Countdown to exam results. Anyone else feeling anxious?

[jellybrain]

Waiting for DS1's Gcses results on 22nd of August. He did really well last year but, all the talk of moving grade boundaries has got me worried. Fingers are very tightly crossed for maths as this is the subject he struggles with most.

Nemno, could you please show the courses asking for A in GCSE? I looked at Economics (AAA with A* in Math, no GCSE mentioned) and Accountancy and Finance (AAA, and Math GCSE is needed to be A and above only if Math A-level not taken). Confused.

DD did the OCR Latin one with various moduly things of literature and language.

Congratulations to all who are content with the results, and a hug to all who are not.

DD did well and met her 6th form requirements. Hurrah!

However, I am still puzzled over EngLit. Can anyone kindly explain to me grading in AQA please? She got
47101H - 54 c
47102H - 58 a
47103 - 36 b
Overall it is Mark Equiv 148, Points 46, Grd1 B

I just do not understand the system. How did she get 58 in 47102H, if the maximum mark there is 54? How did she get C with 54 in 47101H, if 52 is A*?

Mrs Average - annoyingly I can't seem to do links at the moment but if you google aqa ums/points grade boundaries you should get to a document which will show you that each exam is out of different amounts which total 200 UMS. The first element is out of 80 I think, the second 70 and the third 50.

School web site says science marks 6am today- quiver.

DD1 doesn't know (only had time to logo on late tonight), school didn't mention result date. As mentioned up thread science are a shower!

Longing, thank you! I was just looking into the wrong document.

Dh and I had to wait all day as dd was away doing her drama course. 10 o'clock at night and we had the scream of joy.

Having originally been predicted a nice hand of A's and A*'s, she was ill through most of secondary, had to drop 4 subjects and was very nervous that she wouldn't get the maths pass the college required (she was in hospital on the first maths exam). But she has passed, she will be doing her A-levels and we all feel it's a new life starting now!

Just as well she wasn't in school yesterday to pick them up herself, though; she did say she found it a bit hard to cope with all the messages from friends that had got all the A's she thought she would have. Still, she is mature enough to know that it won't matter in the long run compared to what she does at college.

My DD got 3A* - 7A and 1 B outstanding in many ways and we are delighted for her - except that she is desperate to do medicine. Her school are pleased as she was suffering form depression in January (saw the dr a few times) mostly because of our appaling financial situation - no central heating for all of the winter! - which is now very much on the mend. Also, she needs regular laser treatment for a birthmark - so I feel she has done very well, but it may not be recognised by a medical school. Does anyone out there have any advice / experience they could offer?

THANK YOU

Cory, your DD should be very very proud of what she has achieved and what she has overcome over the past few years - and so should you. I think all of us who have known you on here are full of admiration for the courage both of you have shown. Wishing her the very best with her new start at college.

MsAverage Try this for the AQA results

store.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_pdf/UMS-GRADE-BOUNDARIES.PDF

It gives you the Max scores and the scores needed for each grade,for each numbered module, including the full courses.

Its a bit complicated...I did the same as you!! But then I found the above ,and it all made sense!!

....GCSE results and packing off to the Reading festival yesterday, banging headache by 6pm! Having failed all in the mocks, DDS achieved 2Bs, 4Cs, 3Ds and and E....he has it in a huge amount of work to get these, and can now go into the 6th form (subjects tbc due to lack of Bs, but he has a place). He feels very relieved and glad of a 'second chance'. I had lots of advice from this site when nothing would make him see that he had to put more work in, but the advice to back off, support where needed and deal with the consequences was very useful!

Rpt53

If your daughter does not get into medical school initially, there are alternative - though longer routes. She could do a first degree in a paramedical or science subject (chemistry or physiotheraphy e.g.) and then apply for one of the graduate entry conversion medical courses - which would entail another four years on top of the first degree - but would be a possibility. I know three people who have done this.

Hi one of Ds private tutors took this route, She did biochem and got a First. she is now in her 2nd year of medicine and is constantly at the top of her class and she is a wonderful inspirational young woman. Please pass on our congrats to your amazing DD.

DD1(Y10) got her core science A (only not A* because dyslexia and CAs just don't mix, she got very high marks on the exam papers).

So well done DD, and she says a big thanks to her teacher for helping as much as he was allowed with the CA and no thanks to the Head of science who wouldn't let her do three sciences.

Also a huge well done to her BF who got good grades and everyone else's very hard working DCs.

I think DD did as much revision for one science paper as I did for history, geography and maths combined

rpt my ds2 has just gained a place at medical school and he had one B at GCSE, so i wouldn't automatically say that this will discount her. Make sure she has lots of relevant work experience and volunteer activities, and start doing these now.

DS1 got 3 As for maths, biology and chemistry in year 10 (a year early).

He has AS so we are extreeeeeemely proud

DDs AS results not as hoped, therefore has decided to repeat the year. I support this decision, but cannot help feeling continually irritated by a perceived lack of disappointment, and more interest being shown in the next social event, rather than working out what needs to be done to improve next years grades. We are usually close but I know this is impacting on our relationship

Thank you all for the advice - VERY appreciated. DD is determined to still do medicine so it is great to see that it is not a definite 'no' and that there are alternative ways to do it. She has an interview to volunteer at a local neuro-rehabilitation home this week - so, instead of thinking about changing her goals, it is a matter of possibly finding a different way to get there.
THANK YOU for your support.

Thanks, Movingtimes.

Have to admit that my courage was faltering at the thought of another year or two of maths.

MsAverage Yes I'm sorry it is not clear. It is not an official requirement to have a certain number of As at GCSE but it is always discussed on sites like The Student Room how many A s you need to be in with a chance and it is 'accepted wisdom' that it is a wasted application if you don't have them. Discussions like this one, where open day information is shared

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1011937

Because it is not an official requirement I could imagine that exceptions can apply. I accept that I lack evidence, just years of anecdotal stories online and from LSE students. My advice to get a remark to get as many A*s as possible though still stands for obvious reasons.

As an admission tutor, I will say a lot of the discussion on TSR and MN is crap. I have seen what are ported to be my decisions, and they quite often don't match the way I treat applications (given the reported 'facts').

So contact the universities if you are unsure, don't rely on hearsay.

Creamteas As a parent that worries about likelihood of DD getting into an RG Uni without loads of A*s and B's in English, I have spoken to some Uni admissions and been reassured that the AS and A2 predictions are what will matter.
However, I can't help worrying (albeit from hearsay) that there is a certain aspect of 'Computer Says No', before the application even reaches the admissions staff.

Circular Universities will have different policies, and there is also subject variation, and I obviously can't speak for all. But having worked in admissions in two different universities (both with high entry grades, one RG, one not) and attended lots of admissions related events, I would say that the AS and predictions are more important than almost everything else (one exception being negative school references).

The problem with forums is that any reasons given for rejection are pretty much always speculation as universities don't give reasons. So people make up their own minds why.

But getting into a good university is not that difficult (expect for a few specific courses) and is getting easier. Most universities are looking to expand and the numbers of school leavers is in a dip for a couple of years.

At the end of the day, if an applicant doesn't get the offers they want in a Year 13 application, if they get good A2s, they will get places (ahead of the rest) the following year.