The Student Room Group

A Levels 2022 debate

Hello.
According to the news that this years gcse don't have mini exams anymore and i have heard the rumours that they are probably going to implement a 1-1 meeting with the teacher to discuss their grades.
I'm sorry but this is really unfair to last years yr11s and 13s ... we weren't given any notice or anything and just had predicted grades thrown at us and we have to live with them now + some were even downgraded. heavily. Partiality was definitely shown among lots of children by teachers.
I'm just saying that GCSE 2020 were not given the full support we should have got. Therefore, what I'm trying to say is that universities should not consider our GCSE (for 2020) grades when we are applying so it can be fair for everyone.
I just want to know what others think of this and if my argument is valid for the goverment to review.

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I'm currently in year 13. I think if anything last years grades were inflated, which is what they're trying to reduce this year. The 1-1 meetings are probably just going to be them telling us our grade so they have less appeals to deal with, or to give any evidence to our teachers if we want to challenge our grade.
I think it's unfair in some ways, this year they have more time, but surely that's only going to make this years grades more accurate? If I got my predicted grades, that would be way higher than what I'm likely to get given by my teachers. Also last year you could've resit if you really wanted to, which is what they'd argue
Universities don't really look at your GCSEs anyway so I don't think it's that big of a deal.
Last years grading process was not fair on many people, however in the end I believe everyone got their CAGs which should be (there or there abouts) a fair representation of the grade you could have got in the exam. There was the option of an Autumn exam series for any subjects you werenโ€™t happy with.

University admissions staff will be well aware of the situation your whole year group is in but it probably depends on the quantity and quality of applicants as to whether theyโ€™re more lenient or not with their gcse requirements. Many only request a pass in maths and english anyway
Reply 3
Original post by laurawatt
Last years grading process was not fair on many people, however in the end I believe everyone got their CAGs which should be (there or there abouts) a fair representation of the grade you could have got in the exam. There was the option of an Autumn exam series for any subjects you werenโ€™t happy with.

University admissions staff will be well aware of the situation your whole year group is in but it probably depends on the quantity and quality of applicants as to whether theyโ€™re more lenient or not with their gcse requirements. Many only request a pass in maths and english anyway

There are someone people who are not even happy with their centre assessed grades as well like me . Idk man I just want unis to not care about gcses for 2020 and 2021 cus this is a really tough time we are going thru and the fact we havent even had a chance to prove ourselves in the final exams is actually unfair but i guess we just have to live with it smh.
Reply 4
Original post by thereisalightx
I'm currently in year 13. I think if anything last years grades were inflated, which is what they're trying to reduce this year. The 1-1 meetings are probably just going to be them telling us our grade so they have less appeals to deal with, or to give any evidence to our teachers if we want to challenge our grade.
I think it's unfair in some ways, this year they have more time, but surely that's only going to make this years grades more accurate? If I got my predicted grades, that would be way higher than what I'm likely to get given by my teachers. Also last year you could've resit if you really wanted to, which is what they'd argue
Universities don't really look at your GCSEs anyway so I don't think it's that big of a deal.

My predictions were lower ... my teachers had deffo something against me. I couldn't even appeal cus they were CAGs and i was actually improving around the start of 2020 and suddenly corona hit.
But the thing is i did IGCSE in a different country and i came back to the uk during corona and to resit exams for igcse is literally so expensive in the uk (200pounds per subject) and also i would be considered a private candidate and no schools were taking me in as a private candidate to resit due covid-19. So dont you think its a bit unfair for students like me.
I want to do economics in uni which a competitive course so if I wanna get into a good uni then they would look at my gcses innit.
Original post by vickymads
There are someone people who are not even happy with their centre assessed grades as well like me . Idk man I just want unis to not care about gcses for 2020 and 2021 cus this is a really tough time we are going thru and the fact we havent even had a chance to prove ourselves in the final exams is actually unfair but i guess we just have to live with it smh.

