Is anyone actually ready for GCSEs?

My GCSEs were last year and I’m still not ready

might have to pull off an eva smith yk

From it's inception, the British AS, A2 and GCSE levels were the easiest type of similar exams among other first world countries. However all this is no longer the case as of 2017/2018 onwards.

Let's take maths for example. Over the next few years, the 9-1 maths will gradually become tougher. UK has decided to adopt another country's maths style of teaching and higher standards. UK maths will never be a walk in the park again. All these developments have taken place in the past few years. It is only now that the new standards have been implemented.

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-38212070

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...s-uk-educators

https://www.ft.com/content/2e4c61f2-...2-e39ecd3b86fc

https://www.ft.com/content/14317238-...6-bb002965bce8

https://www.theguardian.com/science/...hat-went-viral

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...astery-method/

Michael Gove during his time as the education secretary was the one who was behind these changes. He was embarrassed that the UK's standard of teaching and level of difficulty for maths and other subjects at GSCE and AS/A2 levels were low. So he pushed for the scrapping of the AS and A2 in favour of a set of exams at the end of the 2 years (which is similar to the system in Singapore) and also the need to adopt Singapore's high education standards in schools across the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...-level-reforms

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...singapore-gove

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...-a7898616.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ed...d-9042286.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/ar...pore-West.html

https://www.ft.com/content/64b5a43e-...4-00144feabdc0

The current 9-1 papers aren't the finished product. The plan is to gradually make it tougher and on par or if not, higher than the standard set by the Ministry of Education of Singapore.

The teachers across UK will have to go for retraining in order to be able to teach the new maths 9-1 curriculum. Currently there is a small group of teachers from Singapore based in UK schools guiding the UK teachers for the past 4 years. I don't think that is sufficient. There needs to be a proper retraining. Only then will it benefit the student.

Nicky Morgan sums up what is wrong with those who devise policies without thinking about the effects it will have on those who have to abide by it.



But then again, it doesn't matter if the A levels are set at a difficult level. Just a few months ago it was revealed that unis were churning out unconditional offers to students who were bound to get borderline grades. This new arrangement doesn't motivate the students to study and prepare well for the exams. Students will simply study the bare minimum and scrap through the exams because they are fully aware that they have a seat at some uni, waiting for them.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/educatio...ut-bums-seats/

http://www.itv.com/news/2018-06-07/u...egree-courses/

https://www.theguardian.com/higher-e...entrance-exams

I know exactly how this feels (or my younger son does). He was applying for medicine, and Gove tightened up science A levels the very year he was applying. Imagine getting an offer, (as he did), then Gove making the A levels harder and you missing the offer. On the day, the exams were super difficult and for months he thought he had failed to get in. Luckily he just managed to meet the offer. Many of his pals were not so lucky, and dropped a science grade or two. However some medical schools took that into account, and just let them in anyway.

So Gove is not exactly my idea of heaven.

The current 9-1 papers aren't the finished product. The plan is to gradually make it tougher and on par or if not, higher than the standard set by the Ministry of Education of Singapore.

The teachers across UK will have to go for retraining in order to be able to teach the new maths 9-1 curriculum. Currently there is a small group of teachers from Singapore based in UK schools guiding the UK teachers for the past 4 years. I don't think that is sufficient. There needs to be a proper retraining. Only then will it benefit the student.

Where do you get these 'facts' from? A few schools are 'wedded' to Singapore whilst our teachers are actually going over there to teach theirs problem solving which we excel at in all the international tests. Have you actually analysed the tests? I have and it's quite clear where we are stronger than the rest of the world.

There is absolutely NO plan to make the GCSEs harder - I talk regularly to exam boards and this is just not true. Please stop scaring people.

As you talk to the exam boards regularly, do you happen to know how the grade boundaries are going to be this year?

Is anyone actually ready for GCSEs or come to the realisation that GCSEs start in under 35 days??? Because I surely have not and I'm waiting for the panic to kick in!

No, I'm sadly in the prestige RS gang Do you have biology on the 14th?

There is absolutely NO plan to make the GCSEs harder - I talk regularly to exam boards and this is just not true. Please stop scaring people.

So what was the point of bringing in the 9-1 GCSEs

because they probably want to raise the bar this year i have heard around 67% is required to get a pass this year!

Where did you hear that and for what subject

sciences and my headteacher was in a meeting for the exams its the same for AQA and Edexcel

Combined or triple

both

both

Last year edexcel higher combined science was super easy, I studied the course in 8 months and got a good grade. That was mostly due to the fact that a lot of people were getting U's so they had to lower the boundaries and make 3 a pass. https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofqual-lowers-pass-grade-for-higher-tier-science/

So it makes sense that science will probably be a little harder this year but no way 67% for a pass