A question re. Eng Lit A levels for any English teachers out there

[Phaedra11]

I've been looking at some of the 2015 AS grade boundaries as DS1 will be getting his results tomorrow.

I wondered why the grade boundaries for OCR English Literature are so high compared to AQA. If I've calculated correctly the students need 90% in raw marks to get an A for both the AS and A2. I can't remember the figure for AQA but it was much lower. Under 80%, I think.

Is the OCR that much easier? Also, doesn't that mean anyone getting A in their A2s actually gets an A*? That doesn't sound right, so maybe I've missed something somewhere ?

Any thoughts appreciated!

DD tells me that the syllabus with the high grade boundaries (Chaucer/Shakespeare etc) tends to be chosen by good teachers/schools/pupils and so there is generally a very high standard. The marks are high but packed very closely together so that a mark here or there can mean a grade dropped.
Frustrating.

BTW I'm not a teacher in any way so that is speculation and hearsay!!!

Thanks, cathyandclaire (love the username btw, brings me back to my Jackie magazine reading days).

I'm feeling angsty for DS as English Lit was the paper he was really happy with and thought he had highest chances of an A for and he does have an A for his coursework, but 90% seems so high!

I teach OCR Eng Lit A Level. We get, in general, very good results. It is a well thought of course and much better preparation for degree level work than the other specifications.

I teach English A Level but we do EdExcel. I agree with what DoctorDonnaNoble said above.

Good luck to all awaiting examination results tomorrow!

Phaedra, my dd has done OCR Eng Lit too, and I'd noticed that earlier this year. It doesn't seem like the exams can really be differentiating as well as they might be?

Thanks all.

DS ended up with a B, five marks off an A. He is still hoping for an A at the end of A2s, but it sounds a challenge with the 90% boundary probably still in place and then having to make up those lost marks.

Hello Phaedra, would your son consider re-taking his lower AS unit this summer, (as well as the A2 units), to increase his chance of achieving an A for the A2?

Well done to you son Phaedra, we know people who have up their grade, so it can be done :)

My comments were annoyingly prophetic, DD was one raw mark away in English from the A* she needed to get to her first choice Uni, very frustrating!

cathyandclaire Did you consider a re-mark? Or was your daughter one mark away after the re-mark? I hope she will be happy at her insurance university, anyway.

She is having a priority remark Happy, worth it for one mark I think. I'm sure she will be very happy at her insurance, it's a lovely place with a great course but she is a very sad girl at the moment (missed Oxbridge offer). The good thing is that her course work was full marks so hopefully there's a little leeway to go up in the written , at least she's not trying to go from 28 to 29 for an essay!

Good luck! Hope it comes back quickly; all of ours have been returned now (our school is EdExcel for the subjects that requested priority re-marks).

Dd's mark went up to an A*

Cathy ! Squeeeeee! Great news - now, does she still want to go, or does she like Bristol now?

Well done! That's great news. So, off to Cambridge?

Wherever she chooses, good luck!

Hope other posters' children, relatives, students, are also receiving good news.

Excellent news

Thanks, yes now place at Cambridge confirmed

Everything crossed for anyone else in the same situation.