Can a genuinely stupid person do academically well

Doubt it.

By 'genuine' stupidity, I mean an IQ ranging from 80 and below. I do not mean ignorance, bad memory or general disinterest in one's education.

Especially in regards to Maths, Science, and English at GCSE level. Are we to assume that every person with A*s in these subjects is actually smart or is it all just technique?

Also, I don't mean to offend anyone at all with this (extremely irrelevant) question but it has plagued my mind for quite some time. And no motivational bs pls

There's quite a number of people I've come across on this forum that are currently doing degrees that make me think yes, this is absof***inglutely possible. Someone who works hard on something they're not gifted at will always outdo someone who is gifted and doesn't put in the effort.

Yeah of course if they're willing to put in the work and get the help they'll require.

First, I would say IQ isn't a good way to establish someone's "genuine stupidity". You said you don't mean disinterest, ignorance, or bad memory, but I'd argue those are fundamental in helping you not be "genuinely stupid".

But the other side of your question is really interesting. I think of it, too. I'd say no, A*s does not necessarily mean smart. Generally in education tests just measure how well we can answer the test questions. It's our rationale that dictates how that translates to "actual" knowledge. And there's disagreement over that bit. I personally think if someone is truly smart, the chances of them scraping by with Cs and Ds are VERY low. If you're smart, you're gonna do well on the assessments too. But then I'd say the difference between A and B or A and A* becomes murky. At that level, yeah I'd say it's more skill than actual knowledge

Yes. My local uni has academic requirements of EEU at a-level, and will still give you an interview if you get less than this.

Well, answering questions in exams to get high marks is more about how much you can remember and understand what the question is asking rather than how smart you are. Essentially, it's your worth ethic that really counts. The harder you work, the more dicipline you supply yourself with, the better marks you're likely to get. And by dicipline, I mean giving up a couple hours a day to revise, not to literally slaughter yourself from work overload (been there, done that).

You can think of it a bit like the fable 'The Toirtoise and the Hare'; people who might not be classified as smart can do really well in exams with hard work whereas super smart kids can get big heads and flop.

I've also come across classmates with learning disabilities such as dyslexia who are in top sets for English, maths, science and pretty much all the subjects they do. They have learning disabilities but they are pretty much geniuses.

So, no, anyone of any mental state can get A*'s for any subject. It's just an excuse when people think they're 'not smart enough' when they get that D grade. I was guilty of it, claiming I just wasn't good at maths when really I just hated the subject and wasn't willing to put work into it.

Now, I'm in a high set for maths and I'm striving to do well for my final exams with hard work (although I still don't enjoy it that much). I suppose you could say motivation also really affects your grades. A friend of mine loves maths, does well in it, but hates science and deliberately doesn't revise nor work for it.

Anyway, hope this gives you an answer to your question

A*'s at GCSE aren't really indicative of intelligence, it's basically a memory test. A-levels is when they start testing application more.

ofcourse you can, being stupid / clever makes no difference acamically, you think smart people dont need to revise?

I feel success in education is little to do with intelligence, but more to do with perseverance and the drive to achieve. You can be very intelligent but not be bothered to work hard or work to your best potential, especially if you're not interested in what you're learning. I find a person who can accept their flaws, know their weaknesses and turns them around and work hard at turning them into strengths perform very well academically.

I think that someone with an average IQ can do very well if they work hard and adopt the proper techniques.