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An A/A* student is not a ‘smart’ person

I don’t believe that because you get an A (or being academically ‘smart’h means that you are ‘intelligent’. Because in order to get an A in most cases, it’s not your ability that is being assessed but the criteria that you have to follow to get that grade. In subjects such as science and maths, it’s all the case of remembering. Essay subjects have to follow a structure that must follow a point, evidence and explain it in depth. In subjects such as art it is very subjective so grading can be very awkward and may vary depending on who marks it. Essay and practical subjects do limit the ability that someone has on a certificate too. What is your view?
(edited 4 years ago)

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Agreed. For example with science A levels, the mark schemes can be so specific that your knowledge is not enough to gain marks. GENERALLY smarter people have A/A* grades but it's not always the case, I know plenty of genius students who get Cs in their a level exams.
Whoops I made a grammar mistake and accidentally deleted my comment. I was saying as a quote above that it really shows how getting high grades doesn’t mean that you are smart. Because someone I knew back in my GCSE days who got A’s/A*s has now been getting constant C’s in subjects that they enjoyed. And I’m just an average student getting the same grades which says a lot. And many people back then who for higher grades than me didn’t even make it into the 2nd year unfortunately
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Ratchet Hoe
I don’t believe that because you get an A (or being academically ‘smart’h means that you are ‘intelligent’. Because in order to get an A in most cases, it’s not your ability that is being assessed but the criteria that you have to follow to get that grade. In subjects such as science and maths, it’s all the case of remembering. Essay subjects have to follow a structure that must follow a point, evidence and explain it in depth. In subjects such as art it is very subjective so grading can be very awkward and may vary depending on who marks it. Essay and practical subjects do limit the ability that someone has on a certificate too. What is your view?

This is the dumbest cope there is, no one truly believes it the say it to themselves to make them feel better.....

Anyway I have 3A* and consider myself on average more intelligent than those who don't, go and get the same if it's so easy. Although I will say I think the schooling/parents of the person has a massive influence, got waaaaay more respect for someone who got 3A* from a normal state with unsupportive parents than a grammar/private.

EDIT: I should probs mention that I actually dropped out at 15 due to abusive parents/depression and failed my gcses. I never for a second would have claimed I intelligent until I could actually back it up with A level results, and now uni results/money. It's beyond arrogant.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Ratchet Hoe
Also the comparison of students from GCSE transitioning to A Levels was a clear indicator to me on how it does not show intelligence. I knew one person who used to gain A’s/A*’s and that was technically their results, which are not constant C’s at A Levels. I am just the norm in GCSE but achieving the same grades at the same time. Many people who got grades higher than me haven’t made it into the 2nd year also. Just shows really. 😬

Exactly. At GCSE I easily got As, but struggled when it came to A levels
Would agree that high grades does not necessarily mean smart. The converse is probably true more often. Some people get through by just rote learning and don't properly understand the subject. Not uncommon for this to happen with maths hence the demand for an AEA/STEP. But any effort to combat this just results in animosity from students (for example the recent reforms) so you can't really win. Might also be worth that point evidence explain is mainly targeted at lower-ability students to enable them to access higher mark bands. High ability candidates generally write in a less rigid way.

Original post by Aleks<3
Agreed. For example with science A levels, the mark schemes can be so specific that your knowledge is not enough to gain marks. GENERALLY smarter people have A/A* grades but it's not always the case, I know plenty of genius students who get Cs in their a level exams.


I'd disagree. Someone who is very good at their subject would only get that sort of grade through lack of trying or other stuff going on at the time. People talk about the markscheme being so specific but I don't often see what they mean. Demanding the use of particular vocabulary is fine in my eyes.
Our GCSE english teacher told us NOT to PEE because yeah it reads very stiffly.
you dont need to be hard working to get an A or motivated or intelligent, ive seen it countless times.

i know people who are dumb as hell that get A*s and i know clever people that get Es, i know clever people who get A*s and dumb people that get Es
grades have 0 corrolation with intelligence whatsoever, so to say it makes you clever to get an A is dumb, and to say it makes you dumb is dumb
Original post by jnkkjnkjhn
Anyway I have 3A* and consider myself more intelligent than those who don't, go and get the same if it's so easy. Although I will say I think the schooling/parents of the person has a massive influence, got waaaaay more respect for someone who got 3A* from a normal state with unsupportive parents than a grammar/private.

EDIT: I should probs mention that I actually dropped out at 15 due to abusive parents/depression and failed my gcses. I never for a second would have claimed I intelligent until I could actually back it up with A level results, and now uni results/money. It's beyond arrogant.

due to you mentioning how money is factored into this, i know someone who left my school 2-3 years ago and makes a ridiculous amount of money a year doing fba and stuff, his grades were like Bs and Cs
according to you, you are smarter than them, you dont know anything about them but you still think you are smarter than them. thats called arrogance
Original post by Ratchet Hoe
Also the comparison of students from GCSE transitioning to A Levels was a clear indicator to me on how it does not show intelligence. I knew one person who used to gain A’s/A*’s and that was technically their results, which are not constant C’s at A Levels. I am just the norm in GCSE but achieving the same grades at the same time. Many people who got grades higher than me haven’t made it into the 2nd year also. Just shows really. 😬


Yeah, the drop in grades is probably at least somewhat dependent on how much they relied on rote learning, since this is less doable at A-level. (if they didn't really understand a concept at GCSE and got through by memorising answers, they will struggle when that concept is built upon at A-level) I did see a very strange decline in attitude too when you'd expect people to care more.
Original post by Gent2324
you dont need to be hard working to get an A or motivated or intelligent, ive seen it countless times.

i know people who are dumb as hell that get A*s and i know clever people that get Es, i know clever people who get A*s and dumb people that get Es
grades have 0 corrolation with intelligence whatsoever, so to say it makes you clever to get an A is dumb, and to say it makes you dumb is dumb

I wouldn't say 0 correlation, would you also say that knowing more languages or having a larger vocabulary does not correlate to higher intelligence?
Original post by _gcx
Would agree that high grades does not necessarily mean smart. The converse is probably true more often. Some people get through by just rote learning and don't properly understand the subject. Not uncommon for this to happen with maths hence the demand for an AEA/STEP. But any effort to combat this just results in animosity from students (for example the recent reforms) so you can't really win. Might also be worth that point evidence explain is mainly targeted at lower-ability students to enable them to access higher mark bands. High ability candidates generally write in a less rigid way.



