GCSEs 2018 (5 & a puppy, but no kittens)

[Stickerrocks]

Here we go again.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3177476-GCSEs-2018-4-already

10 (incl triple science)

10 here too (including triple science).

10 here (also triple science). He sat an 11th last year though.

drummers oh, that's lovely that they were thinking of the musicians! I'm pleased to say that DS genuinely only has finishing touches left on his composition although he still has to do the transcription for the ensemble piece either this weekend or as soon as he gets back to school. We don't have the right software either!
From what I hear, history is the monster subject - more work than any of the others! Very worthwhile, though.
It's funny that RE has come up because I was convinced until about three weeks ago that DS was only doing a half GCSE in RE. I was genuinely puzzled at how much work there was for this alleged half. DS had to explain to me he'd been entered for the full one. This means more revision than expected and 11 GCSEs, which is totally insane. I think he could actually do ok in it, though.
Mmzz is right about the amount of memorizing for RE, although I also agree if there's too much it sometimes pays dividends to have a subject that you decide not to sweat too much!

This is the estimated number of hours of revision DS thinks he needs to do to cover everything for each subject, not including anything extra the school puts on top that they haven't already given him!

Is this similar to others?

DS2 is taking 10 GCSEs (including triple science) and a level 2 certificate in Further Maths.

Some of his peers are taking 9 (combined science and no further maths certificate).

DS is doing 11 (rather him than me!) but 60% of Music is now complete, thank heavens.

DS3 is also doing 10 including triple science. Most in his school are doing 9 as standard this year.

DS2 did 10 as standard (no triple science) 2 years ago. DS1 did 12, 10 standard plus triple science and further maths. They no longer offer the further maths as the GCSE is more challenging.

mmzz, DS3 hasn't worked it out so thoroughly TBH. He's probably covered everything at least once to a basic standard and is going over areas he's less confident about. Also some parts of the syllabus aren't quite finished yet. I think he's generally much less thorough with his revision than your DS seems to be, but he's been doing an hour a day since January, and 2 hours a day since the Easter holidays started.

mmzz does that include doing any past papers to time and then marking? 2 hour Science and Maths papers gobble up revision sessions!

11 here including further maths. She already has a random ICT qualification as well.

DD doing 10 including triple science but 40% of both Eng Lang and Lit completed and 60% of DT.
I'm airing on the side of thinking that it will be worth DD doing most of the past papers for all sciences relating to the same syllabus given that this is the last year of the current exam (swaps over to 9-1 next year) I would guess there will questions that have been tweaked for this years final exam.

Mmmz I;m somewhat relieved that DD has done 40% of Eng Lit and is not doing RE or Geography - looking at those revision hours! However, she does have History but thankfully the first exam is not until after HT and falls on a Monday and she has a free day before the last History exam.

Dd1 and dd2 did 11 as standard. Ds started with 10, dropped dt to make time for the others so down to 9 then may or may not attempt further maths. He s doing some further maths as good practise for the hard maths questions but I’m insisting further maths can’t take time away from his others or the ‘normal maths’ so he ll maybe try a paper or two and see how gets on before deciding whether to take the exam or not - probably not sovthatcwas a long answer to say probably 9

I’m with you on rs mmzz. The girls could get away with largely common sense and general knowledge on the short course as it was mostly ethics or the type of things you do in years 7 and 8. But Ds (also short course) is doing Islam with all the new names and beliefs to learn. The Christianity is also broader and more structured. Sometime though I think they just have to say good enough is enough !

We haven't been that scientific on the revision either. Divided up the time available between each subject (all need roughly same amount of time as lower content ones are those he's struggling with - or aiming for a high mark in ones that wouldn't normally need as much). Then put aside time for papers and the rest if revision with weaker topics first !

It includes about 20 hours of past papers, and all the homework set by the school for the Easter holidays. Mostly of the time allocated was just 1/2/3/5/10 mins for this or that.
English Lit takes longer because there were a lot of key quotes from the plays and the novel to memorise and DS went through the Mr Bruff videos for each poem. He was struggling a bit with English Lit, but his teacher noticed the improvement after he started using Mr Bruff, so DS saw them through.
TBH, I am fairly certain that not all hours were good revision.

I think if you added up how much your DC are doing, you'd be surprised.

I'm not keeping track of hours but there's been a lot of revision this holiday and it's definitely more than happened for the mocks.
I made DS a list of what he has done for his art exam, what he'll get done tomorrow and what he's going to do during the art exam - all based on what he's told me and what I've seen and he's looking very relieved! All the art prep has to be handed in by break on Monday and then they spend Tuesday and Friday doing the actual exam.

Oratory and Teen thanks for the CGP CS recommendation, I shall get him that one and see how he goes.

DS also doing 10 (includes triple science) and did one last year.

Had a lovely relaxing day today, DS fell asleep in the car coming home I think he had been bored rigid all day

mmzz DD has been averaging a 5 or 6 for RS despite being predicted an 8 with little hope of achieving it. She is also doing Catholicism and Islam. It would be interesting i it didn't have such a horrendous exam attached to it, which has managed to extinguish any spark of joy from the subject.

This was the first year that the school had entered for the full GCSE and they have reverted to the half GCSE again for the current year 10s. This means the staff are trying to get 2 year groups through an unknown entity at the same time and the year 11s seem to be suffering. I threatened to withdraw her from the exam a few weeks ago

10 GCSEs including g triple science here and averaged 25-30 hour's revision over 7 day week so far. Dgd revised a subject she's not too keen on first, then rewards herself by revising a subject she loves. I did complicate matters by asking what if she has more she dislikes than likes?

R.e compulsory at dgds school Catholicism and Judaism as well as ethics i think. Predicted 8-9 but got a 7 in mock without revising at all! (Goodness knows how) DgD his decided she is an atheist and has no enthusiasm for subject at all.

Blooming internet and phone!

DS got a 3 in the mock (admittedly with very little revision). Supposedly was working at a 6 from teacher estimates but that was optimistic. Has improved since then but timings an issue and we have no idea what the grade boundaries are so what you would need for a 4/5. He has enjoyed it and found it interesting but the exam is hard for him.

DS3's school dropped compulsory RE for this year group for the first time. It's why the standard number of GCSEs has reduced from 10 to 9. They have a weekly pshce/contemporary values type lesson instead to cover the national curriculum requirement. I'm rather sad as while it was a low scoring subject for both DS1 and DS2, I think it was good for them to have an understanding of other religions.

The thing is that the GCSE as currently configured doesn't give understanding of other religions (at least in the combo that DS us doing i.e. RC and Judaism). It gives a series of views that the Church takes, along with their justification but it doesn't get the essence of what the religion is(as I know it).
It's made DS into an aetheist though, which tbh I'm a bit fed up about!
If what it's done with Catholicism is anything to go by, then learning about the characteristics of Judaism won't have given DS an understanding of Judaism either.
I wish the school didn't make this GCSE mandatory.

Agree about the volume of stuff for RS, compounded by the fact that there's no text book or revision guide for the course DS is doing (Edexcel igcse) unless anyone can tell me different??
He was already atheist though (as are we all) so it's made no difference in that regard!