Planned A Level Changes

Most private schools dont do january exams anyway... this doesn't effect them I guess...

Yes you will be affected... you will sit all your A2 exams in the summer... no more january exams

I think some reform is probably needed. If I were in Gove's position I would probably adopt the US system. Broader education with classes taken over semesters. I think this actually makes more sense than our current system. As for grades. What about a grade curve? We could have a fixed amount of A grades etc.
Instead of Exam boards competing for schools to use their easier specs -- what about a University-controlled spec? One for everyone in the uk?
It might even work! Perhaps the biggest change I would make is no room for resits.
Also, I know AS grades are important atm as a predictor to universities but I guess we could make a GPA system which combines GCSE and first year A Level grades. Then we could receive offers based on a certain GPA level and test scores on the exams to be taken in the future.

I would even want to work in the LAS type education that birmingham have adopted for their new course.
I think that system is far more fair than ours, but hey-- I don't know anything!

LAS type education? Trying to think what that stands for.

I know of students on here who are predictions below/at/1 or 2 grades above their AS

If you are saying that AS gives a second, moderated, indicator alongside the predictions for universities to consider then you are correct

But you still seem to be suggesting that predictions are actually standardised at the moment ... this is incorrect ... they are trusted now because universities understand that schools (for the most part) make appropriate predictions ... we make appropriate predictions because there is no advantage to anyone to over-predict

I take the point about overpredicting not being particularly advantageous. That said, I was predicted above my AS results and I may not have worked as hard to meet (or beat) my predictions had they been lower. I guess the judgment of whether to predict above a student's AS results would depend pretty heavily on the first-hand experience which teachers get of their students.

Modular exams are too bite-sized, encouraging compartmentalised work. You spend more time fretting about revision, deadlines, coursework, exams etc. than actually enjoying your subject.

They also hinder the ability to link ideas from different modules as "you can't mention this in this module as it's not from this specification" etc.

Studying for exams like STEP, or linear language A-levels, is much more enjoyable as you can freely use/include anything you've covered, leading to deeper understanding and links between topics.

However, "It also means that apart from a stray AS-level, there will be no public exams in the lower sixth year"

This bit I think was a huge mistake. We NEED AS-levels as an indicator for universities as to who to select (seeing as most don't interview, they'll go by GCSEs.. which are a poor indicator). Also, AS-levels provide motivation to work in your first year so that you can maximise university potential.

I do agree that A-level grades should be independent of AS-level grades. Use AS-levels to encourage people to max out their university admissions chances, and then A-levels to force them to work to meet their offer.

For the average top 10 university applicant, once they've achieved top A grades at AS-level, it's simply a matter of slacking off, getting B/Cs in the A2 and then ending up with As overall to meet the offer.

So I would support the following:
- Exams right at the end of the first year (call them, say, University Entrance, or UE-levels)
- Exams right at the end of the second year, called A-levels, which cover the whole 2 years of content and require demonstration of serious understanding.
- And whilst I'm at it, we should make the exams tougher but lower the grade boundaries, allowing students to excel but not be penalised too much for petty mistakes.

I find it interesting how the "older" generation continue to claim exams are getting easier year upon year. I genuinely would like to see some of these people take an A level and see how they get on. Especially in regards to Maths and the Sciences.

A-level Maths and Further Maths will be fine with only two exams....

What is Gove thinking? I think modules such as:

A Mixture of all the Statistics, Mechanics and Decision we can find
As much Core Maths as we can fit in
As much Further Pure Maths as we can fit in

will be being taken soon.