I'd disagree. Someone who is very good at their subject would only get that sort of grade through lack of trying or other stuff going on at the time. People talk about the markscheme being so specific but I don't often see what they mean. Demanding the use of particular vocabulary is fine in my eyes.


What A levels do you take/have taken? And what exam board?
Original post by Gent2324
you dont need to be hard working to get an A or motivated or intelligent, ive seen it countless times.

i know people who are dumb as hell that get A*s and i know clever people that get Es, i know clever people who get A*s and dumb people that get Es
grades have 0 corrolation with intelligence whatsoever, so to say it makes you clever to get an A is dumb, and to say it makes you dumb is dumb


This is far too strong. It's just nonsense to say a lower ability person is just as likely to get a high grade than a higher ability student.
Original post by Gent2324
due to you mentioning how money is factored into this, i know someone who left my school 2-3 years ago and makes a ridiculous amount of money a year doing fba and stuff, his grades were like Bs and Cs
according to you, you are smarter than them, you dont know anything about them but you still think you are smarter than them. thats called arrogance


Average is the keyword here.... Although I'll comment anyway. Money factors into it but method of making it is extremely important. My NW is at approx 250k at 23 but 175k of was earned through such a braindead way (cryptocurrency) it means nothing. The 75k means a bit cause it was earned conventionally. If fba is reselling on amazon it doesn't really show anything about intelligence, just like me being loaded from cryptocurrency.
Original post by _gcx
Yeah, the drop in grades is probably at least somewhat dependent on how much they relied on rote learning, since this is less doable at A-level. (if they didn't really understand a concept at GCSE and got through by memorising answers, they will struggle when that concept is built upon at A-level) I did see a very strange decline in attitude too when you'd expect people to care more.


Probably because a lot of people can coast through GCSEs without learning what hard work is.

At the very least people who achieve high grades are generally pragmatic, they know what they need to do to score a high mark (mention an equal number of substantive points to marks in question with key words/make sure to have the correct balance of different types of content in an essay) and do it.

Would you call someone who finds the steps needed to achieve some goal and executes those steps well smart?
Original post by Ratchet Hoe
Also the comparison of students from GCSE transitioning to A Levels was a clear indicator to me on how it does not show intelligence. I knew one person who used to gain A’s/A*’s and that was technically their results, which are not constant C’s at A Levels. I am just the norm in GCSE but achieving the same grades at the same time. Many people who got grades higher than me haven’t made it into the 2nd year also. Just shows really. 😬

Some stuff in this thread is non-sense. To an extent, it doesn't measure intelligence fully (there's harder admission tests, Olympiads, interviews, etc. which are better indicators) but a smart student ==>> good grades and perhaps the converse isn't necessarily true as much as people think but you have to be fairly intelligent to get A*. Also, I fail to see how a 'genius' gets C in the subject he's good at? Maybe, 80s% instead of full marks (still an A*) as past a certain threshold, it comes down to mistakes, etc. but a C is usually not even half the paper.
Original post by black1blade
I wouldn't say 0 correlation, would you also say that knowing more languages or having a larger vocabulary does not correlate to higher intelligence?

correlation does not mean causation.
it might be that a larger vocabulary could be an indication that you have higher intelligence but its not a fact but rather speculation. i could be good at maths, doesnt determine whether im smart or not, same with most things.
if you were referring languages to the language a levels, my answer would be that you dont need to do a language a level to prove you know a language, so saying people are smarter because they did well in a language A level would be unfair considering there are people who are also very good at languages that havent done a level languages
Reply 17
Couldn't be less true. Pre-degree exams especially do not reflect anything other than regurgitating information, even in essay based subjects. It's not even a case of memory its just a case of how well someone can complete a specific exam. GCSE/A-Levels are entirely geared towards exams and grades and are not there as a marker of intelligence or to encourage learning at all.
Original post by _gcx
This is far too strong. It's just nonsense to say a lower ability person is just as likely to get a high grade than a higher ability student.


i didnt say that. i said that how clever you are is not reflected on the grades you get. never denied the fact that a lower ability student would get a lower grade than a higher ability student, i was talking about intelligence in real life.
I disagree. When it comes to maths and physics, your ability is being assessed and if you can't do the calculations you won't get a high grade. Though are you talking about GCSEs or A Levels since the 2 qualifications are quite different and I didn't study the new 9-1 GCSEs and I'm self studying the new spec a levels?
Original post by Ratchet Hoe
I don’t believe that because you get an A (or being academically ‘smart’h means that you are ‘intelligent’. Because in order to get an A in most cases, it’s not your ability that is being assessed but the criteria that you have to follow to get that grade. In subjects such as science and maths, it’s all the case of remembering. Essay subjects have to follow a structure that must follow a point, evidence and explain it in depth. In subjects such as art it is very subjective so grading can be very awkward and may vary depending on who marks it. Essay and practical subjects do limit the ability that someone has on a certificate too. What is your view?

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