I do wonder how the top top unis handled admissions without the A* grade
Until we had the massive grade inflation of the past 20 years it wasn't a problem. I am pretty ancient but when I was applying for university (1981) it was possible to get into Med school with CCC (BBB was probably about the highest anyone wanted) and I remember one of my classmates getting into Oxford to read Zoology with CCD. You still needed AAA for Vet Sci though.
Would you say exams have definitely gotten easier?
UMS didn't exist 20 years ago. A levels were linear I think - they certainly were 30 years ago. regardless, UMS requirements are meaningless as they just pick a raw to UMS conversion to get the UMS they want.
Until we had the massive grade inflation of the past 20 years it wasn't a problem. I am pretty ancient but when I was applying for university (1982) it was possible to get into Med school with CCC (BBB was probably about the highest anyone wanted) and I remember one of my classmates getting into Oxford to read Zoology with CCD. You still needed AAA for Vet Sci though.
40% get A or better in maths , and 56% get A or better in FM
Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.
Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.
Well even thinking of my A2 maths class, I don't think 40% will get an A or better, and I also don't think my school is rubbish
Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.
I'm pretty sure the A grade rate for AS-level Maths is also high (maybe not as high as A2 but still).
@Compost, how different is the one year AS-level syllabus from the first year of the new linear A-levels? In other words, is it becoming impractical to take AS in Y12 and then continue with the linear A-level for Y13?
@Compost, how different is the one year AS-level syllabus from the first year of the new linear A-levels? In other words, is it becoming impractical to take AS in Y12 and then continue with the linear A-level for Y13?
All the new specifications have been designed with the intention of the AS and first year of A level being 'co-teachable' and every school I know is teaching all their Y12s taking the new specs together regardless of whether the students are taking AS, A level or haven't decided yet - state schools could certainly not afford to do anything else.
At my school we're not even asking the students what they are dropping until they get their AS results in August.
All the new specifications have been designed with the intention of the AS and first year of A level being 'co-teachable' and every school I know is teaching all their Y12s taking the new specs together regardless of whether the students are taking AS, A level or haven't decided yet - state schools could certainly not afford to do anything else.
At my school we're not even asking the students what they are dropping until they get their AS results in August.
Schools are free to teach subjects as they wish - mine used to do quite a few AS over 2 years (Years 10 and 11). However, when these reforms shake down I I think AS might die completely. Entering students for AS as well as A level is going to cost our school £20,000 we haven't really got and for little long term gain.