You had the option of autumn exams?
Anyway as post #2 says, most universities donโ€™t have many gcse requirements at all :smile:

Whatever happens, I hope it works out for you :yep:
Reply 6
Original post by laurawatt
You had the option of autumn exams?
Anyway as post #2 says, most universities donโ€™t have many gcse requirements at all :smile:

Whatever happens, I hope it works out for you :yep:

Actually I did IGCSEs in a different country before coming back to do alevels in the uk and i tried contacting schools which would take me as a private candidate but every school said no ... and uno how much it costs per subejcts - 200pounds+ per subject and im not rich so like it didnt work out for me to do a resit anyways. I tried doing a resit for may/june but still no one took me.

Yeah it is what it is i guess :frown:
Original post by vickymads
Actually I did IGCSEs in a different country before coming back to do alevels in the uk and i tried contacting schools which would take me as a private candidate but every school said no ... and uno how much it costs per subejcts - 200pounds+ per subject and im not rich so like it didnt work out for me to do a resit anyways. I tried doing a resit for may/june but still no one took me.

Yeah it is what it is i guess :frown:

What grades do you have in English language and maths? :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by laurawatt
What grades do you have in English language and maths? :smile:

B in English lang
B in maths but i would have definitely gotten an A in my finals cus i improved a lot.
Reply 9
Original post by vickymads
Hello.
According to the news that this years gcse don't have mini exams anymore and i have heard the rumours that they are probably going to implement a 1-1 meeting with the teacher to discuss their grades.
I'm sorry but this is really unfair to last years yr11s and 13s ... we weren't given any notice or anything and just had predicted grades thrown at us and we have to live with them now + some were even downgraded. heavily. Partiality was definitely shown among lots of children by teachers.
I'm just saying that GCSE 2020 were not given the full support we should have got. Therefore, what I'm trying to say is that universities should not consider our GCSE (for 2020) grades when we are applying so it can be fair for everyone.
I just want to know what others think of this and if my argument is valid for the goverment to review.

Only Oxbridge care about your GCSEs...
And if you were oxbridge material your predicted grades will be good enough to get in.

Some subjects e.g. Economics might require grade 7 in Mathematics, but again, if you are competent enough in Maths to do a economics degree you should do it for A-Level and at the very least get a 7 at GCSE.

In general as long as you get above a 4 in English and Maths universities aren't bothered. The emphasis teachers place on GCSEs is way overblown so that you don't piss about and fail, they really aren't all that important.
Reply 10
Original post by jxsoph
Only Oxbridge care about your GCSEs...
And if you were oxbridge material your predicted grades will be good enough to get in.

Some subjects e.g. Economics might require grade 7 in Mathematics, but again, if you are competent enough in Maths to do a economics degree you should do it for A-Level and at the very least get a 7 at GCSE.

In general as long as you get above a 4 in English and Maths universities aren't bothered. The emphasis teachers place on GCSEs is way overblown so that you don't piss about and fail, they really aren't all that important.

Damn the second line :s-smilie:
jkjk i know im not smart

But yeah im doing maths alevel and i just hope my B in gcse maths is ok.
Im thinking of applying to unis that dont ask fore A in maths at gcses for econ.
Original post by vickymads
B in English lang
B in maths but i would have definitely gotten an A in my finals cus i improved a lot.

E.g. Nottingham wants a 7 at gcse unless youโ€™re taking it at A-level
At Kings, they donโ€™t have any gcse requirements for the course
UCL wants 5s in English and maths
Etc.
You can still get into really good universities to do economics with the grades you have!
Reply 12
Original post by laurawatt
E.g. Nottingham wants a 7 at gcse unless youโ€™re taking it at A-level
At Kings, they donโ€™t have any gcse requirements for the course
UCL wants 5s in English and maths
Etc.
You can still get into really good universities to do economics with the grades you have!

