GCSES 2021 is it possible to get a worse grade than the one you were given in February?

[nancysblush]

DS was given GCSE grades in February based on mocks and other assessments. Since then he’s done further assessments which he hasn’t had the results for. What are the chances of getting a worse grade in August than he was given in February?

School should have told you what evidence they are using to arrive at a grade (and the guidance strongly suggests that they should be using the same pieces of evidence for the whole cohort. Our school have said Nov mocks, March mocks, April assessments and May/June assessments are what they're using, and final grade won't be higher than their highest or lower than their lowest. But it isn't a simple average, nor can they disclose the weighting - but they did suggest that more recent assessments might carry more weight than Nov mocks, for example - which makes sense. We know the results of each set of assessments, but not final grade yet, obvs...

OP and @usedtobeboss3 DD got absolutely dreadful scores in some subjects in her December mocks. School have not communicated anything like your description @usedtobeboss3 to parents. They have may have told dd but from the what she says it almost seems to have been continuous assessments since they went back in March on whenever it was. She was absolutely weary and has finally finished school today thankfully.

Not sure what they are planning on using.

Did he not do any mocks since Feb? At our school y11/13 were doing assessments until last week and I know some schools are going on until June.

I read your post properly.
Why isn't your school disclosing assessment results?

final grade won't be higher than their highest or lower than their lowest.

We've not heard this at our school. Some kids are lucky enough to have practiced the exam paper that an assessment is based on so will have a higher score than expected.

@TotorosCatBus yes mocks and exams since they went back in March, he finished them last week. They were not told the mark they got for these recent exams but given a grade last February based on mocks and assessments done before then.

DS got a 5 last academic year in his Business Studies mock yet inexplicably he was awarded a 3 in the CAG's. He'd scored low one on e in class test done just before lockdown (because he'd been ill for several weeks which what we now think was covid) . There was no right of appeal.

I really hope not haha! DS had mocks in November, and didn't do anywhere as well as he thought he would.

But I think there are too many factors involved that make predicting this possible. DS has received all the marks for the assessments he has done through April & May. He just has no idea what weighting is being given to what.

@TotorosCatBus

I read your post properly. Why isn't your school disclosing assessment results?

We have been told it is malpractice to discuss grades with students before August results day therefore teachers cannot discuss results of recent assessments without being at risk of malpractice.

Kids at our school haven't been told the grade submitted to the exam board but have been given their raw scores. The teachers have been vague about the weighting of each assessment so there is still uncertainty.