GCSEs are an utter joke

Discussion for GCSE students, including those studying for IGCSEs and O Levels.

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  1. im so academic's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by EnigmaticSpirit)
    Thank you for correcting my ill-informed knowledge of the Oxford admission criteria. I assure you, it was formed solely from acknowledging comments from individuals and tutors at my college. It was an erroneous assertion that I am only partially liable for. Thanks again.
    What college and what are you studying there?

    Besides, even if it came from your tutors, it is definitely not the case across ALL subjects.
  2. medbh4805's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Jam')
    You can't get higher than an A in additional Maths.
    depends on whether you're doing the GCSE or FMSQ.
  3. GreenLantern1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Jam')
    You definitely didn't do 'nothing' for it. Participation in class counts as doing something. Maybe you didn't revise - that's great. But you definitely did Maths work prior to the exams. You weren't born solving simultaneous equations.

    (Original post by Coke1)
    Thank you. You took the words out of my mouth.
    Never meant that I did nothing in class! Of course I learnt it then! But I never did any revision. Basically I never did any maths work out of class - our teacher didn't even set homeowrk. Don't be jealous of my skill....
  4. Jam''s Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by GreenLantern1)
    Never meant that I did nothing in class! Of course I learnt it then! But I never did any revision. Basically I never did any maths work out of class - our teacher didn't even set homeowrk. Don't be jealous of my skill....
    Jealous of your skill? Mate. I got 100% and didn't do anything outside the Maths lesson - just paid attention in class. I'm not trolling about trying to make people feel less intelligent though.
  5. Coke1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Jam')
    Jealous of your skill? Mate. I got 100% and didn't do anything outside the Maths lesson - just paid attention in class. I'm not trolling about trying to make people feel less intelligent though.
    Exactly. I could turn this around on other people and say I get A*'s in German without doing **** all, which is true I do nothing out of class but in class I DO work, and somewhere along the line, to get to a good standard, there had to be some hard work.
  6. Rennit's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    GCSEs are a waste of time, but not that hard, not that easy.
  7. GreenLantern1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Jam')
    Jealous of your skill? Mate. I got 100% and didn't do anything outside the Maths lesson - just paid attention in class. I'm not trolling about trying to make people feel less intelligent though.
    Then why did you say what you said in what I quoted you!!! And mate 100% and 99% in mahts, we all know isn't tht different as it is just down to a simple arithmetic error, thought obviously your 100 is still better. And I got 99 in Addmaths as well so #PARR
  8. c.anez's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    Truth is, IGCSE Maths is a joke next to IB HL Maths...
  9. us3481jd's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by c.anez)
    Truth is, IGCSE Maths is a joke next to IB HL Maths...
    IGCSEs aren't supposed to comparable to IB is comparable to A-level.
  10. c.anez's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by us3481jd)
    IGCSEs aren't supposed to comparable to IB is comparable to A-level.
    Well from what I've heard HL Maths is more difficult than A-Levels Further Math
  11. Deziah's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    GCSEs may seem easy and a waste of time to people on TSR, as the vast majority of people on here are ambitious and have above average intelligence. Yet, GCSE is a qualification which has to cater for ALL students across the country and some actually struggle with it. At the end of the day, for the majority of people on here they're just a stepping stone and a-levels is when the real challenge starts. Making them harder will just make it more difficult for those less academic, if they're such a waste of time to you then why moan about them being too easy?
  12. LiLix's Avatar
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    Here we go again
  13. TimmonaPortella's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Deziah)
    if they're such a waste of time to you then why moan about them being too easy?
    ...

    because... if they're too easy they're a waste of time...? It's the waste of time that's being moaned about?
  14. Deziah's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by TimmonaPortella)
    ...

    because... if they're too easy they're a waste of time...? It's the waste of time that's being moaned about?
    If they're a waste of time, then people wouldn't be so obsessed with how easy they seem. You wouldn't waste your energy moaning about something you think is a waste of time.
  15. GreenLantern1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by c.anez)
    Well from what I've heard HL Maths is more difficult than A-Levels Further Math

    (Original post by Deziah)
    GCSEs may seem easy and a waste of time to people on TSR, as the vast majority of people on here are ambitious and have above average intelligence. Yet, GCSE is a qualification which has to cater for ALL students across the country and some actually struggle with it. At the end of the day, for the majority of people on here they're just a stepping stone and a-levels is when the real challenge starts. Making them harder will just make it more difficult for those less academic, if they're such a waste of time to you then why moan about them being too easy?

    That is what the two-tier system is there for. I am not saying I am for it - as it does pose problem with filtering out people who don't care but may be intelligent. But it certainly solves your problem that you are arguing with.

    A harder set of O-Levels for the above average crowd and the less taxing (more vocational) CSEs for those who have not quite peaked to the level for O-Level.

    This is only a bit of thought and reasoning as to how the system will help. I am not necessarily advocating it!!!
  16. GreenLantern1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by Deziah)
    If they're a waste of time, then people wouldn't be so obsessed with how easy they seem. You wouldn't waste your energy moaning about something you think is a waste of time.
    Why not?

    We are doing it right now...
  17. c.anez's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by GreenLantern1)
    That is what the two-tier system is there for. I am not saying I am for it - as it does pose problem with filtering out people who don't care but may be intelligent. But it certainly solves your problem that you are arguing with.

    A harder set of O-Levels for the above average crowd and the less taxing (more vocational) CSEs for those who have not quite peaked to the level for O-Level.

    This is only a bit of thought and reasoning as to how the system will help. I am not necessarily advocating it!!!
    Why did you quote me?
  18. GreenLantern1's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by c.anez)
    Why did you quote me?
    Sorry. Forgot to mention that you saying HL Maths for IB is harder than Further Mtahs A-Level is ridiculous! Whoever told you that is severely misinformed.
  19. c.anez's Avatar
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    Re: GCSEs are an utter joke
    (Original post by GreenLantern1)
    Sorry. Forgot to mention that you saying HL Maths for IB is harder than Further Mtahs A-Level is ridiculous! Whoever told you that is severely misinformed.
    It's the truth though... Cambride compared A-Levels Further Math with Math HL here:

    http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/a...#_Toc276229905

    Go to the Math HL description. Mid range 5 students have been capable of acheiving an A in A-Level Math, and students that have acheived a 7 grade are very strong in Maths and it is at LEAST as hard as getting the average A* or harder <---- this is coming from Cambridge.

    At the very very least, Math HL = Further Maths A-Levels in difficulty (though in my opinion, I don't think so)

    And if that's not enough, this year there's a new course IB Further Math HL (which had been only at SL) which covers much much more stuff.

    Only 100 people (average) worldwide took the SL course and only 5 (average) have been able to get a 7 (take into account that the people who choose to do this course are of the best in their class). A-Levels stands no chance imo...

    Also, a friend of mine who got 100% in Math GCSE ended up getting 2's and 3's at HL, also having recieved 99% in Additional Maths. Opinions vary but I believe that the difficulty in IB Math HL is stronger. The final exams are also much harder. Check them out.
    Last edited by c.anez; 24-07-2012 at 04:04.
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