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Are A LEVELS Getting Easier ???

I agree with Juxtapiper and White_redrose on resits. I know someone who resat all his AS modules in January 2005, got the same grade he did in 2004, and resat the entire AS again this summer.

I also disagree with resits in Modern Languages, because you get people resitting their whole AS again when they have a better proficiency in the language being studied, thus as an attempt to gain more UMS.

Reply 41

White_redrose

1

Well said.

*grins* great post Juxtapiped! If I'd been a little less lazy regarding retaking at AS I think I might've been one of those people you comment on above :smile:

but my natural laziness overrided my perfectionist streak lol. Looking back, I think even considering it was silly.

Reply 42

silent ninja

19

Disagree with that part, i'm sure this depends on the subject. I dont think A levels distinguish the students with 'true' intellect as well as they should, but parrot fashion learning wont get you far in the sciences (i've only done chemistry, physics, maths so cant comment on the arts). You cant exactly apply a theory by simply memorising the the definition.

Reply 43

Mustard-man

18

Elles

poor illustration, imho.

it's often said the increase in medicine standard requirements is due to increased popularity/wider perceived access (& the majority of schools wanting to use A2 grades as a 'filter' for standard entry!), rather than such grades in current terms being required to cope with the course.

so it's not automatic evidence that they've become easier.. merely that more students are getting grades above CCC & more students are applying to medicine! :p:

Popularity can only become real if the grades are met, so you are saying that because of popularity the grade requirements have gone up? Yes, it can be popular if people get the grades, so for there to be more people getting the grades, the exams must be easier

What is popularity? How much people want to do it? Even if more people want to do it, it doesn't mean they will suceed. I know people who really want to do medicine, does that mean that the standard requirement increases? No, because how ever much they wanted to do medicine, which to me looked like they were dedicated, they still didn't manage to get the grades. Thats why there is always a handful of people who don't think exams have become easier. Perhaps its not their fault that they can't attain the grades, maybe its the teaching, but the fact is that exams have become more easier, maybe not significantly, but it has.

But the majority of people who find A-levels easy will get the grades, not just because its becoming popular.

Reply 44

Emsy

1

gordon2002

or we can think to ourselves that we are getting smarter....

We are, our educational achievement is always rising, my view is that more money is being spent on education to help us succeed, ive seen alot of changes in my college and high school regarding ICT and resources that have raised grades, so as long as they do this we can get higher grades. I disagree with this new diploma that they want to bring in, they shouldn't start changing everything around, flippin well leave us alone! :smile:

Theres alot of people that fail, sorry 'deferred sucess'? or don't put any effort in at all!

Ems x

Reply 45

Emsy

1

silent ninja

Disagree with that part, i'm sure this depends on the subject. I dont think A levels distinguish the students with 'true' intellect as well as they should, but parrot fashion learning wont get you far in the sciences (i've only done chemistry, physics, maths so cant comment on the arts). You cant exactly apply a theory by simply memorising the the definition.

True! In Art A-level you have to work your ass off painting, research and composing things which take up most of your free time, we memorise nothing but work all year round.

Reply 46

Cosmo

The reason why the government feel that A-levels are becoming easier is because over the last few year, there has been a big decrease in the number of students taking science/modern language subjects.

In my opinion, achieving an A grade in A-level Sociology would be much easier than achieving an A grade in A-level Maths (providing the student has a neutral-based knowledge in all subjects and is not a mathematically genius).

Reply 47

nas7232

19

silent ninja

Disagree with that part, i'm sure this depends on the subject. I dont think A levels distinguish the students with 'true' intellect as well as they should, but parrot fashion learning wont get you far in the sciences (i've only done chemistry, physics, maths so cant comment on the arts). You cant exactly apply a theory by simply memorising the the definition.

Me 2, it really does depend on the a level and exam board. 95% of AQA's exams are memory tests.

OCR and Salters differs alot.

Reply 48

Mustard-man

18

nas7232

Me 2, it really does depend on the a level and exam board. 95% of AQA's exams are memory tests.

OCR and Salters differs alot.

Bloody biology edexcel exam board always have those 'suggest' questions :mad:

Reply 49

Cosmo

AQA, 95% memory tests? Hmm, I think not:

Maths (AQA) - Most questions that I came across on the exams required me to apply my mathematical knowledge.

Biology (AQA) - Yes, there were memory questions, but also describe, show, suggest and explain questions too.

ICT (AQA) - Included a 20 mark essay question - an application question, not memory.

Obviously, these are just some of the subjects I have taken, but other AQA exams will be formatted similarly to these.

Where did you get the "95%" figure from?

Reply 50

nas7232

19

Cosmo

AQA, 95% memory tests? Hmm, I think not:

Maths (AQA) - Most questions that I came across on the exams required me to apply my mathematical knowledge.

