A Level stresses

[Pezza69]

I'm so angry with my Sons school and when I've complained in the past they tell him in class so he's now asked me not to contact them! The latest issue is regarding Sons Physics - he's been struggling through past year and regrets taking it. He revises constantly and is really conscientious to get good results. Latest issue is that he was told there would be a test last lesson with no idea what to revise for specifically. Turns up today to be told if they get a U in today's test that they will be withdrawn from the exam! This means he will not get a uni place. How dare they say that? Can they do this? How the heck can they expect him to 'perform' under that sort of pressure? So mad as I'm a tutor and would be facing disciplinary for some things they say to him. Not clear about A Level education though - are they right?

Given that A levels are only a couple of months away I'd have assumed the test was basically a mock and he should revise everything. Why didn't he think that?

And yes of course they can decide not to enter him, same as they could have decided not to let him continue to the A2 year if his AS results weren't up to scratch.

I suspect the reason that they weren't told what topics to revise was to make it more like the "real thing", when they have to revise everything, and are not given warning of what will come up. I don't think that is unfair at all.

I do think though that the class should've been told well in advance of the test that a U grade would mean withdrawal from the exam.

How the heck can they expect him to 'perform' under that sort of pressure?

He's going to have to deal with worse in a few months though, isn't he. Is he likely to be anywhere near a U? If he is, his uni prospects are in trouble already. I think you need to take a few deep breaths and help your son keep calm.

I don't know what they are saying to him but I'm sorry to say I would take it all with a pinch of salt unless I hear it from the teacher. DS1 is also Yr13 and even at this age will still tell me whatever he thinks is most likely to get him out of a sticky situation e.g. he is on target with a particular project only two days before I get an email from that subject teacher expressing concern that he is quite behind and missed the previous day's lesson, that he is doing fine in end of topic tests when in fact he is getting Es!

I also agree with the previous poster who sad that most tests at this stage will be mock papers covering the whole course, it's too late in the day to be doing tests on bits of the syllabus, so the answer to what to revise is most likely to be, everything!

Should have made it a little clearer. He was told there would be a test but not a mock exam. Naturally he thought it would be on what's been taught so far and revised with that in mind. Turns out it was a test on the new stuff taught last week so not too clear on it as yet. As it's an internal test my question is, does this impact the standing for the external exam?
When we give out mock exams where I work it's to help with revision, not a threat of failure.

If they get a U now it is going to be hard to get a lot better in the real exam. However. if it was one blip I am sure they would still enter them. A levels are the most pressured exams I think because the grade you get is so important for uni entry.