Y11 2025-26 Exams have started - chat, support & drink of choice if needed here.

[UncomfortableSilence]

New thread for all of us with lovely Y11s to support them and us through the coming weeks.

DS can’t access his phone, and will now be prepping for Computer Science this afternoon (hopefully!), so I will have to be patient in finding out what the AQA Animal Farm question was (and how he found it!). He’ll have been ok with the love and relationships theme being family, he had the ick about anything romantic!

Son said that English Lit (Eduqas) was hard. A question about family relationships for AIC and secrecy in Jekyll & Hyde. And 2 unseen poems about water / swimming. Hardest exam so far according to him and he’s not sure how he got on. He had wanted to do English Lit for A level so I’m not sure if he might rethink. I guess we’ll see how he’s got on in August!

Can anyone link to the relevant Reddit chat?

It’s r/GCSE - after each big exam they create a mega chat. Though it’s a mix of all exam boards.

GCSE English Lit 2 Megathread : r/GCSE

I was just told Eng lit (AQA) was alright in a "I hated doing it" sort of way. Watching TV in a slump now. Hopefully will be back to positivity after French listening tomorrow.

I think DS' school must be about the only one doing OCR! Nothing out there at all!

I found this about OCR @Verite1 have removed some of the rambling

OCR love and relationships was Lullaby! The question was how do these poems present the past (the unseen poem was What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why” by Edna St Vincent Millay). MACBETH WAS HORRIBLEEEE. WDYM THE REACTIONS OF SCOTTISH THANES?

DTs will be happy with COMH as the poem (checking out my history). Anyone know the Lord of the flies questions on AQA?

I’m hoping they’ve had a better day as yesterday’s chemistry(combined science) did not go well and they are normally good at chemistry

I’m on tenterhooks for LOTF still… I know it was Climbing My Grandfather which is DD’s worst poem, but hey.

The reactions of Scottish thanes?! What a batshit question. Hopefully they just thought aha Macduff and went with that..

Thread on student room seemed to say that LOTF was a choice between Jack and fear. Have never read the book, so am just repeating verbatim!

Dd was also thrilled by checking out me history. Lord of flies was about Jack apparently so happy .

DD was happy with AIC questions and the unseen poetry she said it they were nice and short, unfortunately it was family poem - climbing my grandfather and she said she just waffled around it. Oh well.. that’s 2 subjects done ✅

Oh was the AQA poem Tissue? Even my DS who was doing Edexcel said he hoped it won't be Tissue for the AQA crowd!

ETA- conflicting reports on reddit.

Note to self- step away form the computer, Golden.

@myladyjane 😱 you might not be too far from me then!
How did she train to be athletics coach thinking of that for DD got a feeling I missed email about it from her club.

Not heard from DD at all think the friend group where busy doing shirt signing at lunchtime ahead of the year signing on Thursday as only allowed to do at lunch time, so will have to wait till I get home to hear anything.

Hope all the ones with extra time got a chance to reset etc before afternoon exam.

Different book here but DS was happy with that and the unseen poetry. Less happy about Climbing my Grandfather. Await DD’s reaction as she stayed in school.

After yesterdays Chemistry tears I just got this message about English Lit -

IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!

Now I know the kids are not always good at knowing how well it went but it’s so lovely to see her happy 😃The confidence boost is worth it!

We had looked at Climbing Grandfather on Sunday 💪

Ah thank you @Callmejudith but DS is doing Romeo and Juliet. Bit anxious as I don't feel he was as well prepared for paper 2 as he was for paper 1 and he was planning to do Eng Lit at A level (but is now having a wobble)!

No that was my silly suggestion!

It was Checking out me History which pleased a lot on here. Hope everyone had a decent crack at today's exam.

Oooh excited to have found this thread. Though also slightly disconcerted so many of your DC actually talk to you about their subjects. DD refuses to talk to me or DH even in subjects where we're experts. Which is frustrating as we could help her if she'd let us.

All I've got so far is a 'fine' or a 'good' in terms of how the exams have gone. That's it, that's all I get. Then maybe an 'I don't want to talk about it'. Still, there's been no 'it was awful' yet.

Today is her worst day - she hates Computer Science and wants to do well in Eng Lit (may want to do at A-level but not totally sure) but is less confident on poems than paper 1 stuff.

It's entirely possible the 'it was awful' may follow the Computer Science paper. She hates programming with a passion. I wish she'd never done C S as an option, that was a mistake in retrospect.

No news from DS yet. I had a massive go at him this morning, which was very poor timing of me. He made me late to work yesterday after me specifically saying he needed to be ready on time because I had a 9 o'clock meeting. Then today it was 8.15 and he was still faffing about in his pants. Of course the traffic was terrible because of the rain. So fed up with his lack of respect and drive. But still, the rant could have waited until this evening.

@tiredallthetimeandfedup my DS won't let me or DH help him with revision either. The most I've been able to do is stick AIC quotes and meanings up on the fridge, on regular rotation, and sort out tutors for his weakest subjects. He also let me mark a couple of past papers. According to him, having me quiz him would be "awkward". Mother of the year candidate right here...

On the positive side, English Literature is now done and I won't have to listen to any more mutterings about the evils of socialism. I also got him to try on his prom suit last night and he looked very smart.

Well I'm glad it's not just me that has an uphill task with helping. I have to say I'm lucky that my DD seems to work hard and is always on time. She thinks she doesn't need any help and is especially allergic to help from parents, that's the issue.

She also did allow us to spend a small fortune on private tutors for the most problematic subjects. Whose help she would accept. We refused to pay for the subjects where we each have degrees, because she could have just asked us, but I'm now wondering if that was a mistake. We're not made of money though, we couldn't afford it for every subject.