Year 11 - 2024/2025 - In the thick of it!

[QueenMabby]

New thread. Sorry. Forgot to start it - I hope everyone finds this!

cripes! Prepping for all eventualities! Which exam board??

Still haven't heard from DS about the Maths exam (higher AQA). Usually he calls me after but he hasn't so far...eek

edexcel I’m pretty sure- higher paper

I messaged DC to ask how the maths was and guess what?

"Fine"

What a shame. Hopefully it hasn’t gone as badly as they think. I really feel for them all.

So asked DD (she is home) and she said there were no easy questions they were all a similar level and went straight into proper hard questions

Joining all of this super late in the day - I now realise I’m totally in the dark about all the different exam boards and formats! DS has had his last exam for this week so en route home but said maths went well. I think he’s doing edexcel igcse - I’m pretty sure it’s only 2 papers? He’s been positive about Eng lit, Computer science and geography, and less happy with biology similar to comments from others about plants!

love the consistency

MATHS today:

DD has just text me to say it was so hard. This was higher paper AQA (i have just looked at the list)

She has been fine with her others so far. :( she wants to come home from school as she is upset about it

DS did Excel higher- if all reports here are on that could be anything. Won’t get feedback until he is home after school. I don’t message as could add pressure, but envious of those getting texts! Hope everyone ok

Must be same as my DC, only 2 maths papers which is how I concluded it must be iGCSE

They have finished exams for the week too, but chosen to stay in school until normal finish time this afternoon - apparently so they can "revise" with friends

I’ve noticed from your previous posts @Poisoningpigeonsthat my DS has a similar schedule!

DD very miserable - said it was the worst non-calc paper she's every seen.

No easy 1 markers, all 2 and 3 markers and formula sheets of zero use as no questions needing those.

AQA Higher

@Hollyhedge mine is home with me on study leave so is talking lots about it

OMG maybe they're schoolmates

DS says maths was good and happy with how it went. He's been out with friends and just got home.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow Same feedback as my daughter. Such a shame. :( feel sorry for them!

DD2 was happy - Edexcel IGCSE higher. Said she couldn't finish the final question - something to do with perpendicular gradient/vectors or something. Had a tiny nosebleed, but controlled it well.

SO much better than the mock apparently.

Dd gone straight into German and on clash lockdown until 4 😩. So won’t hear.

Edexcel HT maths here - ds locked in bedroom and won’t speak! Not good!

These poor kids - so much stress on all of them... seems completely unfair and unreasonable. Particularly those phased by an unfamiliar exam type.

DD2 has a thrilling afternoon of cramming everything she's ever forgotten about the League of Nations back into her head for tomorrow's history. But first, the bassoon lesson she'd completely forgotten about until she called me. Oops.

What is the difference between igcse and gcse? Are they different papers?
Also, how do the different exam boards make sure their papers are of a similar difficulty? If AQA was far easier this year than Edexcel (or the other way around) how do they make it fair not to penalise one set of students over the other doing a different exam board? Excuse my ignorance!

IGCSE is private schools, different papers, coursework. I didn’t know anything about it until joined this.

Not sure about difficulty between boards tbh

DS did higher EdExcel and texted to say it was really hard and friends struggled too. Seems that many found it a hard paper, hope those DCs that are feeling disappointed can take some comfort in that,

I really feel for them, but actually if they are both miserable and found it really hard then that is a big positive.

What you don't want is them finding it hard and everyone else say it was the best paper ever and high grade boundaries.

I take the whizzy maths kids who find everything easy if it involves numbers out of the equation here - I'm talking about kids in the 5-7 bracket and their perception.