Exams were much harder back in the good ol' days...
Discussion
I'm doing my A2 exams at the moment.
Now I think they're pretty damn hard and need to get BBB to get into my university of choice (Nottingham)
In my subjects:
Physics 51% get A or B.
Economics 62% get A or B.
Computing 36% get A or B.
Now I'd say that 36% for computing is a pretty low percentage really, and after sitting a 3 hour exam today and writing a 27,000 word write up for my Coursework I would say that for A2 level it's pretty damn hard!
So am I right, or are you all old and disagree?
Now I think they're pretty damn hard and need to get BBB to get into my university of choice (Nottingham)
anonymous said:
[redacted]
In my year the number of people getting high grades is much higher (year group of 200ish) but at the same time a lot less have got to Uni, so while it may be easier to get high grades, it is harder to get to a decent Uni.In my subjects:
Physics 51% get A or B.
Economics 62% get A or B.
Computing 36% get A or B.
Now I'd say that 36% for computing is a pretty low percentage really, and after sitting a 3 hour exam today and writing a 27,000 word write up for my Coursework I would say that for A2 level it's pretty damn hard!
So am I right, or are you all old and disagree?
GFWilliams said:
So am I right, or are you all old and disagree?
97% pass rate. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/aug/17/a-...
Do the maths. If you can.
GFWilliams said:
rich1231 said:
God I hate students. How is it they all come out like the OP?
Not many students I know run their own successful company (photography in my case) at the same time as their studies...I just think that he thinks you sound like a bit of a dick.
grumbledoak said:
GFWilliams said:
So am I right, or are you all old and disagree?
97% pass rate. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/aug/17/a-...
Do the maths. If you can.
ETA
Edited by GFWilliams on Monday 14th June 19:54
swerni said:
Ignore Rich.
He's either still suffering from too much sambuca at Le Mans
or
Pissed off all the calls and text's he has been getting from the ones that are there.
now be a good boy, tidy your room and finish your homework
Oi you - time for a bike ride for you I think He's either still suffering from too much sambuca at Le Mans
or
Pissed off all the calls and text's he has been getting from the ones that are there.
now be a good boy, tidy your room and finish your homework
Jesus TF Christ said:
If A levels were that hard you wouldn't have the time to start up and run a business successful enough for you to afford an '09 mini at the age of 18...
It's not enough for me to afford the Mini... And I'm 17 
Sway said:
Why don't we have percentile grades?
At GCSE, top 5% get A*, next 10% A's, next 10% B, etc.?
Surely that would be are far more meaningful set of grades, albeit with the potential for 'good' years and 'bad' years acting as a temper...
Surely you want to have the interquartile percentage grades to ignore the extremes?At GCSE, top 5% get A*, next 10% A's, next 10% B, etc.?
Surely that would be are far more meaningful set of grades, albeit with the potential for 'good' years and 'bad' years acting as a temper...
Yes they were harder. When I did A-levels about 10% got an A in the sciences and that was norm referenced each year rather than criterion referenced so it was a steady 10%. That means that many getting an A today would not have got an A previously, so harder to get an A. They have also become quite different, I did 2 or 3 papers right at the end of 2 years of study rather than the current 4 papers and a couple of pieces of coursework spread evenly with re-takes if you need them, this may in part account for the higher pass rates.
Having said that university offers seem to be adjusting to reflect this. Whereas I and my friends would hold one high and one low offer for university courses, these days the difference between "high" and "low" can be just one grade in 3 BBB and BBC for instance.
Having said that university offers seem to be adjusting to reflect this. Whereas I and my friends would hold one high and one low offer for university courses, these days the difference between "high" and "low" can be just one grade in 3 BBB and BBC for instance.
GFWilliams said:
Some stuff that was guaranteed to wind up 95% of the PH lot
Sorry George, I would offer my support, but having spent a good while chatting to my physics teacher over a meal the other day about the differences between exams now and then, I do rather think they had it tougher back in their day. Shaolin said:
Having said that university offers seem to be adjusting to reflect this. Whereas I and my friends would hold one high and one low offer for university courses, these days the difference between "high" and "low" can be just one grade in 3 BBB and BBC for instance.
That's the bit that I was aiming at - the actual value of the grades has gone down...Oh, and I most certainly have done a full days work - for a start, I was working pretty much a 12 hour day for a good 2 weeks straight when my coursework and have done 'proper' jobs in the 'real world'... I may be 17, but I do have a vague idea of how things work
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