Times supports us, Have examination standards really fallen?

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Each year triumphant A level students are brought swiftly back down to earth by annoying adults who proclaim how much easier exams are "these days". But a new report from the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA) shows that 21st century youngsters not only work incredibly hard, but claims that "there was no golden age of exams". It appears that we are fooling ourselves....

The survey includes examiners' reports from days gone by. One for O Levels in 1958 is scathing.

"The standard of English was no worse than in previous years, but is still very unsatisfactory. ……The most evident if not the most serious weakness is in the spelling. A few examples will suffice: ammount, Brittain, Britian, buisness, bussiness, deffinate, fourty, fivety, ocurred, occured, payed, polytitions, publically, usualy."

David Wright, chief executive of the CIEA, also explains that in the late 70s and early 80s one O level examining board (AEB) introduced a popular series of basic tests – beginning with arithmetic and English. This was because, he says, "employers complained that even with O levels in these subjects, students couldn’t count or do mental arithmetic, they couldn’t spell, and had little understanding of grammar and punctuation." Doesn't this sound familiar?

The CIEA also surveyed 471 15-19 year olds, and found that sixty percent believed that students now work harder for their A levels and GCSEs than their parents did. They also, rather sadly "despaired" at the "negative reporting of their school achievements." Poor loves.

David Wright finishes by saying that we all “could have done better". Our elders always think that it was harder for them. But it seems they (we now) may actually be wrong....

http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2008/08/have-standards.html

What do you think now??? :wink:

Reply 1

chooka

I would say yes. I did the International Bac and got an average grade, 31/45. I am at uni now, i met the requirements to get in, set by the uni. And i find that most people who are supposedly the same level as me are no where near of a similar standard. Many looked scared at the idea of writing a long essay or doing critical analysis of something.
Exams are meant to show a true grading of students. The marking should be changed into %. And then people are given the percentage. And if many people get high marks, then they should make the test harder, to show those who truely are good and those who arent so good.
We will find out that exam marks will of once again increased another year in a row. So they are obviously too easy or too predictable.