Starting Year 13 (number 4!)

[Mindgone]

I just thought I'd get us started up again!

Good to hear all those with headaches now hav them under control well in time for exams.

Just realised mis-counted number of exams for DD, just 6 A2 papers, 8 including the AS retakes.

Thanks Hocus - hope your musketeer is holding up ok. It is a worrying time isn't it? I think UCL often take longer, but hope you hear soon. Will that be his insurance?

DD has seven exams in all. It seems a mammoth amount to remember. Still slogging through the epic EPQ. Mocks after half term (again).

DS has 5 exams and History and English coursework and his EPQ to write up. I have no idea where he is up to with any of it as I'm given limited information Mocks were done and dusted in January thankfully.

Just realised DD seems to have loads of exams! The 2 sciences both have a practical exam, a written practical exam and 2 normal exams each - so 8 exams there, plus 3 for maths and then 2 science retakes, so 13 altogether. I don't think my nerves can take it .
DD2 is doing AS exams and I think will have 4 for each science (so 12) and then 3 for maths and I think she may be taking some further maths ones.
DD1 is looking to firm Manchester and put Birmingham as her insurance (which given last year's problems with accommodation might not be the wisest move).

hellsbells99 I think the loss of the Jan exam period is a real problem for maths and science exams and does lead to a high number of papers in the summer.

Aren't the science practicals well before the exam period starts?
I think DD has 2 for physics, but may have already taken one.

Timing of the science practicals depends on the Board, syllabus and type of assessment.

As I understand it, you can re-do an ISA, so these are usually taken earlier. but you only get one attempt at an EMPA, so these tend to be later.

ds1 has two science practicals in early May.

Lemon - my DS went to the open day at Surrey (for electronic engineering), but has decided he preferred Southampton. However, I think the discovery that Surrey Uni is only 20min drive from DH's office put him off (He would rather be further away).

DS has 7 papers this summer, all within one two-week period. Also science practicals, but I have no idea when these are happening.

DD is doing EMPAs for science.
Both DDs are back at school today and hopefully focused for the next few months. DD1 has announced she is planning to attend maths club most lunchtimes as she is finding C4 very difficult and is going to chemistry club after school today.

Littleham,
"Will that be his insurance?" - This is the thing - I suspect even if he gets an offer it will still be AAA so he really doesn't have an insurance in that sense. I'm not sure if his research was flawed but Exeter came in with a higher offer than he thought so that rather scuppered that. I guess all he can do is put two down and the insurance being whichever he feels might take him if he drops a grade. Anyway on paper he has to get AAA so not as bad as some but absolutely nothing to induce relaxation! If he doesn't then it's back to the drawing board for next year.

hellsbells DD struggled with C3, but saying C4 easier? Maybe they are not far enough into it, or it's all the trig in C3. OCR board.

Dont know whether DD doing EMPA or ISA, but believe only one attempt. think there are up to 3 they can do, with the best 2 taken. But for AS Physics, they only got to do 2 as HOD said 3rd too difficult.

Anyone know what the criteria are to get an A in maths & science subjects? Dd needs to get one A for her firm. She has had conflicting advice from her teachers on whether it's necessary to get over 90% in every single module...

For maths it's a 90% average across C3 and C4. Not sure about science.

Thought A* in most subjects (excluding maths) was over 90% in all A2 papers, and over 80% (A grade) average overall. UMS, not raw marks.

Thanks both. That's what dd thinks too. Is worried about her Biology ISA. Mark still not high enough after second attempt. It's the subject she thought she had the best chance of doing well in summer papers.

What % of the A2 papers is the Biology ISA?

She thinks 10%?

It is 90% average so she could make up the missing marks on the written papers. The exam board websites have stuff on the A* in their faq.

She thinks it's 90% in each section?

No, it's the average. E.g. in maths, 180/200 ums for C3 and C4 combined. For a normal four unit subject, 180/200 for the two A2 units. I don't know how the science modules are arranged, but it will be 90% ums from the A2 modules.

And 80% overall of course.

Means that you can get a B in your AS for e.g. history with 140/200 ums, then work hard and get 180/200 for the last two units, giving you 320/400 and an A*.

Or as dd2 was working out the other day, do well in five maths modules, including 180/200 for C3 and C4, and you don't need to do brilliantly in say, D1, lol.

I think we worked out DD2 could have got 45% in D1 and still get an A*. Perhaps as well as the year she took A level maths D1 had an impossible question in it!

Circular - DD is doing Edexcel maths. I am not sure if the units correspond with OCR or whether the topics are mixed around. C3 was ok - she was 2 marks off an A in her mock with still time to go for more practise papers, but she is finding C4 a lot harder. She did say the mock was far harder than other past papers (was last June's paper). M1 is apparently going ok.
She is hoping for an A overall in the real exam.

I was under the impression that they need an A overall, and an average of 90% or over for their A2 papers, with the exception of maths, where they need at least 90% for both C3 AND C4!
But I'm open to correction! :)