[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Data)
Neither. It is the uniform mark score. The raw score is the actual score, these are statistically manipulated to gain the desired spread of marks into a UMS mark. The UMS may be out anything from 40 to 200 (depending on that unit's contribution to the overall A level) so is not a percentile score.

OK so it's not the percentile score like I thought it is.

Is it still possible then for my Biology and Chemistry, percentile score 76 and 79 respectively, to get an A* grade?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
OK so it's not the percentile score like I thought it is.

Is it still possible then for my Biology and Chemistry, percentile score 76 and 79 respectively, to get an A* grade?

I don't think you understand what the word "percentile" means, or you wouldn't be using it in relation to your A levels.

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
I don't think you understand what the word "percentile" means, or you wouldn't be using it in relation to your A levels.

I understand "percentile" as the my position among all candidates in percentage, i.e. if I have a 75 percentile, then I am the top 25% candidates.

Is that correct?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
I understand "percentile" as the my position among all candidates in percentage, i.e. if I have a 75 percentile, then I am the top 25% candidates.

Is that correct?

Why, then, did you think the score published as your exam result was a percentile?

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
Why, then, did you think the score published as your exam result was a percentile?

Oh, the score published is not a percentile?

I just thought it is a percentile. All of my friends and classmates think it's a percentile too.

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
Oh, the score published is not a percentile?

I just thought it is a percentile. All of my friends and classmates think it's a percentile too.

Then they are a very badly informed bunch. Post 1044 of this thread gave you the truth.

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
Then they are a very badly informed bunch. Post 1044 of this thread gave you the truth.

So the score published is the UMS for my AS-level?

If the UMS is the published result, then I can still get A* for my Biology and Chemistry, provided that my A2 results are at least 90? That's great news!

EDIT: Actually, what is UMS? Do students know their UMS?

EDIT2: What does this mean "The UMS may be out anything from 40 to 200 (depending on that unit's contribution to the overall A level) so is not a percentile score.?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
EDIT: Actually, what is UMS? Do students know their UMS? They do when they receive their results slips, obviously
EDIT2: What does this mean "The UMS may be out anything from 40 to 200 (depending on that unit's contribution to the overall A level) so is not a percentile score.? It means exactly what it says.

See above. I suggest you read the OP of this thread.

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
See above. I suggest you read the OP of this thread.

I think I'm getting it!

The scores published are a percentage of the full UMS mark for AS?

For example, getting 76 in Biology means I got 76% of the full UMS mark for AS Biology (300), meaning my UMS mark is 228 for AS Biology?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
I think I'm getting it!

I'm afraid not.

The scores published are a percentage of the full UMS mark?

For example, getting 76 in Biology means I got 76% of the full UMS mark for Biology (300), meaning my UMS mark is 228 for Biology?

The scores published are the UMS scores, not a percentage of them. I imagine the exam boards are optimistically hoping you can calculate a percentage yourself if you feel you need it.

[StraightUpG]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
I think I'm getting it!

The scores published are a percentage of the full UMS mark for AS?

For example, getting 76 in Biology means I got 76% of the full UMS mark for AS Biology (300), meaning my UMS mark is 228 for AS Biology?

no your raw mark is upscaled into UMS. you can get full ums but not get full raw marks

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
I'm afraid not.

The scores published are the UMS scores, not a percentage of them. I imagine the exam boards are optimistically hoping you can calculate a percentage yourself if you feel you need it.

From this webpage: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/UMS, I read that for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, the UMS for AS is 300.

So if the scores published are my UMS score, then does that mean I just scored 76 out of 300? That can't be right.

(Original post by StraightUpG)
no your raw mark is upscaled into UMS. you can get full ums but not get full raw marks

But what is my UMS? Surely, 76 out of 300 UMS is too little for a B?

I just want to know if I should retake Biology and Chemistry since I need the A*.

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
From this webpage: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/UMS, I read that for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, the UMS for AS is 300. For all AS modules aggregated, yes.

So if the scores published are my UMS score, then does that mean I just scored 76 out of 300? That can't be right. You have only taken one module, it appears.


But what is my UMS? Surely, 76 out of 300 UMS is too little for a B? See above.

I just want to know if I should retake Biology and Chemistry since I need the A*.

It is unlikely to make any dfifference.

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
It is unlikely to make any dfifference.

Do you mean I can still get A* for my Biology and Chemistry?

Also, I never heard of any module-system for CIE A-level. I do know there are 5 papers for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I took Component 1,2 and 3 for my AS-level.

This is getting confusing lol.

But thank you Good bloke for answering my questions patiently! Much thanks!

[Good bloke]

(Original post by Shaun Lee)
Do you mean I can still get A* for my Biology and Chemistry?

Also, I never heard of any module-system for CIE A-level. I do know there are 5 papers for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I took Component 1,2 and 3 for my AS-level.

This is getting confusing lol.

But thank you Good bloke for answering my questions patiently! Much thanks!

You didn't mention CIE, though I now see it is in your thread title which got ignored when your thread was moved.

I'm afraid I know little about CIE and I think it differs from most A levels. I don't even know if the 90% for an A* is across the whole A level or just the A2, I'm afraid. I'm sure someone else will though.

[Shaun Lee]

(Original post by Good bloke)
You didn't mention CIE, though I now see it is in your thread title which got ignored when your thread was moved.

I'm afraid I know little about CIE and I think it differs from most A levels. I don't even know if the 90% for an A* is across the whole A level or just the A2, I'm afraid. I'm sure someone else will though.

I actually emailed CIE to clarify this issue. However, CIE keeps sending general, not-helpful information to me, i.e. asking me to refer all enquiries to the examinations officer at my school.

I did and my Head of Department of Pre-University Studies advised me not to retake, but he didn't tell me what the criteria for A* was.

If someone knew, please help me out. I got time until 8th Feb to decide if I need to retake my Biology and Chemistry. Thank you!

Special thanks to you too, Good bloke, for patiently answering all my questions! Thank you very much!

[Indecisive me.....]

So I completed my A-Levels in 2011, having started them in 2009. One of them was an A and it has now been certificated. However, I am now thinking of re-sitting one of them to push it up to an A*. Sorry if this is a silly question, but sinceit has been certificated, would I have to re-sit only one of the A2 modules (the one with the lowest mark) or would I have to re-sit the whole A-Level again?

[gdunne42]

(Original post by Indecisive me.....)
So I completed my A-Levels in 2011, having started them in 2009. One of them was an A and it has now been certificated. However, I am now thinking of re-sitting one of them to push it up to an A*. Sorry if this is a silly question, but sinceit has been certificated, would I have to re-sit only one of the A2 modules (the one with the lowest mark) or would I have to re-sit the whole A-Level again?

Just the one A2 unit would be enough

[member591354]

(Original post by Gemini92)
To get an A*, you need 80% overall including 90% at A2.

Why are you referencing percentages? In some exams 70% is an A (80 UMS) and 80% (90 UMS) is an A*...

[Data]

(Original post by liamdunne)
Why are you referencing percentages? In some exams 70% is an A (80 UMS) and 80% (90 UMS) is an A*...

I think you misunderstand. You always need to get 80% of the UMS marks for an A, 70% for a B etc. As the max UMS mark for a paper can be anything from 60 to 200 this means the UMS needed for an A in that paper can be anything from 48 to 160 but it is always 80%. Using % rather than UMS marks means it applies to all A level units.