Anyone up for a GCSE handholding thread?

[BaconAndAvocado]

DS2 has his GCSEs in June. He had mocks in November and more (why??) next month.
He needs to get 5 6s to stay at his current school (IB, not overly keen) or to transfer to another local 6th form.
He said he’s going to start revising this week......
Think his school will be helping him devise a revision timetable this week. I’ve bought him flashcards, he just needs to knuckle down now.......

My daughter has history edexcel tomorrow - and maths Edexcel Friday - based on the comments on that exam board so far on this thread I have warned her they seem to be harder than AQA so not to panic.

Oh your poor dd @topcat2014 did she say what the issue was? Hopefully the next paper will go better.

I think it's just the IGCSEs that seem to be buggers so fingers crossed the Edexel GCSEs will be OK! (DS has Edexel maths and OCR History)

I really feel for our DC

DDs Edexcel Triple Biology exam was a disaster yesterday in her opinion but at least she felt more confident with her English today which was Macbeth and A Christmas Carol and questions / topics / excerpts that at least made sense so she could answer them properly with what she'd revised.

History tomorrow god help her, possibly covering medicine?!?

She is also kicking herself for writing Edwardian instead of Victorian in Eng Lit!
We don't deduct marks for wrong answers - we just pass them by

Anyone did PE AQA by any chance?? DD found it awful despite that being her favourite subject but found English Lit okay even though it's her least favourite! Kept ranting about an awful 9 marker for PE. So mixed reaction here as she really wants to do PE for A Level. 😣

She's got History tomorrow which should hopefully go well fingers crossed.

Mine found AQA PE ok but then struggled today with the WJEC poetry as hadn’t really learnt London. I think it is all a bit of a lottery. Fingers crossed the PE wasn’t as bad as she thought
good luck to all those with history

DS said English lit and PE went well today. He has history tomorrow morning then the dreaded maths and computing (which he sincerely wishes he had never taken - he was warned by older DD, lol) on Friday. DD currently having a meltdown about her first A level exam on Friday. Too much pressure on these kids for sure.

First A level here today too, it was a huge relief to get one under the belt. So nerve wracking for them having never done an exam and it’s putting the GCSEs into perspective (when I have a rational moment!!) 😂

Honestly, I don't think you can assume that. My friend's DS - who has had a really difficult time at secondary school with (lack of) support for ADHD- was advised by his home tutors (he is now home educated) to take IGCSEs as the best option to secure the 5 GCSEs he needs to move to the next stage of education. I really don't mean to denigrate the qualification at all but there is, for example, coursework in English Lang (which there no longer is in other GCSE boards) and his tutor has said this will help him. But, as I say, please don't think I am suggesting any board is easier than another - I am not. But equally, I don't think it helps anyone suggesting that a certain board's exams were particularly difficult. Even if that was the case then it would presumably be reflected in the grade boundaries anyway.

Dd ok with English. Apparently one kid answered the Macbeth question. When they studied Romeo and Juliet.
Ummmm

BTW DD says did anyone notice what the Frankenstein question was? She is interested as she did this book in 2017. No one tweeting about it that I can see

LOL DD asked me at the time if she could answer the P&P question as she was (is) a massive Janeite. I said well you could but it might be better to write about the book you have studied...

One year I marked a paper in which the candidate had answered all of the questions.

Dd said AQA PE was so so. Some parts she sailed through but she did say the 9 marker was terribly written making it hard to understand what they actually wanted. It's one of her A level choices and she is hoping for a 9 as she got 85/100 in the practical and coursework assessment. Not so sure if that is going to be realistic anymore though.

“I really don't mean to denigrate the qualification at all but there is, for example, coursework in English Lang (which there no longer is in other GCSE boards) and his tutor has said this will help him. “

IGcse English language (CIE, anyway) has coursework as an option, but schools can opt for exam only.

Thanks, I didn't know that. My point - and apologies if badly made - was that I didn't think it was helpful (or accurate) to go down a path of "it looks like IGCSEs are very hard this year" when they may have different requirements (e.g coursework).

Oh, sure, I think that’s a very fair point !

DD is doing IGCSEs and I think there is just one that has had any coursework. I don't think it's really a thing any more.

And (for reasons I’ve never fully understood) schools do a range of different boards so I’m sure kids mostly have a mix anyway!

I miss coursework. Art has coursework/portfolio but the rest of his GCSEs seem to be exam only.

My DD said exactly the same (and also hoping for a 9). It was apparently about long term benefits of training but rather vague and so hard to know exactly what they were looking for.

DD says Frankenstein question was "isolation and loneliness"

Honestly, I am glad there was only one piece of coursework. Living through that week with a child who is a crazy perfectionist was hell. At least I don't have to be in the same room while she takes exams.

DS as a non perfectionist has also benefited from no coursework. He had coursework to do for his Btec but as it was so spread out over the 2 years he put as much work into it as his normal school work aka not much.