to answer within the exams. They have been told that, other than official coursework, their entire grade depends on these exams.

DS had mocks this week. 1 paper per subject (2hrs long). He will get the results in the first week back after Easter. Then he will have a further 2hr exam in May and these two sets of exams will determine his grade in each subject.

We find out next week apparently!