Biology (AQA) - Yes, there were memory questions, but also describe, show, suggest and explain questions too.

ICT (AQA) - Included a 20 mark essay question - an application question, not memory.

Obviously, these are just some of the subjects I have taken, but other AQA exams will be formatted similarly to these.

Where did you get the "95%" figure from?

Directly from AQA via email.

Reply 51

joshdajoker

1

OMG WHAT IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesnt matter how many times you resit. If you are not A standard you will not get an A. A resit is just testing you again at a different time to see if you can attain a higher level of ability. Perhaps make the resit your ACTUAL result but don't scrap them. People retake driving tests and other things etc.

Grade system needs to be scrapped and the UMS is what should count. How many marks out of 600 in each and then an overall total. ie 1469/1800 Why have only 5 bands when you can have 1800 bands? Then they should make the dishing out of grades follow a normal distribution around the 300 mark with 500 nearly impossible to get and 100 extremly easy to get. Those who get 550 will then truly shine.

Reply 52

Gaz031

15

It doesnt matter how many times you resit. If you are not A standard you will not get an A. A resit is just testing you again at a different time to see if you can attain a higher level of ability.

Each time you sit an exam there's a chance you might get higher than the mean mark you'd get from sitting different tests on the same material. Surely you've had exams go bad or good for you?

Perhaps make the resit your ACTUAL result but don't scrap them.

That would be a step in the right direction.

People retake driving tests and other things etc.

Yes but they don't retake each component of them such as 'turn in the road' or 'emergency stop'.

Reply 53

r_perry

twisted statistics is one of the main problems. Edwina bloody Curry uses the fact that 97% of alevels taken are passes, so then she sayes that alevels are getting easier and it is an awful problem. I say that it is an awful problem if a country like ours cant get 97% of out students to take an alevel and get an E!. Anyone who is half serious about alevel will at least get C's. If their not overly bothered about education then they should at least get an E. The solution is simple, make A levels like GCSEs, increase the pass rate to a C and then also introduce an A* so that extension papers are not needed any more. The problem with extension papers is that their so hard to compare with Alevels, if they wernt there then the A* would be comparable.

Also I agree with the earlier statement about people remember facts and not understanding them, Ive got a girl whose done Alevel chemistry with me, shes got 100% on a module and about 95% on the rest, shes easily going to get an A, however someone like me whos not the best at remembering will probably get a B. When we were in the classroom learning though, she doesnt understand anything, I was trying to teach her the reasons for things happening, but instead she just wrote what I said, and labourously learnt it, word by word. That is where alevels could be slightly reformed, more lateral thinking is needed

Reply 54

spongebobfan

There are certainly many people getting all As in A-Level, but you don't see so many getting full UMS marks. So I agree colleges should look at uniform marks; I don't agree, however, that resits should be scrapped. An exam taking student could simply have had a bad day on the day of the exam etc. I think colleges should be able to look at all of the module results, mainly taking into account the best scores, but acknowledging that the student has had resits and the scores he/she attained. Well, at least I believe that's one solution.

Oh, and the various and wrong ways in which people spell (esp. the word definItely) are starting to get on my nerves - not just on this thread, but others too. Meanwhile I shall go back to worrying myself sick over the evil that comes with Thursday...

Reply 55

Elles

17

gordon2002

Yes, it can be popular if people get the grades, so for there to be more people getting the grades, the exams must be easier

seems logical, yes.

but it's not a direct proof & it was just the ambiguity of your original phrasing & suggestion that originally CCC was an adequate academic foundation from which to study medicine, but now because exams are easier, you need AAB as an academic foundation to study medicine - that i objected to. :smile:

Reply 56

r_perry

spongebobfan

I don't agree, however, that resits should be scrapped.

I think they should be changed back to the old system, your allowed to retake a module once, or else youve gotta retake the whole a level. Yes you can have a bad day but you cant argue that every time youve retaken the same module, you had a bad day. there are now 4, sometimes 6 exam sessions in two years, and some people just retake so much, end up spending over £100 per session on retakes and then on the last session they have to revise for about 25 exams

Reply 57

ruth_lou

9

i dont know how we can say a-levels are easier, for that to be the case we would all have to do every a-level to comment.

I did French, German, Maths and Further Maths, as i got all As in them at GCSE and i am a hard worker and they were no way easy at a-level!

I think the only reason the a-level pass rate is higher and more people are getting As is because of the subjects they do. There has been a 500% increase in the number of people studying media, as it is an easier option compared with something like physics.

If people were forced to do sciences and languages do you think the pass rate would be so high?
The level of easyness is simply to do with the subjects you do. Im sure if i did sociology, psychology and RE i would get As just from what my friends have told me. From my subjects i will not get all As, but it does not mean i am less intelligent to someone who got all As, coz im sure i will have worked harder than them for my subjects.