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

[QueenMabby]

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

Any tips for learning the Latin? My DD must have sat for hours so something has gone in, but it's not 100% accurate.

(Even I know now that Messalina was inflamed with a new and almost insane lust )😂

Yes, German and psychology was a clash so did German after maths and then in lockdown. But think there were about 40 of them in the same boat so she said it was fun! She was actually in good spirits and gone to do history. Imagine she’ll be shattered after her exam tomorrow. I’ll wait for the can I come home at lunchtime call tomorrow. Not on study leave!

That's interesting. Mh dd did edexcel maths higher this morning and she said that tracing paper was available but you had to ask for it which she thought was really odd as you definitely needed it to complete one of the questions. We were ruminating on why it hadn't just been handed out with the paper.

She said it was a hard paper, but she finished it.

I really hope the tracing paper thing isn't some sort of mistake/test/arse up 🤨

My DD gave a very indignant NO when asked if she needed tracing paper. She declared it was a different board (but I think she is Pearson Edexel Higher). I must admit, I think it is wrong to give a question in which tracing paper is absolutely a necessity unless the question tells them that. Maybe tracing paper was a hack to answer it more easily and so they felt is should be provided if asked for.

She is normally very good at maths (hoping for Maths and FM A-levels).

Tracing paper can be helpful for various transformation questions, especially I think rotations. However generally I can 'see' the answer without needing the paper that my DD finds essential.
I'm surprised it wasn't supplied by default however.

ps. Anyone got any feedback on Edexcel Foundation?

Almost exactly the response I got. DC thinks they got 2 marks in the probability question but otherwise described it as easy. On track for a 9 and planning to do A-Level (but I worry about the disappointment if they don’t manage it!).

@phyllidafosset might yours have been the Edexcel IGCSE - I don't think that needed tracing paper according to DD2?

@JasmineAllenjust found this on the Edexcel website. So don’t think there are any rules. It just needs to be available. https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/mathematics/2015/misc/X582-GCSE-Maths-Accessible-Assessments.pdf#:~:text=Tip%207:%20Make%20sure%20you%20have%20the,for%20tracing%20paper%20to%20do%20your%20transformations.&text=Please%20note%20that%20the%20exam%20papers%20will,purely%20the%20mark%20received%20for%20each%20question. Maybe some people just didn’t realise it would help.
We don’t know what’s in the paper so can’t hand it out where we know it’s needed.
If it wasn’t needed I’d still be asking for it, fiddling with it to put others off!! 😂

Thank you very much 😊

It is possible (private school)! Their exam booklet doesn’t say iGCSE and it is specified for others (they do have a couple of iGCSEs, although none with coursework).

I just can’t believe they would make a question where it was required and wouldn’t tell kids that. That seems grossly unfair - like a trap set for them to slip up.

As @TeenToTwenties said - maybe helpful but still possible to complete without it? I hope so even if my DD had another board!

But then would you advise the students where they needed to use a compass/protactor. Surely that’s the whole point of the test!

I think if they have to waste time asking for something then it should have been given to them as part of the kit they need . No idea whether DS needed it or not and not going to dare ask . I’ve not seen either of my DC using tracing paper in maths though for a good few years so guessing they could do the question without

They know they need to bring that equipment, so it isn’t something they won’t have available. If they all know that tracing paper is available and might be required I would agree with you. However, the impression I have gotten is that tracing paper is not something that is standardly involved. Maybe that is wrong.

I am so interested in the tracing paper thing!
I daren't ask DS any more, he's already grumpy about having all these exams - but when I asked him how he knew to use it, he said "from the mocks". I think tracing paper was given to them without asking, as indeed with a protractor and compass (it's the kind of school where lots forget).

To be fair, DD's exam booklet didn't always have the correct GCSE/IGCSE naming on it - I could only tell by the number code on the exam entry (and I had to google that). Nearly led to a huge slip up using SaveMyExams because we thought she was doing the 'i' and she was doing the normal for science and they were totally different. It does seem SO confusing.

DD standardly uses tracing paper for transformation questions, but she is doing Foundation tier and has dyspraxia so struggles to visualise / spot transformations without it.

I did a exam season as an assistant at a school and tracing paper is usual for foundation but rare for higher - the school/centre should supply

had a bit of a freak out here about history and the amount of information but feeling better now. Needs a rest I think

My son did the AQA higher paper and said it was fine - he found the probability question tricky but everything else was fine and nothing unusual it seems - he's predicted an 8/9 though so it may be, as other have said, that the ones aiming for a 5/6 found it harder.

I'm a maths tutor, previously a teacher, so maybe I can help with the tracing paper query? Tracing paper is useful for transformations questions, particularly rotations and reflections. It's listed on every exam paper on the front as equipment that can be used, so in that respect it is like a protractor or ruler. However, students are not expected to bring their own in of course, so school must have a supply. But it is a perfectly normal piece of equipment to use in the exam if the student wants to.

Different schools will deal with it in different ways. Some put it on every desk to stops lots of students asking at the same time. Others keep it at the front and students put up their hand if they need it - not all students will use it and it cuts down on waste. But schools should make students aware that it is there for them if needed, so if they haven't, that would need addressing.

I can now see all maths teachers doing a crash course on tracing paper. It has to be provided by the centre. Can’t have kids bringing it in as may contain notes.

Not really. She's predicted a 7, possibly scrape an 8. DS is more if a wizz (predicted a 9) but they were both nervous on non calc as it's not their strength - so I think they were relieved. They have had a superb maths teacher this year though, he's a gem. The school's average mark for all GCSEs is 4.7 so it's not a highly academic school but so far they have been well prepped for all exams. I'm impressed.

The edexcel higher paper is on tik tok! How someone has managed to photograph each page heaven only knows! Looks like it’s on a desk.

All three DDs said that at their school tracing paper is always provided in every end of year maths test, mocks and GCSEs. It’s used frequently and they know to expect it or ask for it if not on their desks. They all did higher. If some teens didn’t know about this it seems that’s a school issue. Definitely not something the exam board is trying to trip them up with.

IGCSE is International GCSE (so I not i - it’s not an Apple product!)

It’s aimed at international students hence for my subject, MFL, all the questions are in target language. The specs from IGCSE to GCSE are very different and some IGCSEs include coursework where most GCSEs don’t (just DT and PE and other practical subjects).

Private schools can do IGCSEs but state schools can't any longer.

The exams are moderated and also do not really vary that much in difficulty from one year to the next tbh. Ofc some might find x exam easier (in structure eg) than y exam. IMHO for example the speaking assessment for IGCSE is a lot easier (well, more predictable and easier to revise for) than the GCSE one; otoh I prefer the GCSE spec for the written papers.

Dd has learnt the translation as if it were a play script! She knows the structure of the exam well. It’s frustrating that the text changes every couple of years so finding practice questions has been hard. She did classical Greek last year so has had practice of the style of exam - at least it’s only 60 minutes!

DS has just confirmed he asked for and used tracing paper and that there were fewer questions , he was also aware of the info now on tictoc - it’s a shame as kids all over the country are now being distracted from revision for the next exam by trying to check something they can’t now change

dd has checked TikTok already 🤦🏼‍♀️