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A level corona virus worries (CCEA)

Hey guys I am really anxious right now about results day and need help... the course i want to study at QUB is BBB and at As level I got AAB and am predicted A*AB... I am really worried come results day that my AB will drop to a BC ( as I study a double award A level) can anyone help? Also are double award subjects counted as a single subject with a double award or is it two seperate A levels
Reply 1
Avatar for Broque_
Broque_
18
Hey friend,

I'm pretty sure they count as two a levels; a quick search on the forum and google show that they are pretty much equivalent to 2 A levels as they encompass a similar level of content coverage. If you look at the QUB general entrance requirement page it says "Passes in at least four subjects, three of which should be at A-level. A-level (Double Award) will be acceptable in place of two A-levels."
Link: https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/general-entrance-requirements/

I'll be upfront with you, I think you'll be fine and there is no point in stressing about it now. You have every right to be anxious but at the end of the day you have a long life ahead of you and it'll all work out in the end :smile:. Ofqual has published the model they will use to standardise the grades and a reflection on a symposium they helf and centre assessment grades. I'll attach the two links at the end as I highly recommend you take a look at the slideshow and reflections. I personally have chosen to trust the process they are taking, the initial articles claiming all grades will be slashed by a 1/3 were "factually" correct but very misleading.

The process simplified from what I understood is:
1. All centres send in the grades they believe each student would achieve. They then also rank these students, in who is most likely to achieve this grade to least likely.
2. Ofqual will take the historical grade distribution of the school's grades, adjust them for fluctuations and the CAGs, then overlay this distribution onto the grades the centre has sent in.
3. If for instance the centre sent in 15 candidates for A* in Physics, but historically they usually only have 11 or 12 per year, there is a chance the students ranked lowest in likely to achieve will be dropped down.

Looking at the grades you've achieved before the pandemic I'm as confident as can be you'll be totally fine.

All you can do is wait, don't let this ruin the rest of your break :frown:

Reflections: https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2020/07/24/reflections-on-the-summer-symposium/
Standardisation process (Slideshow at the end): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020#summer-symposium
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Broque_
Hey friend,

I'm pretty sure they count as two a levels; a quick search on the forum and google show that they are pretty much equivalent to 2 A levels as they encompass a similar level of content coverage. If you look at the QUB general entrance requirement page it says "Passes in at least four subjects, three of which should be at A-level. A-level (Double Award) will be acceptable in place of two A-levels."
Link: https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/general-entrance-requirements/

I'll be upfront with you, I think you'll be fine and there is no point in stressing about it now. You have every right to be anxious but at the end of the day you have a long life ahead of you and it'll all work out in the end :smile:. Ofqual has published the model they will use to standardise the grades and a reflection on a symposium they helf and centre assessment grades. I'll attach the two links at the end as I highly recommend you take a look at the slideshow and reflections. I personally have chosen to trust the process they are taking, the initial articles claiming all grades will be slashed by a 1/3 were "factually" correct but very misleading.

The process simplified from what I understood is:
1. All centres send in the grades they believe each student would achieve. They then also rank these students, in who is most likely to achieve this grade to least likely.
2. Ofqual will take the historical grade distribution of the school's grades, adjust them for fluctuations and the CAGs, then overlay this distribution onto the grades the centre has sent in.
3. If for instance the centre sent in 15 candidates for A* in Physics, but historically they usually only have 11 or 12 per year, there is a chance the students ranked lowest in likely to achieve will be dropped down.

Looking at the grades you've achieved before the pandemic I'm as confident as can be you'll be totally fine.

All you can do is wait, don't let this ruin the rest of your break :frown:

Reflections: https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2020/07/24/reflections-on-the-summer-symposium/
Standardisation process (Slideshow at the end): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020#summer-symposium

2. Ofqual will take the historical grade distribution of the school's grades, adjust them for fluctuations and the CAGs, then overlay this distribution onto the grades the centre has sent in.

When you mention this is it all the grades the school has produced or is it just specific to the subject for example if the A level english is terrible it wont reflect on my science.

Also I am CCEA so do ofqual regulate NI also or is it just CCEA that regulate themselves
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 3
Avatar for Broque_
Broque_
18
Original post by Mr101
2. Ofqual will take the historical grade distribution of the school's grades, adjust them for fluctuations and the CAGs, then overlay this distribution onto the grades the centre has sent in.

When you mention this is it all the grades the school has produced or is it just specific to the subject for example if the A level english is terrible it wont reflect on my science.

Also I am CCEA so do ofqual regulate NI also or is it just CCEA that regulate themselves

Woops, sorry there, tunnel vision got me, that's embarrassing :eek:. No, Ofqual won't do the standardisation for NI, it'll be CCEA. However, it looks like they'll be using a pretty similar model to Ofqual. Looking at their FAQ they've said:

"Will CCEA take in to account results from previous cohorts?

Following instruction from the Minister of Education, CCEA Regulation published guidance to schools explaining how centres should create centre assessment grades for GCSE and AS and A Level qualifications. The guidance also explains how CCEA will use a statistical model to standardise grades in each subject. This will involve a combination of a range of evidence, including:

- expected grade distributions at full CCEA cohort level;
- results in previous years at individual centres; and
- the prior attainment profile of students at centre level"


There are quite a few answers to similar questions so you should take a look: https://ccea.org.uk/summer-awarding/faqs

It looks like they're doing all the same of CAGs, rank order, historical grade distribution, Autumn/Summer 2021 exams etc.

Sorry again :yucky:
- expected grade distributions at full CCEA cohort level;
- results in previous years at individual centres; and
- the prior attainment profile of students at centre level"

By prior attainment profile does that include all my GCSE grades if i have already done my AS levels. Will they only take my As level into account when grading my A level

my AS level were good AAB my GCSEs not so good however in the specific subjects i do at A level my GCSE double award science got a BB and my engineering got a A*

Could you also break down what them three points above mean

Thanks in advance.
(edited 3 years ago)

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