9-1 Grade Distribution

[TheFrendo]

I found this:

www.bstubbs.co.uk/gcse.htm

It looks like 25% of those doing physics, chemistry and biology will get an 8 or 9. 41% will get a grade 7 or more.

These are quite high proportions and I was unaware how much easier it is to get a 9 in physics, say, than, English Literature.

some students currently sit reference tests in year 11 too so benchmarking can be done between exam boards.

The reference tests are new and are slowly taking over from KS2 results. I think they’re both being used at the moment to calibrate the reference tests.

Re "don't expect any 9s".
Is this really the case?

If points 4 and 5 of this are still true then would expect 9s (even if the cohort is extremely weak?).
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/setting-the-grade-standards-of-new-gcses-in-england-2017-2018
With the 'tailored approach' meaning, for English and Maths at least, that very roughly 3% will get a 9 (that's about 20,000 pupils).

Sorry noble. Didn't mean exactly the same proportion - we'd have to carve children up to achieve that 😁. Meant similar %s. The reference tests sat in November/March have been used to check consistency of results between exam boards when actual results come out. Although tough with WJEC as so few sit it in England.

Think the one thing this thread has shown is how confusing it all is for everyone. Current year 12/13 have a mixture of 1-9 and A*- E. And if took BTEC it looks even odder as they get a D which is a Distinction so good, but amongst all the other grades it looks like a D ! I'm hoping my year 11s this year have done well so far as think the science papers have been pretty nice so far. But they cake out muttering grade boundaries after English as they all found it a really nice paper.

My DD sat a referencing test last year and she got a letter explaining it all which was brilliantly worded as made it seem like the kids were doing something really important. Which took the sting out of having to sit yet another exam !

My son sat a referencing test. He found it a nuisance, didn't revise for it, and made no effort on it. I hope very much that they don't use them as an accurate guide of ability!

The whole 9s thing is a bit distracting. I suppose I could put some time in really understanding the proportions Shia re awarded it but not having done so am left trying to reconcile some of the rather frothy press commentary about their rarity with the fact that last year in maths for instance, 77% of DS's school's achieved 9.

I think some of the press stuff is because of confusion about the likelihood or otherwise of getting multiple 9s.

In any case, given the movement in boundaries and that things are still bedding down, especially in IGCSEs where it is still mostly first year, it doesn't seem a useful thing for students to explicitly aim for.