Should DD sit Biology on Tuesday?

[stayathomegardener]

DD is currently sitting GCSE's, needs 4 B's 2 C's to get to her chosen college.
Currently already has a B in Stats and A in ICT, she is pretty confident in getting the other 4.
The crux is she has Biology and PE next week, neither of which she is well prepared for.
Would she be better not sitting Biology to focus on PE and upping her predicted grades in other subjects? Or going for Biology on the basis she got 2 marks of a C in a recent mock.
She is dyslexic and revision/ short term memory is a problem. She also tends to overload.

[stayathomegardener]

I need to be clear here DD has never said I'm not going to sit Biology, she mooted the idea of not doing so to concentrate on other subjects, I have no idea if it is a good plan or not, hence asking Mumsnet.
Relaying all feedback to DD, we both appreciate it, most helpfull.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Then taking Tuesday's exam is an absolute no brainer. Though we don't know controlled assessment grades until results day. Grade boundaries can and do change.

[titchy]

She'll already have done the CA so not turning up will mean a F or G or U grade, not a blank - she already has marks submitted so the subject will be on her certificate.

[LynetteScavo]

I would make sure she sat the exam.

But I wouldn't make her revise madly just before. That will only panic her.

I would tell her she knows much more than she thinks she does. Tell her you have every confidence in her.

I'm not sure what you think she'll gain by not sitting the exam. She'll definitely learn that avoiding things which are difficult, but possibly beneficial is acceptable.

[stayathomegardener]

Tryingtokeepalidonit- I am sorry about your DH, the same happened to my sister and I.
She is thinking of not sitting it not because it is hard but more that it may give her the advantage in other subjects.

I apologise if it comes across as arrogance but this is unfortunatly the attitude of most at her school, not many do get below a C as it is selective.

[FeelingSmurfy]

In the future gcse grades matter less and less and what is more important is the number, its better to be able to say "I have 6 GCSEs" than "I have 5 GCSEs" and often won't be asked the grades,but even if she is a D isn't terrible

*plucking those numbers out of thin air btw

[TheFallenMadonna]

I'm pretty gobsmacked that she's only doing one Science subject actually, given that she is clearly capable of achieving a reasonable grade.

[stayathomegardener]

Thank you Titchy, that is the information We needed, just relayed to DD and she she would far rather sit it with hopefully a D than have an even lower grade.
Lynette, she is working really hard on everything else so I won't rock the boat revision wise now.

[Noodledoodledoo]

I ws going to say the same as Titchy - even without the other elements she will be awarded a low grade or a U.

This is place to stop school pulling out students at the last minute who aren't going 'to make the grade'

I will admit to being devasted last year when a student I had put hours in building up their confidence and preparing them for the exam - couldn't be bothered to turn up on the exam day. Personally I wwas gutted for them as they ended up with no grade for a core subject and also I felt my time could have been spent on other students who also needed my support.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

if I were you I would encourage her to do both, as that is what she signed up for and has prepared for.

[whathaveiforgottentoday]

I think it is too late to pull out. If you want to focus revision on her other subjects, that would make sense, but to not bother sitting the exam is pointless. She will get a grade as they have entered her coursework so she may come out with a U or G which would look considerably worse than a D grade.
I would be very irritated if a student of mine didn't bother turning up for an exam. My school would charge you for the entry as it is too late to get a refund if you drop out.

[Charis1]

That is a crazy idea.

she is going to need a science grade for the rest of her life,

She is going to need to learn how to handle situations she doesn't want to be in, also for the benefit of the rest of her life.

The school statistics will not look better if a child doesn't turn up for an exam, they will look worse.

her results won't look better if she fails to turn up for the exam, they will look worse. ( she might end up with a U on her certificate.)

I don't know what you are thinking.

Get her a revision guide, sit down and revise with her for the next three days.

[00100001]

She should if course sit the exam.

She could sail through it
Sobwhat if she get a D?
She'll get an automatic U if she doesn't turn up, as she's already been entered into the exam, thats worse!
A D won't look bad if you just omit that grade from application s.

None gives a shiny shit about that GCSE grade in a few years.

[Rosieposy4]

If she doesn't sit the exam on tues, but has been entered for it, (so is either doing doing triple or additional as it is unit 2 on Tues ) she will get a U on her certificate which will look a lot worse than a D!
Way too late to withdraw now, whatever happens this will appear on her results certificate.

[Rosieposy4]

Sorry. Cross posted with lots of other posters, who all said the same thing, if she has done the CAU, it will appear on her certificate, regardless of whether she turns up to the exam or not.

[Seriouslyffs]

If she doesn't turn up she'll still get a certificate with
Biology U (or E)
And if she's taking other subjects with the same board it'll be there in black and white alongside the grades she gets for them. It will be recorded and available for future education providers to see.
It's by the by though- as other posters have said, a lot of effort has gone to get her this far and it's a dreadful life lesson if she doesn't show.

[00100001]

Did she sit the exam?

[Floggingmolly]

How much extra "focus" on PE would she achieve by deciding to ditch an exam two days before she's due to sit it?

[amybear2]

This is quite possibly the maddest idea I have ever read on MN!!She is going to bin 2 years work to gain a couple more hours to revise other subjects.Even if she doesn't look at her biology again before the exam she must still sit it!!

[HoldenCaulfield80]

I'm amazed you'd even think about letting her not take a GCSE that she's studied two years for. I'm not sure this is a great lesson to be teaching her - if you think you're no good, do t bother.

She might surprise you and do well, if not, she's doesn't HAVE to put it on any applications in the future.

[LynetteScavo]

So, did she sit the exam?

[SeenSheen]

Of course she should sit it after coming this far. I can't believe you are seriously considering otherwise!