GCSE 2018 no. 6: stress, struggles and success (hopefully) *Title Edited by MNHQ*

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New thread for GCSEs 2018

Dd is doing 10 subjects. One is RS which she has completely written off

Of the other 9 she has split them into 4 categories based on how she wants to weight them.

A = English language
B = English literature and German
C = 3 x sciences
D = maths, geography and computer science (aka fun subjects).

Then she rotates the blocks to give equal time to each block (meaning eng lang gets 3x as much as biology)

This is because she is borderline and needs to pass it whereas more time on sciences will mean a 7 rather than 6 and doesn't really matter.

She might change th categories today to take into account when exams are but it means she doesn't need to change her timetable.

DS is prioritising the content-heavy subjects and those where he is weakest. So Science & Maths is getting less time than say Geography, English Lit and RS.

Aside from Tassomai, his Science revision is doing past papers, then revising any topics that he drops marks on. But we also look at grade boundaries for that paper and if he's scoring highly. They don't need to know absolutely everything inside out as long as they know enough for the grade they're targeting.

Same approach with Maths. Past papers, then looking over anything he didn't get and doing more questions on it.

The 'wordy' subjects are less straight-forward because they're much harder to mark even with the mark schemes. Most of his teachers have been happy to mark any practice questions he's done though.

He had a revision timetable over the Easter hols but hasn't had one since he's been back at school. He's just been revising stuff he felt needed it (for around 3 hours after school and 6 hours on weekend days). We're going to do a new one from Friday when study leave starts, tailored to when the exams fall.

Right now he's doing a Biology past paper then will spend the rest of the day and all of Tuesday on History for the exam on Wednesday.

I do think it can be counter-productive to think that you have to know absolutely everything in great detail for the whole syllabus. With the odd exception (RS and from memory Latin when DD did it) the grade boundaries allow for the odd topic that is understood less well and where marks will be dropped. DD (who is an arts and humanities girl through and through) got A*s in all 3 sciences and she definitely didn't know everything about everything. But she knew enough to get enough marks IYSWIM

I've just read that back. I'm really sorry if it sounds boasty/smug. I just remember that the panic about what they don't know can really set in as the exams approach.

Hi everyone. I’ve not read the whole thread, but just come on to let out a long wail of despair! Youngest son seems to have all the facts in there, but really needs to nail exam technique. Especially with English lit and history.

Except he’d rather do anything else and will only revise if I do it along side him. He seems paralysed by anxiety.

On the plus side, he got his English teacher to look at a Macbeth practice answer he did with me last week and she reckoned it was about a 6. Given that he got 3 in his mocks, I am starting to feel hopeful. If I can get him to concentrate.

Cherrybun not smug at all, infact I would of thought those aiming for A*'s would find what you put very reasuring

Cherryburn, I didn't think it sounded smug. You are right about not needing to know everything, but without having an idea of grade boundaries, it is hard to know how much is enough.

The word-heavy subjects are the worst IMO, especially RS, mainly because a lot of it is just about obtuse justifications for belief, not fact or logic.

Cherrybun your post was reassuring to me! I think it's a similar approach to DS's revision. He's doing 11, but art is out of the way from tomorrow and there is only one exam for music. Most of his English revision is in Tutor time and lessons!
The consensus seems to be from this point focus on revising the papers that come up before half term. I need to pass this on to DS so he doesn't keep trying to revise all science topics all the time!

weaselwords, it is not easy, is it? Maybe you will have to sit next to him for revising some things, but you could try things like Tassomai for science because it sort of prompts the teenager along. then all you have to do is to put his laptop / ipad in his hands and say do 3 quizzes now

DS is trying to do 2 hours of revision on school nights, and 6 1/2 hours at weekends. He gets Friday evenings off. So, 21 hours per week, maybe a bit more because that's not counting Tassomai.

He's doing so much to try and catch up after all the revision sessions he had to reschedule due to the homework he was getting for the first two weeks back at school. Also, he got a Biology test back and the result really demoralised him (but half of it wasn't revised for), so its scared him into doing even more revision.

I think it makes sense to only revise now for the papers that will be before half-term - so all of RE, French, English Lit and paper 1s for everything else.

DS3 worked out how many revision slots he had to fill before the end of the exams. There were about 230, 10 GCSEs, therefore 23 slots per GCSE. A few less for Chinese as 60% is coursework already done, similar for music. He then filled in subject by subject putting in early finishers first, so computing and Chinese. Just like a puzzle, he quite enjoyed it.

His logic is that although he's more confident with maths and sciences, they are his A level subjects so he needs to spend as much time on them as say, history or English lit, as he only needs 5s for them.

As he devised it, he has taken ownership of it and is following it really well. (At last!) The slots are only 1/2 hour ones, though.

