If you have kids getting English GCSE results tomorrow I'm sorry

[Jon the Hat]

WJEC English Language Paper 2: In January, 15 marks gets C Grade. In June,15 marks gets E grade.

WJEC English Language Paper 1: In January, 12 marks gets D Grade. In June,12 marks gets U grade.

(FYI the papers are worth 40 marks each)

On what planet is 15/40 a C.

[Daggers]

On what planet is 15/40 a C.

Earth.

The question you need to be asking is "Were the questions the same or different between January and June?"

[Guest MattP]

On what planet is 15/40 a C.

One where you want to try and make everyone think they are a genius, one where you devalue going to Uni so much half the population goes.

Would love to see a genuine comparison between a Maths 70's paper compared to now, anyone know where you can find one?

[Daggers]

One where you want to try and make everyone think they are a genius, one where you devalue going to Uni so much half the population goes.

Would love to see a genuine comparison between a Maths 70's paper compared to now, anyone know where you can find one?

People who probably did better than you in exams would probably be able to find one very quickly.

[Daggers]

The idea that you can compare papers by grade cut-offs is laughable. Think about it and work out why cut-offs may vary.

[Guest MattP]

People who probably did better than you in exams would probably be able to find one very quickly.

I love how you assume everyone posting on here has unlimited access to google at that particular time.

Thank you.

[Daggers]

If you can post - you can Google.

The only assumption I've made is that you were unable to think of doing it or come up with a reasonable search string.

[Guest MattP]

Very Good.

Not everyone is sat on their home PC 16 hours a day with unlimited Internet access and time to spend searching google, don't worry though I don't expect you to understand that.

[The Doctor]

Very Good.

Not everyone is sat on their home PC 16 hours a day with unlimited Internet access and time to spend searching google, don't worry though I don't expect you to understand that.

But you have the time and access to post on here?

Why then could you not access google?

[Guest MattP]

But you have the time and access to post on here?

Why then could you not access google?

Is it really that hard? You realise we live in a time where a lot of people surf the web on Ipads, tablets, phones etc??

I'll break it down.

I'm on a train reading foxes talk, I read a post and think "I'd like to see a exam paper from the 70's compared to now"

Do I?

A. Leave a message asking if someone has one and if someone leaves one look at it later on at my convenience?

B. Go onto google at extra expense, spend a while searching for it, possibly find it and then realise it will be impossible to read on a phone whilst also knowing its very unlikely I can download it?

If you are using your common sense, which option do you go for?

[fleckneymike]

Earth.

The question you need to be asking is "Were the questions the same or different between January and June?"

The style of question is always the same.

One paper requires candidates to find and retrieve information from two articles as well as comparing the opinions of the authors. They have one hour in which to read the articles and answer 4 10 mark questions.

The other paper requires candidates to demonstrate their skills in transactional writing. They respond to two tasks and depending on the task must produce either a leaflet, a review, a formal letter, an informal letter, a report or a speech. Again they have only one hour to produce two pieces of writing. They are assessed on their spelling, punctuation and grammar on this paper.

The exams themselves do not result in a GCSE being awarded they merely count towards their cumulative mark which is made up of 5 other pieces of writing.

I find some of the comments on here disheartening but not unusual.

[The Doctor]

Is it really that hard? You realise we live in a time where a lot of people surf the web on Ipads, tablets, phones etc??

I'll break it down.

I'm on a train reading foxes talk, I read a post and think "I'd like to see a exam paper from the 70's compared to now"

Do I?

A. Leave a message asking if someone has one and if someone leaves one look at it later on at my convenience?

B. Go onto google at extra expense, spend a while searching for it, possibly find it and then realise it will be impossible to read on a phone whilst also knowing its very unlikely I can download it?

If you are using your common sense, which option do you go for?

Or c) wait until you've got to a normal computer.

However, I'd argue that you're completely wrong - if I can check bus timetables on my phone, you should be able to do something as simple as search google.

[Guest MattP]

Or c) wait until you've got to a normal computer.

However, I'd argue that you're completely wrong - if I can check bus timetables on my phone, you should be able to do something as simple as search google.

You completely missed the point, I can search google, but why spend my own money and time doing it on a slow network that cuts out regularly when someone else might be able to help?

[Daggers]

Is it really that hard? You realise we live in a time where a lot of people surf the web on Ipads, tablets, phones etc??

I'll break it down.

You "break it down" bluud.

You can't 'Google' but you can post numerous posts about how you are unable to Google...on you never ending train ride which prevents you from always being able to use correct English or avail yourself of the wonders of the internet?!

Riiiiight

[Daggers]

Aha - solution.

If you want to save spending "your" money on internet activities why not pay a small child a minimal amount to post bollocks on your account using their parent's connection?

