GCSE 2018 (7) [wine][wine][wine][wine]

[mmzz]

A new thread to take us through the exams
Link to old thread

For AQA it’s

Combined Science (Double) Papers 1 & 2 (1hr 15 mins each)

Single Sciences (Triple) Papers 1 & 2 (1hr 45 mins each)

Well a huge proportion of my students got straight A/A* in their GCSEs and the same at A level. They come in to their professional exams not realising that everyone has the same grades, then they have a major trauma when they discover that these exams are REALLY hard. The subject I'm teaching today usually has 30% pass rate, meaning 70% are going to be disappointed and they can lose their job if they don't pass. The previous GCSE system created a lot of unrealistic expectations about how bright students were.

I'm relieved that DD'S school has only predicted grade 9 for exceptionally bright pupils in exceptional cases. I'm sure there will be a lot of 9s in the first couple of years, as the government can't record a poor policy, which is why I know of a lot of 9s for maths & English last year. However, it drives me up the wall the number of average students who seem to think they will get straight 8s as a right. They're actually not that bright.

I wonder if there's any crossover on the combined and triple papers for AQA? DS3 doing triple and has texted that it was a good exam. Students at my school, some found it hard but often catastrophise.

AlexanderHamilton thanks for the clarification! Now I understand why people were posting so early - they must have finished the shorter exam.

Im going to go back and read what ive missed

dd says she did terribly in her biology as she knew the digestive system backwards and there wasnt a question about it

But she does make me laugh so i thought i would just share that she is accusing the AQA board of taking away her dignity bacuse they didnt put any digestive questions in the exam

Gosh, busy thread today! A lot to catch up on.

At work today so not much time to think about ds. He had 2x french and now just waiting for him to finish Biology (or rather get home!)

At ds school they ask for 7 minimum for entry to Maths A level and 8 for FM. Speaking as someone that did fine at GCSE and then took A level maths and failed miserably, I guess it's because you need to be very confident to tackle the subjects at A level and without some 'natural' understanding a lot of Maths is incomprehensible! The school asks for grade 6 for other subjects, but wants an APS of 6+ to do 3 A levels.

Hope everyone's dc's OK today

Thank you teenmum

They reckon thats what has caused the detachment...she has worked her body too hard and now her mind is getting its own back

Talking about pressure for top grades it is often schools that don't help by measuring, counting and publicising the no of A/A*/9s etc

DD 2 was predicted top grades a couple of years ago and ended up with 8 A and a couple of B's which she was delighted with but got hardly any mention in the schools publicity and was hidden away at the bottom of the website with the focus all on girls with all A/A and no dreaded B's. Luckily I don't think she even noticed. At least I won't have that with DS (not predicted top grades). Needs a 7 or above in maths, a 6 in physics and a 5 in maths to do computing. Oh and 5 passes to get in to the school in the first place.

He found computing easy but I think would have done something very vague and simplistic for the island question and certainly not talked about business models.

And yes the AQA biology is different papers for triple and combined. He should be out now but heard nothing yet.

Repeating best wishes for all those with additional worries this week (been there)

Re grade increases

I reckon i will be a little old lady and my grandchildren will say that the got a grade of 30 in their exams

And i will think they are so clever as their stupid parents only managed a poxy 9

Stupid sodding system

Thank you always

Hope the headache got better

Dd should have mainly 6, a few 7 and an 8

I will be pleased...no ecstatic...with 4s and 5s

always

Hopefully they will be sympathetic....they can see by predicted grades etc im sure

wow twitter has just come alive with aqa biology posts - v bad apparently with no obvious topics covered about boiled carrots and why eggs get heavier in water ??!!

For those who have been otherwise well before being diagnosed with long term conditions, it’s a massive shock and life changes in a way you can’t predict

Abso-bloody-lutley

oratory

No wonder dd was unhappy....it seems a shame to cling on to the idea that maybe everyone didnt do as well as expected

I really hate the education system at the moment...feels like they are torturing them by making the exams so hard (in some cases)

And i know im probably not being rational

Ds home, says biology 'ok' but a lot of calculations and a couple of questions he just fluffed as he wasn't expecting them. (Triple) He's a bit flat.

Dd has finished her first day of exams. French this morning and Biology this afternoon.
She's not had much to say about any of them yet, she's being very quiet and is in her room. She looked exhausted when she came out so I think she's just winding down now.
She said her friends and her have decided they're not going to talk about each exam much as they're done now and there's nothing they can do now to change anything.
I'm hoping Biology went well as it's her favourite subject. I'm hoping she'll have had a positive start.
No exams tomorrow then back to it on Thursday.

Rufus - DD was perfectly happy and not bothered at all, as was DD1 who was also predicted top grades and got most but not all. My moan is with the pressure schools and league tables and society in general put on by measuring and publishing grades - agree % ages would be so much better

MY ds is buzzing said biology went really well and was the easiest paper yet. But he loves maths and physics so the calculations wouldn't have phased him.

DS's offering from today:

Edexcel GCSE Triple Biology; Quite good, no surprises. He finished early.

Edexcel French reading: very easy, so high grade boundaries likely.
Edexcel French listening: Slightly more difficult than the reading, but only slightly.

DD phoned - IGCSE Edexcel Biology was good - she said they had to measure the size of a rhino shoulder (picture) ?????. So pleased for her she worked so hard...(a couple of questions were on very good topics for DD)
French writing went really well on her favourite topics (shopping), listening - quite hard and reading was alright...hopefully enough to at least get her a C

AQA Double Science biology - DD said it was confusing. The twitter feed for #aqabiology is hilarious!

DS says Edexcel igcse Biology was 'fine'. Couple of tricky questions but pretty good overall...

So it sounds like AQA might not have been a great paper

See that annoys me as well...there should onky be one set of papers

Dh was interviewing someone the other day and said to the candidate how impressed he was at the yound mans High grades for science...turns out he had never sat an exam!!! All coursework apparently. Dh said the young man was quite embarrassed

Yes I can see gastric bands on a biology exam edexcel gcse are trending. This wasn't on the igcse. We had the rhino shoulder to feedback.

OK my feedback from aqa biology ( the triple science paper 1 hour 50 mins) is "yea that was alright nan-pai answered all know I got a 1 marker wrong because I forgot to reverse heart diagram der! But nearly ran out of time and think I messed up last part of big question at the end but wrote something anyhow, checked mathy bits but yea not too bad!"
So pretty positive not too confident and not too disappointed. Marvellous as far as I am concerned! Another paper bites the dust!!