Science GCSEs

[Jux]

DD has just started year 9. She is in the top set for science. They have been told that there are 3 exams for each branch of science, so 9 science exams for GCSE. To take the pressure off, the school is proposing that they take 3 this year, 3 next year and then 3 in their actual GCSE year.

I think I can see the logic of this, but this is year 9! DD is 13! How can year 9 children do a GCSE - even a bit of it - two years early, when they have barely started the syllabus?

How do science GCSEs work?

I've no idea but ds (year 9) has come home with a biology and chemistry GCSE text book.

Some schools will have covered part/all of the syllabus with the top set children.

Not sure of actual breakdown of exams though! DS is expected to take/choose 3 sciences and sit Maths early.

What would your DS study in year 11 if he's already done the GCSE for this though, brass??

If they get the maths out of the way I think they pick up another gcse, he is doing latin as an extra curricular subject so I think he could take this.

We don't have any more info on year 9 and I'm just waiting for the options evening but that won't be until nearer end of this term.

Ah, thank you.

DS has just finished Yr11 and he did it this way. MAkes life a lot easier in a way, as they study one part of the course, take and exam in it, and bobs your uncle, that bit's done, then they study the next bit. I would have LOVED it when I was at school but am old enough to have done O-levels where ALL you results were down to the exams at the end of 5th year.
Like all these things, different people work in different ways. It's not quite the same as taking a whole GCSE early, as you are only being tested on the one bit.

Dd had just gone into yr 10 and I didn't think there would be any modular exams any more.

I just have to convince DDs teacher to let her do triple science

I have to admit Bruffin, that's what I thought too, that people wouldn't be able to do it that way anymore as it's hardly a fair comparison with people who do all final exams.

science is different though, because if you do triple you can do one complete GCSE each year )or one at the end of year 10, one in Jan year 11 and on in June yr 11) with each one being linear rather than modular.

It doesn't even have to be Biology and then Chemistry and then Physics, as the exam boards are bringing out a new further additional science gcse, which means core science + additional science + further additional science = physics + chem + bio.

Op is talking about doing 9 exams, 3 for each branch if science.

My DS has just gone into year 10 and sat his first science exam on his 14th birthday in year nine (four exams in total, biology, physics, chemistry and a controlled assessment. He was one mark off a B grade (core science). Next year he will sit additional science.

So there is core science, additional science and further additional science?

I have no idea what any of those terms mean. (Missed the Options evening last year.)

My DD2 has just gone into yr10 and is doing triple science. We are told she has to sit all 9 papers at the end of year 11 (as no more modular exams, all linear). As opposed to Dd1 who is in yr11 and has sat 3 papers (1 for each science) in June, with 3 in Jan and 3 next June.

9 exams which can be combined in different ways for differently titled GCSEs.

Biology 1,2 + 3 = biology gcse
chemistry1,2 + 3 = chemistry gcse
physics 1,2 + 3 = physics gcse

OR:
biology 1, chemistry 1 + physics 1 = core science gcse
b2, c2 + p2 = additional science gcse
b3, c3 + p3 = further additional science gcse

Each individual gcse is linear and the three exams must be taken at one sitting, but you don't have to take all 9 exams at the end of year 11.

hellsbells that may well be true for some boards if you want to do the equivalent of triple, or if the further additional science gcse concept doesn't get accredited (last I heard it was almost there).

I have two year niners at different schools and they have both been told the scinece GCSE is now linear and they will sit the final exams in Summer 2015.

They've been told it will be harder to achieve high grades and so will need to work harder, but that it holds more water for sixth form and university applications.

I think only Edexcel offer the Further Additional Science route at the moment wordfactory. AQA were planning to last I heard, not sure about OCR, so probably your 2 year niners schools don't use Edexcel for science, otherwise sitting some exams earlier and spreading them out accross the years is a possibility even with the linear rules.

As I understand it each science has 3 modules, but if your DD is just starting Y9 sjhe has missed the boat as far as modular GCSEs go.She will be doing linear ones surely.

So, the first in each discipline wouldl be the basics? Like cells, Periodic table, atoms and molecules?

Or is it a multiple choice thing, and thus slightly easier than an essay-type exam?

Oh dear, I really have lost touch with things.

Ds is learning about the Periodic table (valances), and photosynthesis at the moment, Jux, so I'm assuming it's the basics. I'm not sure about the exam.

Grrr-gsces being taken early (ie at the end of Year 9) seem to have been invented so my so-called best friend can show off about how wonderful her child is for achieving whatever grade in 6 gsces when she knows full well my own year 9 will not be taking anything until the end of Year 11 (same age children, different schools, obv) - grrr!! I don't understand how grade As can be achieved at age 14 as when we were at school it was difficult to get As in O Levels aged 16 (and I was fairly OKish at some subjects)- can someone explain?

DD is adamant that this is what they are being told they'll do. She's sh!tt!ng herself as she wasn't expecting to do any exams until end of year 10 when she thought she might be doing some non-core subjects early.

She says they haven't done valences, but have done some stuff on chemical bonds.

If there are no modular science exams then I've no idea what's going on. Her head of year told them, so it's not some rumour culled from kids with older siblings.

Very odd.

Which board is your DD sitting her Science exams in, jux?