leicsmac Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 The problem is the exam boards when it comes to grade inflation. The exam were made into quangos and thus have to compete with each other for business. If one particular board is deemed easier then those schools who seek to improve their stats will move their business to that board. The examiners are put under pressure by those above them to give marks for things that should never been given marks. MsFoxy is a chief examiner for a local board and has been told in previous awarding meetings (against her and other chief's wishes) what the level for an A has been set at "because enough people aren't getting them" Surely the solution to that is a unified exam board with a unified exam system then. Why do we have exam boards competing with each other in this way? Grading the majority of subjects via one-off exams has always seemed flawed to me anyway. Continuous assessment should be used more if school is to be an adequate preparation for further education or the workplace.
Fox in the North Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 Surely the solution to that is a unified exam board with a unified exam system then. Why do we have exam boards competing with each other in this way? Grading the majority of subjects via one-off exams has always seemed flawed to me anyway. Continuous assessment should be used more if school is to be an adequate preparation for further education or the workplace. I agree with you completely. The ironic thing is that most university courses mare modular. So will A-levels help in preparation for uni then; on this basis even less so.
ADK Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 The exams need to fulfill their purpose of being a way for students to demonstrate their ability in a subject. If they are over or under valueing a students ability then they are not fulfilling that purpose.
Fox in the North Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 And do you feel that the changes will therefore fulfil that purpose?
ADK Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 And do you feel that the changes will therefore fulfil that purpose? I don't think it will change very much at all. A-levels used to be one set of exams after two years and then they changed it so they were broken up over two years. Having the chance to do multiple resits made AS-levels rather easy to achieve good grades in. Both methods involve exams, so the advantages and flaws of exams are present in both.
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