Ahh thats good! but competition wise its too difficult to get in
Original post by vickymads
Ahh thats good! but competition wise its too difficult to get in

Never know until you try :smile: you could always email the admissions staff at universities youโ€™re interested in later in the year if youโ€™re still unsure
Original post by vickymads
Hello.
According to the news that this years gcse don't have mini exams anymore and i have heard the rumours that they are probably going to implement a 1-1 meeting with the teacher to discuss their grades.
I'm sorry but this is really unfair to last years yr11s and 13s ... we weren't given any notice or anything and just had predicted grades thrown at us and we have to live with them now + some were even downgraded. heavily. Partiality was definitely shown among lots of children by teachers.
I'm just saying that GCSE 2020 were not given the full support we should have got. Therefore, what I'm trying to say is that universities should not consider our GCSE (for 2020) grades when we are applying so it can be fair for everyone.
I just want to know what others think of this and if my argument is valid for the goverment to review.


Yh but we have gaps in our knowledge and they are still basing our grades on mocks etc. Many people were in and out of isolation which further disrupted their studies and donโ€™t even get a chance to properly prove what they are capable of.

The government have expressed that the grades will not be based on what teachers think you would get if there was no pandemic (like in 2020) but what you are working at so if you got a 5 in your mock in November but an 8 suddenly you wouldnโ€™t get the grade 8 even though you started working at a grade 8.

There was also an increase in the number of grades 7-9s awarded to the 2020 cohort so they were in fact inflated. I just donโ€™t think itโ€™s fair to say people in 2021 are not at a disadvantage because we are just as much and if not more.

If I was given the option to do exams I would. I donโ€™t think itโ€™s fair to say that the 2021 Cohort had it easy when it was harder to learn. We couldnโ€™t get interventions and still had to learn basically the same amount of content. However I do understand where you are coming from since there are many stories which people grades soar after exams in May. There are some flaws to mini exams tho.
Original post by laurawatt
E.g. Nottingham wants a 7 at gcse unless youโ€™re taking it at A-level
At Kings, they donโ€™t have any gcse requirements for the course
UCL wants 5s in English and maths
Etc.
You can still get into really good universities to do economics with the grades you have!


APPLY! I heard many universities say that for people who did GCSEs in 2020 grades are not a huge factor just do well in A level.
GCSEs are not really a huge factor for university admissions provided you get above the minimum. It's mainly a few select courses. (some courses at Oxford, medicine, etc.) In fact, admissions teams generally appreciate an upward trajectory.

GCSEs turn out to be far less of a big deal than people think while doing them. They're more a stepping stone to A-levels/any further education.
Reply 17
Original post by vickymads
Damn the second line :s-smilie:
jkjk i know im not smart

But yeah im doing maths alevel and i just hope my B in gcse maths is ok.
Im thinking of applying to unis that dont ask fore A in maths at gcses for econ.

Why do you want to study Economics anyway? It is the most boring subject in the world and is essentially applied maths.

GCSE and A-Level grades have nothing to do with being intelligent, it is all about hard work and putting in the hours
Reply 18
Original post by jxsoph
Why do you want to study Economics anyway? It is the most boring subject in the world and is essentially applied maths.

GCSE and A-Level grades have nothing to do with being intelligent, it is all about hard work and putting in the hours

It's not boring for me tho.. its my favourite subject. I have fun in the lesson and i like learning the content. The diagrams and essays are a pain i agree but i acc like it theory wise :smile: And i enjoy maths as a whole but alevel maths is doing my head in at the moment smh

IKKKK. Why is the British system all about grades grades grades. Like if we don't succeed in grades then that's it we've failed our whole education - that's how they make it seem so ppl who didn't get good grades are gonna be like me all stressed and worries for uni :/
Reply 19
Original post by vickymads
It's not boring for me tho.. its my favourite subject. I have fun in the lesson and i like learning the content. The diagrams and essays are a pain i agree but i acc like it theory wise :smile: And i enjoy maths as a whole but alevel maths is doing my head in at the moment smh

IKKKK. Why is the British system all about grades grades grades. Like if we don't succeed in grades then that's it we've failed our whole education - that's how they make it seem so ppl who didn't get good grades are gonna be like me all stressed and worries for uni :/

Because the UK is basically a third world country at this point.

If you wanted to do well in life with relatively little effort you should have been born in the states.

US: Breeze through high school -> College -> 60k/yr job -> 100k mid career

UK: **** load of exams starting at 16 -> University -> 30K a year job if you are lucky -> 50K mid career

That's what happens when you live in a welfare state like the UK

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