Child is a winner, you save money and no one on the forum will notice the difference.

[Daggers]

The style of question is always the same.

One paper requires candidates to find and retrieve information from two articles as well as comparing the opinions of the authors. They have one hour in which to read the articles and answer 4 10 mark questions.

The other paper requires candidates to demonstrate their skills in transactional writing. They respond to two tasks and depending on the task must produce either a leaflet, a review, a formal letter, an informal letter, a report or a speech. Again they have only one hour to produce two pieces of writing. They are assessed on their spelling, punctuation and grammar on this paper.

The exams themselves do not result in a GCSE being awarded they merely count towards their cumulative mark which is made up of 5 other pieces of writing.

I find some of the comments on here disheartening but not unusual.

14 years in the job - my comment was just a precursor

[Captain...]

Aha - solution.

If you want to save spending "your" money on internet activities why not pay a small child a minimal amount to post bollocks on your account using their parent's connection?

Child is a winner, you save money and no one on the forum will notice the difference.

Or just get you to do it, despite the condescending way you did it, you still did his dirty work for him...

Edit: I just checked and you used lmgtfy, love that site, so much more time consuming than just telling someone, but so much more patronising.

[Daggers]

Or just get you to do it, despite the condescending way you did it, you still did his dirty work for him...

Edit: I just checked and you used lmgtfy, love that site, so much more time consuming than just telling someone, but so much more patronising.

Innit

[Guest MattP]

You "break it down" bluud.

You can't 'Google' but you can post numerous posts about how you are unable to Google...on you never ending train ride which prevents you from always being able to use correct English or avail yourself of the wonders of the internet?!

Riiiiight

You've got it. If you ever own an Iphone and get on a neverending train you'll understand with the appalling service we get, don't worry.

Thanks for the link, much appreciated, It was funnier than a picture at least.

Maybe you can invent a phone that can download these exams papers on the move after using google? Obviously that easy.

[Daggers]

Always on a train...always an excuse.

If you're unable to open your download then take your phone, ram it up your arse and go see an Apple "Genius" - I suspect you will find you both have a lot in common.

[Guest MattP]

Always on a train...always an excuse.

If you're unable to open your download then take your phone, ram it up your arse and go see an Apple "Genius" - I suspect you will find you both have a lot in common.

Quite common to do a lot of travelling when busy with work.

[Jon the Hat]

Earth.

The question you need to be asking is "Were the questions the same or different between January and June?"

I do understand moderation and why it is necessary. Just seemed to me to be very low at under 40%. A*-C is supposed to be good grades. I would not consider less than 40% correct to be good.

[Captain...]

I do understand moderation and why it is necessary. Just seemed to me to be very low at under 40%. A*-C is supposed to be good grades. I would not consider less than 40% correct to be good.

Of course all of this is relative to the paper, I can't remember the grades at gcse (I thought 50% was a C when I did them, but I could be wrong), but at uni 70% was a first, 60% 2:1, 50% 2:2, 40% third/pass

So it is about the same, now when I say it is relative, it is because a thrid 40%, from Cambridge is better than a 1st from Leicester Demontfort, so it is relative to the difficulty of the paper you sat.

There is also the subjectivity of marking arts papers, such as English, nobody ever gets 100%, it is impossible, you cannot write the perfect essay when the subject matter is highly subjective, so the top mark needs to be around 70% otherwise it would be too difficult to obtain, I think maths and sciences should have a higher boundary because they are not subjective and it is possible to achieve 100%.

The marking boundaries are not the issue here though, the issue is they moved the goal posts after the striker had already taken his shot.

So why is it such a big deal, imagine you are studying 10 gcses you need at least a C in all of them to get into your preferred college, you are nailed on for Cs in 7 of them, and struggling to get a C in the other 3, where do you focus your revision? On the 3 you are struggling on, but then after the exams, someone changes the boundaries so your nailed on C becomes a D and you miss out on college.

[Rincewind]

Does seem unfair the way it has been done. I recently did a Food nd Hygeiene course. Pass is 2/30 which I am prety confident of getting I'd be worried if they changed it to 25-28. Still waiting for the certificate. I'm sure I've got no more than 10 wrong but was unsure of 2-3 of the questions. Thinking 20-27 not wanting set too high estimate.

[Daggers]

I do understand moderation and why it is necessary. Just seemed to me to be very low at under 40%. A*-C is supposed to be good grades. I would not consider less than 40% correct to be good.

Honestly, Jon, 40% is meaningless on its own: You can have a grade boundary for a C at 90% or 15% if you so wish by structuring the paper and the questions therein differently. It'd be more interesting to see the distribution to the resulting grades.