GCSEs 2018 (12) Are we nearly there yet?!

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Brilliant summary of a rollercoaster ride !!

This years cohort have faced such an unbelievable challenge, the pressure of new linear examinations has been almost unbearable at times, but we are nearly there now.

DD has worked so hard and pushed herself and I just hope and pray that she will not be disappointed with her results. Officially she needs a minimum of 5 x 5s with 6s in her A Level choice questions to stay at her senior school, and she is more than capable of achieving that, but she gets herself into such a state that she cannot perform to her potential.

And, I could not be more proud of her

Echoing the previous comments about pride. We may all have DC with very different talents, but every single one of them has worked hard & I do hope they all get the grades they deserve.

Flower0201 my DC have been taking GCSEs more years than not since 2006 and none has ever had less than around 27 exams over this same five week period. It isn't new.

I think there will be a couple of hard questions at the end of the GCSE Edexcel Maths paper...that is what the same board did for IGCSE exam...although I still think you could find a student who is consistent on the majority of questions still getting a 9 because of lack of errors and having a bash at the two final questions...and the Maths genius getting a 7 because they answered the two hard questions but were not consistent on the easy one's....so I suppose the 9 would be awarded on accuracy...whereas I think the iGCSE 9's will go to the Maths genius (it will be odd to see the IGCSE 9 set at around 70% and the GCSE set at around 87% under the same board)

Well hang on Teenmum we haven't had the paper yet. I'd expect the same sort of paper with both edexcel's GCSE and its IGCSE. Happy to be proved wrong :)

Also, frankly, there's an argument for not being innaccurate in maths. Also, if paper 3 really isn't a stinker then the 'genius' mathematician should still get 9, he simply won't have been challenged as much as he ought.

Haha: inaccurate

Both the IGCSE papers have been sat now ...apparently Edexcel have said all three papers are similar content for GCSE (see Nobles post) and the feeling is that the papers were not challenging...there were definitely some challenging questions on the final IGCSE paper...one question where no one at DD's school answered and they are at school where 80% of the girls get A*A in Maths....but who knows until 23/8.

Very close to my prediction for AQA goodbye think I said 205-210 its on other thread somewhere!

Stickerrocks I love your summary. I've been here since the very first page (different nn) but can't keep up most of the time because I can't usuaĺly get on during the working day.

teenmum my dd is the same. I think she got a rude awakening the first week and I can't fault her effort and commitment since then.

I asked her today what she'd learnt about studying that she'll use at A Level. She said "I'll definitely leave it all to the last minute again. I remember it better if I've only just done it." (Facepalm)

Last full day of school tomorrow. They are FINALLY on study leave from Tuesday. I feel a bit sad about it. I no longer have a school age child. She's promised that I can take a photo of her by the front door to go with the one from first day of reception.

Thinking about it the consistent student on the IGCSE papers could also get the 9 - in the same way as the GCSE student but who knows !

Oh sorry I missed that Sost. Anyhow, just repeating what the maths teacher apparently said because I think he's spent time on it according to DD!

Teenmum DD found the edexcel maths 1 and 2 ok but not easy peasy lemon squeasy and she's fairly good at maths - top set anyhow. I think one shouldn't underestimate the level of difficulty. Genius is by definition extremely rare and there will be plenty of 9s among non genius level kids. We don't have that many genius kids in the population do we?!

DD is allowed to start study leave after physics on Friday, unless she has maths that afternoon or on Monday, when she is technically still expected to go to the lesson. Right...

I will reword genius to exceptional ...

If the level 9 boundary did go up to mid or high 80s and presumably all other boundaries went up significantly too then next year's cohort and their teachers are back to square one with not knowing what to aim for or where to put grade boundaries in mocks etc.

I suppose in a few years it will level out and be within a few percentage points each year.

Well unlike the last five weeks I think the time till 23 rd August will drag! But I'm going to be determined not to mention exams or exam results till 23rd August! I'm determined to get a smile, laughter, some colour and upright shoulders on my dgd by then! I feel a water fight coming on soon! ( I do love mucking about like a 5 year old!) Or a prank or two! Dgd and myself always prank dd! Like the time a dozen toilet rolls fell on her as she opened door! Clingfilms great for pranks as is jokeshop spiders! My dds always telling me to act my age!

Well approximately 2-3% will be getting the 9s somewhere along the line, with more presumably going to selective schools than to those in non-selective. I still see absolutely no point in predicting grades or grade boundaries, because it's all relative. DD is bright in her school, but probably a bit thick compared to some. I don't think her school joins the scrum for re-marks either due to the cost, although a friend's DD in another school had both her English & Maths moved up to 9s last year as a result of challenging them. As Sost would say, money talks!

Sost on 1st April I draw a spider in black marker pen on a sheet of toilet roll a few rounds in, resound it and waited to DD to squeal.

Rewound

Great minds think alike goodbye

That's a good one sticker

I just popped on to wish all of our dc the very best of luck for tomorrow and a good night's sleep. My ds has Biology and Geography tomorrow and he is feeling upbeat.

Oh so true stickerocks and always will. One thing Money can't buy is real love which, in my mind, is the most important thing of all!

Good summary, Stickerrocks! The only big missing themes were the sixth form choices / interviews / offers and then, at the start of the Easter holidays the "7 hours study per day, whaaat?!!!"

Oh and the ongoing trying to guess grade boundaries which I'm sure has been in all 11 threads and will likely continue until August 23rd!

I agree with your earlier post, @EllenJanethickerknickers, it is much easier to do well by doing harder questions than combing through your answers trying to find the explanations that aren't full enough, or the transposed digits etc. Sounds like it's going to be the latter though.