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

[mmzz]

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

callitwhatyouwill
mmzzdon't worry my dear your D's will be fine I'm sure. Tell him not to panic and just do his best. That's all anyone can do. My dgd feels she will not get the grade she wants but was very stoic saying she hopes that paper 2 will go her way. Got to say I feel for all the DC. Just for you both

DD said French was "OK" and Biology was "Not Terrible" yesterday. I'm interpreting that teen-speak to mean they both went pretty well.
She has a day off exams today although should be in school but she's so anxious about chemistry tomorrow I'm letting her stay home this morning to do her own revision.
She'll go in this afternoon when she has actual chemistry revision lessons.

At the risk of annoying everyone, what was in the Biology exams that wasn't the application of Biological knowledge? Eg the Gastric band question had a diagram and an explanation of what a gastric band is, the student just had to work out that putting an elastic band around your stomach might reduce the space inside your stomach, and that means you'll be able to eat less. It's not exactly the application of deep biology knowledge, more just common sense, but was it really difficult? Or is it that it wasn't explicitly taught, so couldn't be rote-learned?

The 3(?) calculations were part of the biology curriculum, aren't they?

mmzzNot get the grade in biology I meant to say. RE is compulsory at her school and considering dgd is an atheist now it doesn't come up the list of her priorities but she will do her best I know.

mmzz
"It's not exactly the application of deep biology knowledge, more just common sense, but was it really difficult? Or is it that it wasn't explicitly taught, so couldn't be rote-learned?"

At the risk of being rude, I think the point is that they were expecting to be asked something where they might have to apply a deeper understanding of Biology, on the higher paper, not just "common sense". I can't comment o the explicity taught reaction but I can say that the pupils in her school aren't rote-taught, they're positively encouraged to go above, beyond and around what they're taught.

mmzz the real beef about the biology paper was that all the study they had to do on the supposedly 4 units it was supposed to be on not a lot if it came up. Did my dgd study all that time just to know what cleaning agents to use in a restaurant? All her hard work on enzymes, the heart and other things wasted. And you simply gave to know the 10 practicals inside out only to find none of them came up, instead you had to make up one. Also questions that should have been on paper 2 being asked on paper 1 admittedly not about genes but absorption. Nonetheless a confusing paper.

Not a very hard paper but to some a complete waste if time studying things that were nowhere to be seen on paper which unsettled a lot of students.

DS is ok about RE today (Islam) but already worrying about chemistry. I have told him everyone finds it difficult so the grade boundaries are going to be low. He cheered up a bit and said if there’s maths on it he should get a 5! I will be very glad when tomorrow is out of the way.

Just about to ring school as dd has RE layer and has been throwing up all night. I'm hoping they will put her in a room with a bucket.

It's always been the case that exams will only (can only) cover some of the topics studied. It's disappointing if topics don't come up that you've studied but it's part of the process. You have to study them in case they do.

I wasted too many hours of my life studying the 30 Years War for A Level history - never answered a question on it and never thought about it since.

I'm inclined to agree with @mmzz about the biology paper. What we're seeing is a shift in exam type that requires DC to do more than regurgitate facts. DS was bemused to consider deforestation in a biology exam but when he thought about it he could answer the question. Real life is about encountering problems and using what you know to solve them - it's no bad thing if GCSEs test these skills.

DS did say that the CF question should have been on paper 2 for AQA triple Biology, but he said it was actually ok.

There were a couple of questions he did struggle with, one about magnesium, but he made an educated guess and his Biology teacher aid afterwards he was correct, so he is happy. He did say because he found it straightforward he was worried they may raise the grade boundary. Apparently they had a Biology revision session the period before the exam, and the topic they revised came up, so he could not believe his luck.

No exams today, but no study leave so he is in school - he has said his classes this week when not in exams will be changed where they can to allow more revision for upcoming exams, plus he still has after school revision today for Maths.

He has this evening off to go to DD's Baden Powell Award night at Guides.

He seems fairly chilled today, getting his most worried about exam (French listening) and Biology going well seems to have settled any nerves, for now.

mmzz I hope today goes ok for your DS.

Fingers x for everyone with exams today!

Loose - my three DC had a very sensible discussion last night about why 'hard' exams are a good thing. They decided that it was actually easier to do well if there is a lower grade boundary.

I also think it's good preparation for RL to not always find things easy. That said it's not great for DC who get spooked by a tough paper.

DD said the general feeling at school was that the French Listening was a nightmare (not helped by technical faults and the long school bell obscuring a question - but the tape isn't allowed to be re-played) and Biology was 'different' but ok.

RS again today, Chemistry tomorrow, French Wroting on Friday.

Weather has cooled right down where we are, which is good.

That's incredibly bad luck for your DD Theimpossiblegirl, hope it's nerves rather than illness - one of mine used to be sick through the night before exams/ interviews but then recovered fairly fast.

French Writing, not Wroting (not sure if that's a word but it sounds even less pleasant).

sandybayley I think you are correct - DS said a lot of the questions seemed to be about applying theories in different scenarios (not the specific scenarios learned) - the process is the same, but they needed to make that connection!

Could be nerves, she is having a lie in and dh will take her in later.

theimpossiblegirl, I hope se is ok and it is just nerves!

Impossible - that's not good. If she's thrown up multiple times it may not be nerves. My DH is prone to nervous vomits but it's always just once.

Impossible. Hope your DD recovers. Could be nerves. DD has gone in for second RE paper (AQA themes) very quiet and nervy. She's worried because she thinks she messed Mondays up and it's an A level choice. Her RE teacher keeps saying " you're gonna be my 9" which is putting pressure on her. She will be disappointed with anything less than a 7.

As if they all don't have enough to contend with at the moment.
She's up but still feels sick. She's blaming my cooking so is still on form.

Theimpossiblegirl, hope your DD copes OK...

I think there is a general move away from rote learning which can only be good ..

I think has brainmelt mentioned one of the French listening questions was in a different format - it's not to trick the DC's its the "Grade9" element of testing that knowledge further.

I get the impression the IGCSE Edexcel paper was more Biology than the AQA papers..DD said she couldn't understand why there were issues with Maths on the papers because the formulae were included you just needed to apply it.

Good luck to everyone today.. I am sure the DC's will do well..

Impossible poor dd - hope she feels better very soon!
goodbyestranger - I imagine your dd's class were pretty annoyed by the bell going off!
On grade boundaries - yes, I think they will be quite low for chemistry and physics this year, rather like maths was last year, unless the papers turn out to be unexpectedly easy.

Well I agree about applying to different scenarios knowledge learned. It was still a crappy biology paper. And there are DC out there who are highly intelligent but have very little common sense.

@Theimpossiblegirl
Can you get her a box of smints? sucking them used to stop my nervous nausea feelings and DD uses them too.
Our poor little ( well taller than me but.....)teens.

Impossible wish your DD better. Hope she will get through today ok.

Had same feedback Re igcse edexcel - seemed similar to past papers. DD's Gehrig feedback on exams - well they happened. She says she doesnt know how she has done as she has no idea about the Mark scheme. French last bit was hard to decipher but the whole class found that.

History too today for us. And some more revision sessions in school this afternoon. Best of luck to DC with exams today.

Bluebelle have the meds had the anticipated effect yet? Hope he's feeling better soon. Impossible oh dear.

If any of you have Muslim children or friends, do they observe Ramadan during the exam period or do they make up for it later in some way? At least the weather is gloomy.