New exam system and Uni placements

With a-levels changing to a linear based system many predict that this yrs Yr12s and 13s will have larger percentage of retakers due to unsatisfactory grades.

Im currently in Yr 12 and my school has spared no feelings in saying that there will a large majority of you that WILL FAIL and as result have to retake the yr to improve your grade.

I was wondering do you think that Universities will take into consideration this fact and lower entry requirements for courses at there uni?

tbh i think they should...its not really fair that previous yrs can have up to 2 attempts in one yr to get there ideal grade unlike us now which only truly have one main attempt.

Your thoughts and opinions?

Reply 1

TenOfThem

Original post by RagaZ

My thoughts are

Your school is very poor and you should go to a school where the teaching is of a high enough quality for you to pass the exams - the very idea that they are saying you will not be taught well enough to pass appals me

Reply 2

John Stuart Mill

they will probably have to reach a certain amount of people so if the grades aren't satisfactory my guess is yes.

Original post by TenOfThem

yeah I get this but the problem is probably students not revising in their spare time tbh... (Gove is introducing much more difficult exams)

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

i_is_jon

To be honest, it's not really gonna bother me as I do a BTEC Sub Dip + 2 A Levels (Accounts & ICT) and the Exam in ICT has always been in the Summer so it's only ACCN1 that is going to change for me and I don't think that changes a lot for me.

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Reply 4

TenOfThem

Original post by John Stuart Mill

yeah I get this but the problem is probably students not revising in their spare time tbh... (Gove is introducing much more difficult exams)

If the students do not work then they do not deserve good grades - what has the change to do with their work ethic

Gove has no impact on the exams themselves

Reply 5

alow

Original post by RagaZ

Year

Well there were plenty of people I knew that did not retake any exams when they could have several times (and I only retook 3 exams that were all As anywyay).

I found it unfair that people who sat an exam four times to get the mark I got first time got the same credit for it, so at least now it's a much more even playing field. I think people should just study first time round and not rely on the safety net of "Oh I'll just do it again next year". In my opinion, the system is much fairer now as you can only have one resit of each of your first year exams once, which is enough of a chance to improve and to teach you not to procrastinate before your A2 exams.

Reply 6

John Stuart Mill

Original post by TenOfThem

If the students do not work then they do not deserve good grades - what has the change to do with their work ethic

Gove has no impact on the exams themselves

By Gove (being the educational minister) i'm referring to the people in charge of the educational system... as for work ethic the examinations are supposed to be getting much more difficult so students will (probably) have to study more in their spare time if they are to pass.

Reply 7

Joinedup

Possibly the school is trying to motivate you by telling you that you need to get your butts into gear this year.

Reply 8

Aneesah_May

Exam dates are up online. I have most ot mine on consecutive days and on one or f the consecutive days I have physics and psychology. Maybe not lower the grade boundaries but lower there are expectations on other stuff like experience and our personal statement not being to big a deal

Reply 9

SillyEddy

Lowering the entry requirements does pose a little bit of an issue. The top universities aren't really going to want to shift in case it makes them look like they're after a "lower" calibre of student.

That said, give it a few years and I am sure it will settle down again. Perhaps more people will go through clearing in the first year or two as they start to understand the new exams system.

Reply 10

nulli tertius

Original post by SillyEddy

Entry requirements have already started dropping. However, there is something of a false market at present in that a number of universities are advertising higher grades for competitive subjects than in reality they are accepting. Last year a number of universities ended up taking in clearing, candidates with lower results than they had turned down earlier in the admissions process. They will not want to repeat that, this year. Universities are also very keen on completion rates because it impacts on funding and mainstream candidates are far less likely to drop out that clearing candidates.

Reply 11

evening sunrise

A return to sanity where a uni like Exeter would offer CCC, Essex EE, Bath BCE and QMUL CC. My offers from 81.

As that readjustment takes place some institutions will end up settling for your cycle proficiency test certificate.

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Reply 12

RagaZ

Original post by TenOfThem

nah i think there just saying that to scare us into working our ass off this year. Because tbh with you i came into the year thinking AS would be a doss year like how Yr 10 was for GCSEs but now i know that i flippin need to work NOW and its going to be even harder without what some have you said the "safety net" of retries.