Timing it like that means he'll still do some revision for topics after half term, but but they'll all have had equal time by the exam. For the sciences, he's allocated half the time before the first exams, half for before the second exams.

Phew! I'm glad it was reassuring.

Wrt grade boundaries for the new exams, they are surely bound to be pretty low. So many people on here have said that schools were only just finishing teaching the syllabi in time (or in some cases the DC were having to learn topics themselves) and of course the content is harder and there's more of it. Not surprisingly, a lot of teachers haven't quite got to grips with timings etc yet, as the reforms were rushed through, and there's a dearth of past papers to practice with. I realise no one can know for certain, but there's no way the grade boundaries will be high.

I use the attached with some of my lowest level groups if they are of any help to anyone.

No. 2

And no. 3

& I will be getting study leave envy at any moment now. DD is only allowed any after her first 19 papers when she only has 7 left to go. Stop rubbing it in!

DD (doing 10 GCSE(i)s has approached revision on an ad hoc basis taking into account what is being done at school etc rather than time spent on each subject (virtually no homework since before Easter). Time spent so far :
Maths - very little revision at home (Est 27 revision hours in school).
French - Revision mainly with the tutor (Est 16 hours).
Sciences - Est 30 hours on Biology and 16 hours on Physics/Chem - this will balance the other way now she has nearly finished Biology on Tassomai.
Computer Science - Most of the theory work covered has been very recent (since Jan) so still fresh (Est 8 hours so far most revision due to be done in exam leave).
DT - 60% of exam done - little revision done in class due to coursework -a few past paper exams have been done (A*) at home (Est 3hrs)-- last exam on 19th June so 3 clear days to revise nearer exams.
History - Revision in school since before Easter some revision at home (but not enough) both exams after HT...(Est 18 hours most in school)
English - 40% of exam already completed which leaves one exam for both Eng Lang/Lit. Only one set text to learn for Lit and Anthology poems will be provided in exams (so DD is mainly revising question technique) Est 6 hours so far. The English teacher has mapped out what she believes the content will be within the English exams together with some documents where the various text is color-coded and there is a verbal presentation (similar to YouTube) to go with the documents.

Exam leave starts 7/5 ..will be spent revising Computer Science/French/Chemistry/Biology with probably 1 to 2 hours on Tassomai a day. DD's exam timetable has been so kind because after the first week there are 4 free days to then revise for Eng Lit/Maths and Physics then HT which will mainly be devoted to History and a refresh for Maths/Eng Lang. The higher science papers are spaced out with one day in between each exam all after HT...DD hopes to fully complete Tassomai courses before exams and all other science revision will be past papers.

Just back from 90 minutes of French Oral work with the tutor -all went really well - DD seemingly relaxed and confident at the moment.

My son is doing AQA.

The poetry anthology is so much more challenging than when his older brother did it. Then, they had the texts in the exam, and there were 12 poems as opposed to 15.

Knowing 15 poems in detail is a big ask. I am wondering if he should just stick to the big 'theme' ones. Ozymandias and Bayonet Charge have been the exam texts over the last 2 years, so I would assume it won't be either one of them this year.

Any tips?

Welcome, EdWinchester

The only advice I can give is Mr Bruff, but it will take hours to wade through all his videos. DS's teacher suggested picking 7 or 8, making sure to get every theme, and then get to know those really well. So that would cut the job in half. Its still a mountain of a task though with only three weeks left.

Maybe someone else can help a bit more effectively than me?

Sorry cannot help EdWinchester - DD sitting the IGCSE and they will be provided with the anthology of poems. However, the English Teacher did state that judging by the exemplars the grade boundaries will be high in the iGCSE for the coursework element ...so I guess its swings and roundabouts!

Gosh Teenmum, it’s at this point that the coursework students really benefit! DS has 25 exams (18 before half term) with 2 weeks of back to back exams including a couple of 2 exam days. Even more annoying, there’s really only Music he can leave til half term, as the others are the 2nd Maths and Science papers and he has to revise the whole syllabus for the first (pre half term) papers.

Keep on keeping on! And DS has actually revised some Physics today! Although he’s back on the Korean War now...

Hi EdWinchester I loved the Fast Show!

Haha - me too.

New name - I have been on this thread before.

Will search Mr Bruff - thanks.

Kingscote is your DC doing AQA science? If it's edexcel then the good news is that only certain topics are on paper 1 with the other topics in paper 2. The only overlap is the first topic ("Basics of Physics" or something like that)

Thanks for the encouragement. We’ve had quite a good day and done two English questions and a load of Spanish. Youngest looks exhausted, as he cannot concentrate for toffee, but calmer as he’s quite pleased with his efforts. He’s looking forward to his Spanish exam! Strange child.

@EdWinchester, we also like The English Teacher on YouTube. We’ve used his method of answering questions today successfully. Might be worth a try?