The Student Room Group

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Reply 40
amazingtrade
I think this is a party a myth to be honest. I know a lot of people who work very very hard at A level so they are still hard. I read a report in the Guardian a few months back that compared an A level maths exam paper from the 1950's to a modern one. The modern was one had different types of questions but was no easier. My dad did A level maths in the late 1960's and he is hopeless when it comes to helping my sister out with her A level maths.


Then why is there a 300% increase in the number of people getting full marks in their A-Level papers. Improved teaching standards? I think not. Politically motivated attempts to make our students look bright? Possibly so.
Reply 41
I don't know about where you are, but at the moment at my school you can't take any exams early - they could probably do an early GCSE maths for example. They don't do it I think because it would mess up their statistics for the league tables
Reply 42
viviki
You can do your exams early now though I'm sure it is just government propoganda to make people think that the proposed new style qualification will be worse than the old when they actually probablywont be any different. Not that I'm cynical!!


Yeah but it is still very rare, you have to be very good to do your exams early. My sister took her GCSE maths exam in Year 10 however she still did most her GCSEs in year 11.

This is new system will make the norm to do exams early hence making the other people who are not fast enough feel like failures.
Reply 43
timeofyourlife
Then why is there a 300% increase in the number of people getting full marks in their A-Level papers. Improved teaching standards? I think not. Politically motivated attempts to make our students look bright? Possibly so.


300% increase? Can you please provide me with a source for that information?
Reply 44
amazingtrade
300% increase? Can you please provide me with a source for that information?


umm, my university personal tutor! Even I had 100% in 7 modules at A2 and i'm no academic legend.
Reply 45
timeofyourlife
umm, my university personal tutor! Even I had 100% in 7 modules at A2 and i'm no academic legend.


Well the figure I thought it was more like a series of 1% increases since 1998. It is no wear near 300% and if you can give me some proper factual information to proove me wrong I shall personaly stick a picture of me having sex with Kylie Minogue in my signiture.
Reply 46
Students would also be able to take exams earlier or later rather than at fixed ages as is the case now.

The change might allow bright schoolchildren to begin university degrees at the age of 16.



The article doesnt say how many children will be able to do this or will be able to do this. We really dont know what will happen until it becomes a full blown detailed proposal which hasnt happened yet.
viviki

The change might allow bright schoolchildren to begin university degrees at the age of 16.


Who on earth would be clever enough to do that?

I don't know anyone clever enough to skip 2 years education, it's a silly idea.
Reply 48
According to the Guardian it not even close to 300%

http://education.guardian.co.uk/alevels2003/story/0,13394,1017969,00.html
Reply 49
amazingtrade
Well the figure I thought it was more like a series of 1% increases since 1998. It is no wear near 300% and if you can give me some proper factual information to proove me wrong I shall personaly stick a picture of me having sex with Kylie Minogue in my signiture.


I'm referring to exams from about 30 years ago. And if it can seriously be said that I deserved my supposedly difficult modular results, I'll stick a picture of me in a S&M situation with Anne Robinson on my sig.
Reply 50
bono
Who on earth would be clever enough to do that?

I don't know anyone clever enough to skip 2 years education, it's a silly idea.


Its just the government trying to make the new proposals sound good. In theory it is already possible both OX and Cam have had (and for all I know may already have at the moment) students of 16 or younger but these are rare and I'm sure wont become much more common.