Prelims 2022/23

[CrabbitBastard]

DD is now in S4 and has been told her prelims will be starting at the end of November which seems a bit earlier than I remember? Is this normal? Will they get any study leave and if not, how should she be studying?

I know past papers are more for the final exams than for the prelims. She says Bitesize is shite but she does always do her homework and I got her some 'how to pass' books. She also plans to start a 'study club' with her pals where they take it in turns to go to each others houses to study. I'm a bit worried they will mess about although tbf they do tend to all get good grades in tests so far. I've told DD if I get any hint that they aren't really studying, then the study group stops!

Any one else's DCs preparing for prelims? Any tips from teachers?

What are the grade boundaries for each prelim subject? Can schools set their own grade boundaries and if so, doesn't that mean the school could make their results go their way? How does the grading for prelims work?

Actual grade boundaries are set by the SQA after the exams are marked.
Schools would usually use a notional 70%+ for an A, 60%+ for a B etc.
They might adjust these to take account of the prelim being easier than the exam (so, you got 70% but since the prelim was on fewer topics than the exam they might give a B). I don't know how many schools do that, though. I don't.

I've no idea how manipulating the grade boundaries would make things go "my way" either.

Parents night next week. DD insists her Chemistry teacher hates her so that will be interesting. Still concerned that DDs Chemistry grades are lower than they were last year and she's gone from having it as her favourite subject to her least favourite.

I'm sure it could feel that way to your dd, but I have honestly in 20 years never hated a student. It's not that kind of relationship.

Does the coronation bank holiday fall on the first SQA exam (is it English)? Does that mean the dates for all the exams will change or just that one? Have teachers had any information yet?

My ds had to go into school to take an exam on a holiday last year.

The coronation is on a Saturday @CrabbitBastard so I don't think there is a coronation bank holiday

There's rumours of a May 8th bank holiday I think

www.gov.uk/government/news/bank-holiday-proclaimed-in-honour-of-the-coronation-of-his-majesty-king-charles-iii#:~:text=The%20Prime%20Minister%20has%20decided,Coronation%20on%20Saturday%206%20May. It's been proclaimed now

I've checked and DD has D&M exam that day. She will be p*ssed if she still has to go in when everyone else has a bank holiday lol

It's German and Design and Manufacture that's on the 8th as I've just checked the timetable

At least Nat5 is in the afternoon so she can have a lie in

Date might change though - if school staff don't want to be in to manage it? Need to wait and see what the school / sqa say

Ah thanks @dementedpixie
that's hot off the press. They had previously said there wouldn't be one but obviously we've had a change of prime minister since then!

They have a contingency day on 1st June, they could move the exams on the 8th to.

DD is indeed 'pure raging' 😂She said it would be better if the exam was in the morning cause then she could still go out in the afternoon, to which I replied "no chance hen, you'll be back at home studying for the next exam".

Wasn't the extra bank holiday only announced this weekend? Bit much to think teachers could already know what the exam plans are!

My son is doing his N5 prelims at the end of Nov. he's sitting Maths, Chemistry, Physics, History, Computing and English.

Currently stressing out about the fact they're doing a full English prelim in three weeks and they've not finished their class novel yet - in fact they're only a third of the way through!! Meanwhile the other classes have done a film and are two or three essays in.

DD says her English class are behind the others as well and the English teacher has now left mid term, which is not good for preparing them for the prelims. I think they have a supply teacher at the moment.

Parents night tonight, then one month til prelims. Will see what her progress is and what areas to work on.

Parents night went fine. Expected to get As or B1. Annoyed at DD though because there are supported study classes on at lunchtimes and after school but DD did not tell us and is insistent she will not / does not need to go. Teachers did say it was optional though but useful.

Teachers were all positive about DD, even the chemistry teacher who allegedly 'hates' her, was quite nice although she did come across as a bit dippy and went off on a tangent quite a bit whilst telling us how DD was doing. DH and I had to keep bringing the teacher back on topic!
DD does seem to be studying though at home, I've seen her with her Chemistry books and working on some kind of Business Mgt essay which takes up 25 marks of the final mark apparently.
She was also in a total panic about English the other night and came to me in tears (English was always one of my best subjects). She was saying she has been given 2 Norman McCaig poems (visiting hour and brooklyn cop) and also the lighthouse. She says she doesn't know how to study, what she's meant to be doing, why does she have 3 texts and other classes have 1, sob sob sob.
So I made her ask her teacher and at home we also sat down and went over some of the resources mentioned by PPs so thank you. DD is calmer now.
3 weeks til prelim number 1 - Chemistry!
How are other people's kids doing in the run up to prelims?

I have a DS who is sitting N5 prelims at the end of the month. He is very relaxed about them. I am more nervous and am keeping my fingers crossed that he passes all of them. I would feel happier if he did more studying. Our local school often seems to set very hard maths prelims and a lot of the young people fail the prelim and then pass the final exam.

She was saying she has been given 2 Norman McCaig poems (visiting hour and brooklyn cop) and also the lighthouse. She says she doesn't know how to study, what she's meant to be doing, why does she have 3 texts and other classes have 1

Aw, that's a shame, the teacher probably explained the English course and exams to her earlier but maybe it didn't sink in at that point. Ds took a while to get his head around English too when he did it and it all does feel overwhelming and rushed at the end. She is not alone in how she is feeling.

Has the teacher now explained there are four components for English?

Folio piece
RUAE
Scottish Set Text - she will study 6 poems for this
Critical Essay - The Lighthouse is her text for this

ds found once he knew how to prepare for each component he felt much better.

She's only been given 2 poems so far, not 6, but maybe that's because she's still at the prelim stage? She's done a folio piece and I think she knows the lighthouse is the critical essay but I'll try to find out.
She's in a foul mood with me tonight because I wouldn't let her go out with her pals but insisted she stayed in and gets her head down. Also because I questioned why she was printing past papers when I'd bought her a book of past papers but at least she's looking at them I guess!