Sign in here if your child is in Yr11 - taking GCSE's this Summer.

[Milliways]

Hi
Apologies if this has been done this year, but I found a similar thread very supportive when DD started the exam treadmill (not at Uni) and we are about to start again with DS.

Milliboy is 15, late Summer baby so cannot get a job until the end of the Summer hols, when they will have all gone. Good news is - this gives him more revision time

He is at a boys selective Grammar school, so the pressure is on to achieve. He also wants to aim for a decent Uni so understands that good GCSE grades are vital.

Still doesn't make the whole process any easier for him or me :)

Who else has boarded the 2011 Exam Express?

A thumbs up for English Lit here, too - DD felt happy with the questions and this is the best I've ever seen her after an exam - God the relief. Although she gleefully told me she'd never read the book all the way through...

DS1 said eng lit was hard. I thought that was it this week then learn he has science tomorrow. Made fish pie in vague hope the omega fish oils will trigger his brain cells. Not said anything about PE. Occasionally having a shouting match- me;'go upstairs and work', him,' I am just getting a drink/ snack/ on internet' etc etc- I think its just me- can't cope with him NOT working in front of me. But he needs A grades in maths and science to go to sixth form. Don't feel like I can do anything except patrol the house in case he puts TV on!

My DD has Science tomorrow, too - am hoping that feeling good about English will buoy her up a bit as it is easily her worst subject. She seems to have this unshakeable belief that the world works 'by magic' and so all the answers seem totally random to her...she says. In one of her modules she wrote that the earth's crust was made of 'ceramic plates'.

muffles giggles that is so sweet- I was the same at that age. DS1 did get an A* in a science module, but also a B- so it could go either way. All I would say is tell her to keep answers short- the examiners just want the answer- thats why my DS does OK at it and enjoys it (unlike English that he detests).

dd also not enamoured of the english.... who knows?

chemistry tomorrow and she really needs an A* in it

been rude tonight and i am bored bored bored with pushing her....

does anyone know anything about marking arrangements ? dd in flap as put wrong question numbers in the margin in english so answered q12b but put in margin and grid that she had answered 12c - questions were obvioulsy different so one could not be mistaken for the other - am assuming that this is reasonably common but would be interested to know if others have any experience of this? tia

If marked online then number in margin very important- denotes where answer is sent. Maybe c you can do.all exams officer in morning and mention- if no help then try head of english.
But probably not a lot that

sorry- laptop jumps about

but could you mark english essay on line? this is english lit exam ?

thanks though kangers for your reply

pipsqeak DS1 did that exactly and it was fine. His mark meant that the examiners must have used their common sense. We didn't bring it to anyone's attention but for your DD's peace of mind I'd do what kangers suggests then you've done all you can. But really, we did nothing and it was still fine.

thanks yellowstone - that is reassuring . it is all a bit stressy chez pipsqueak !!

The marking on line involves the paper being scanned in, and markers focus on just a bit of the exam so they are expert at it. And its safer than using the postal system as lots get lost each year. So on line marking is not quite what you'd imagine.
But pipsqueak it will be fine I am sure.

Chemistry today, easily her worst subject, vile eve ystdy :(

DS thinks he did well in chemistry - but it is one of his A level choices.

Physics next here, on Friday so tomorrow is an easy revision day.

conclusion of chemistyr is that it was hard

oh dear

My younger DD had a nasty cold at the end of last week, which I was desperately hoping DD1 wouldn't get. Needless to say, she has, but pulled herself together for Chemistry this morning. She came home and was saying how rough she felt, while I made bracing, supportive remarks - then she pointed out how much more sympathetic I was to DD2 previously. She's right, I was - because DD2 looked a nasty shade of grey while DD1 looked much the same as usual. Then I realised that DD1 is wearing full foundation etc, as usual, so I really have no idea whether she has turned grey or even green. Bad mother award of the day here, then - oh dear....
Spanish tomorrow, Physics Friday, then half term - can't wait!

Chemistry was bad, but not as bad as it could have been, DT apparently was bad though, day off tomorrow ( I mean no actual exam, so plenty of revision can be done ) physics on Friday .
Roll on half term!
DH and I both shattered, I slept through my alarm clock going off , and DH fell asleep this afternoon !
We're too old for all this .....

Chemistry on Friday for my son. Roll on half term. Then, oh wait, only 10 more to go in June...

chemistry was dds best exam to date - but she likes it and wants to do A-level so it should be

DS2 doing iGCSE chem - said paper today (alternative to practical) was hard, and he is usually pretty good at chem - however as they all found it hard should be no disadvantage

All DS has said about every exam so far - 'S'allright'.

At least I am getting a bit more insight and feedback from all your kids. So thank you!

Chemistry could have been much worse she said, that's probably the best I could have hoped for. Physics tomorrow...bbbaaadddd :(

hows everyone feeling about physics?

DS feeling quite confident about Physics,
Unfortunately he developed a migraine style headache 30 min into his first exam on Weds, and had no choice but to just keep going through both that exam, and the next one ,