GCSE support - the final frontier!

[SheilaFentiman]

These are the voyages of the GCSE Enterprise. To support our DCs, bemoan exam boards and to boldly go through the last fortnight like no one has gone before!

DD thought the Edexcel higher paper was better than the first two. I’m learning that she’s strangely positive about exams though (she didn’t say the first two were difficult particularly when she came out).

It’s made for a nice stress free experience for her at least (Though not for me 😬)

I really feel for all the hey fever sufferers, its really awful this year!
Dd went into maths quite confident, but has just text to say there were a few questions she couldn't answer. Not sure what to think, will gauge her mood better when I see her later.
3 more to go, history tomorrow, the biology and geography Friday x

DS Predicted 8/9 in excel higher maths but just got home and said it was hard and he ran out of time. He is in a foul mood now….Hope it went better for others!

WJEC higher maths has been downgraded from 'awful' to 'not that bad' on the walk home and he's actually in a pretty good mood, and the main thing is that we are DONE!!!

DD said that Edexel higher was harder than paper 2. Three quarters of the paper she said was good but again last few questions were really hard. SHe ran out of time on the last question too.

AQA higher was great apparently!!

DD says maths Edexcel higher went ok so she's happy. She got a 3 in her mocks and thinks she may get a 6. She's relived never to do maths again

Has anyone been dreaming about it? I woke up this morning in the middle of a dream that I had to do a music exam and I hadn't started learning the pieces yet. That somehow reminded me that I've been dreaming (but forgetting in the day) about doing GCSEs, and for some reason having to hide the fact I already had a full set of qualifications. Very odd.

My DD said Edexcel higher was ok but last few questions really hard. I think worse than the last paper but hey-ho thank God that's over and done with. No more maths!! 🤞🤞 Music this afternoon.

Yay for all those who never have to do maths again! I remember that feeling, aged 16!

Same for us!

Anybody's DC doing OCR maths? I won't hear until after music this afternoon.

DS2 Edexcel Maths Higher. Said it went well but there were a couple of confusing questions. He answered them though not confident

It's his best subject.

He's very happy and relaxed, and not seeming perturbed by the confusing questions.

Envy to those who are done!

Same message from DD too.

Ds says Edexcel Higher maths went well, he said he spent way too long on Q3 but got there in the end

Ds says WJEC higher maths was ok but the 6 market was hard and many of them could not answer it. Loads of his friends have finished now. 1 more to go!!

No word from DD yet (Edexcel Higher) but I'm guessing she'll say the last questions were hard. Aren't they supposed to get progressively harder through the paper and the last question is aimed mostly at the grade 9 kids or did I imagine that? DD is competent at Maths but Ruth Lawrence she ain't so 4/5 will be fine.

For a 4/5 on higher you only need to get 25-40% or something like that.
Yes, the questions are meant to get progressively harder.

For a 4/5 on higher you only need to get 25-40% or something like that.

It does make it hard to work out exactly how well/badly kids have done based on their assessments of papers. Which I guess is a good reason to do the exam and just move on without dwelling too much.

Ah the mention of Ruth Lawrence really made me smile! I'm guessing it's only known to those born in a narrow 5-10 year span. Hope your DD does well.

Dd found Edexcel Higher maths fine today, but found the previous papers very hard

I remember Ruth Lawrence. It seems that she was the youngest to get Maths O level, but a 5 year old has obtained a GCSE!
"At the age of nine, Lawrence gained an O-level in mathematics, setting a new age record (later surpassed in 2001 when Arran Fernandez successfully sat GCSE mathematics aged five).[2] Also at the age of nine she achieved a Grade A at A-level pure mathematics.[1]"

DS says last year a pass on the higher maths GCSE paper was about 18%

DS says last year a pass on the higher maths GCSE paper was about 18%

That does seem a little crazy to me but I guess is a huge relief to others!