Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Flip

Original poster

A level revision

17 replies

newyearolder · 02/02/2023 09:42

DS is intelligent but coasting according to his teachers. He has firmed a uni that requires AAA and was predicted that but is consistently getting Bs in his mocks.

I've tried to encourage him to revise more but he insists school told him 4 hours a week of revision is the max amount. If he was getting Bs after revising loads then fair enough but he never revises! He says he knows the content but he loses marks for silly mistakes every time and nothing I say about revising more seems to get through to him.

I am really concerned he's not going to get into his firm or insurance choice but don't want to make him feel bad so any advice on strategies to get him to pull his finger out?

He's had a private tutor for one of his subjects since Sept but his mock mark was no better than before and he doesn't want tutoring for the other subjects. He also says he finishes the exams really early so he isn't taking time to be careful.

Any one know what the grade boundaries might be as he's convinced himself that 60% will get an A but that seems an awfully low % to me.

OP posts:

mondaytosunday · 02/02/2023 15:15

Doesn't matter what the school says re hours though does it? My daughter gets told 'this essay shouldn't take more than two to four hours' but if it takes her six it takes her six!
Sounds a bit like he's used to doing well without too much revising - assuming he didn't sit actual GCSEs he won't have the experience of a 'do or die' exam. And those little 'point for this, point for that' makes marking more consistent so he needs to pay attention to that! But ultimately while you can threaten, bribe, encourage as much as you like - it's down to him. Has he another option if he doesn't make the grades?

Original poster

newyearolder · 02/02/2023 15:28

The other option is clearing as his insurance needs AAB. I've suggested he might want to change the choices as he can on UCAS within 14 days of firming as his only lower offer was BBC.

I've tried £ incentives already but at the end of the days it's his life. Today's approach is an Amazon delivery of revision guides.

OP posts:

thetailorofgloucester · 02/02/2023 16:24

I am following with interest as I could have posted exactly the same as the OP. We have tried incentivising, taking a hard-line, buying the revision guides (currently lying unopened on his bookshelf). He completed his UCAS application at the eleventh hour and got an enhanced offer from one of his insurance options within 24 hours so at least he has something. He is currently in the midst of trial exams and assures me he is revising but I can only take his word for it.
As far as grade boundaries are concerned, I don't think 60% will get an A.

Pumpkintopf · 02/02/2023 17:31

Re grade boundaries- depends on his subjects. You can look up previous grade boundaries online.

Original poster

newyearolder · 02/02/2023 17:39

I just did look them up and they are shockingly low so 60% for an A might not be too far out after all.

OP posts:

Amboseli · 02/02/2023 18:48

He probably knows when and how much effort he needs to put in to get the required grades.

My DS was like this at GCSE, very capable of top grades but just coasted along and did very little work getting 8s when he could have got 9s. But when it came to the actual GCSEs he made more effort, just enough and no more (!) and got the 9s.

So he might be finding it quite easy and will put in the effort when it matters.

clary · 02/02/2023 21:21

Op in terms of the grade boundaries, it's a bit of a dangerous game anyway. But bear in mind that 2023 boundaries are going to be closer to 2019 - is that what you looked at? I just glanced at a few and an A in eng lang was 80%, similar for French, physics was about 75%, chemistry around 63 iirc.

Mocks ime are a pretty good guide. What's his plan if he gets BBB?

IneedanewTV · 02/02/2023 21:26

My DS is the same. Very little revision. But he is the year that didn’t really sit their GCSEs so have no idea of revising for a full syllabus and turning up for an exam and being one chance to get the grade. For his GCSEs he say lots of exams but not like the real ones.

noblegiraffe · 02/02/2023 21:26

I've tried to encourage him to revise more but he insists school told him 4 hours a week of revision is the max amount.

Well then he's going to be at a massive disadvantage compared to all the kids who are putting in far more hours of revision at other schools then.

We tell them an extra hour outside the classroom for each hour inside the classroom at the start of Y12, so that would be at least 4 hours per subject per week. We'd expect that to ramp up closer to the exams.

If he's only doing three subjects and then 4 hours of study a week total, he has plenty of scope for upping his work and his grades.

Original poster

newyearolder · 02/02/2023 21:28

I looked at 2022 and 2019 grades and they were pretty similar so unless I'm reading them incorrectly then an A in maths for Edexcel would be around 56%, which seems crazy low. Can't see how getting almost half the questions wrong equates to an A but maybe that's the grade inflation people always talk about.

He had an offer at BBC and I'm pretty confident that course will be in clearing as it was an ex Poly but if not that one then based on last year there will be other comparable courses in clearing.

Had a frank convo with him tonight and he seems to have accepted that he needs to revise more.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 02/02/2023 21:30

Can't see how getting almost half the questions wrong equates to an A but maybe that's the grade inflation people always talk about.

No, it's the new maths A-level brought in under Gove which is stupidly difficult. However, results needed to stay the same as in previous years, so the grade boundaries plummeted.

clary · 02/02/2023 21:57

Ok tbf you didn't say what A levels. I looked at AQA and psychology was 63% for an A in 2019 while French was 80%. I actually think the French one, for what is not in fact the top grade, is very high. No grade inflation there then.

Amboseli · 02/02/2023 22:16

@clary good idea to look at grade boundaries for 2019 to get an idea for this year.

DS's projected grades will be based on their summer exams. He's doing well so far, 100% or close in maths further maths and economics. Finding physics a lot tougher but getting there.

He'll need a minimum of A A AA for the unis he wants to apply to. They're having a set of mocks at the moment to give them an idea of where they're at and how far they have to go by the summer exams to get the grades they need.

He's working a lot harder this year than for GCSEs without needing to be pushed which is a relief. He's at a very high performing school so there is quite a lot of pressure to knuckle down.

Amboseli · 02/02/2023 22:17

2 A stars and 2 As.

CrapBucket · 02/02/2023 22:21

Well you can lead a horse to water hut you can't make it drink. My DS is very very sporadic with what he does. If he gets into uni at least I will know he is capable of doing what he needs to whilst he is there. I am not spoon feeding him (he wouldn't comply anyway!) so its all on him. But its his life...

thetailorofgloucester · 03/02/2023 08:46

CrapBucket · 02/02/2023 22:21

Thank you for this post. This is the philosophy I am trying to adopt. It is hard reading posts all over the Higher Education board which are predominantly about students spending hours on homework with 4 Astars and applying to Oxbridge.

Amboseli · 03/02/2023 08:50

I have learnt it is impossible to "make" them work hard/revise and sometimes the more you push them the less they do.

It's hard but I've learnt to let go and leave them to it.

Flip