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Exam's get easier???
Ok like last year its all in the media that a levels are easier and that more and more people pass it A's.
What do you think?
I think its both true and false, more people get A's and stuff because they have loads more crappy easy subjects like general studies. You can not say that it takes as much skill/brains to pass A level maths to A level general studies. They are just not level!!! More people seem to be taking the easy subjects result more A's
I did a level maths, just after i finished they change the course completely, I had a look over the course and talked to people doing resits in it and they and i agree they had made it alot easier. Why because so many people were failing As and maths departments were closing so this is a class when they did make it easier.
Whats people views???
What do you think?
I think its both true and false, more people get A's and stuff because they have loads more crappy easy subjects like general studies. You can not say that it takes as much skill/brains to pass A level maths to A level general studies. They are just not level!!! More people seem to be taking the easy subjects result more A's
I did a level maths, just after i finished they change the course completely, I had a look over the course and talked to people doing resits in it and they and i agree they had made it alot easier. Why because so many people were failing As and maths departments were closing so this is a class when they did make it easier.
Whats people views???
Scroll to see replies
Well and please no one take this offensively but more and more people like you say are taking 'easier' subjects (I mean they are only easy if you know how! BUT!) such as Sociology which my friends who took it all said it was sooo easy it was a good way to bring their UCAS points up. A lot more people are taking vocational A-Levels (where available) as opposed to academic which can be taken as good or bad depending on long-term prospects I have no qualms about either route.
BUT...saying more people get A's because of general studies is rather a sweeping statement as I don't know one person (Excluding people on TSR) who got over a D in general studies because 'they couldn't be bothered' because it wasn't a subject they chose....I personally was bothered because it counted towards my UCAS points for my chosen course...in my mock I got the 2nd to top mark in the whole school, in my real exam...I got an E, and I tried REALLY hard! So I wouldn't say general studies is easy, not in my personal experience anyway.
Yeah like you said most subjects aren't level, some people excel in the arts whereas others do with logic and so on and so forth therefore they can not be measured against one another.
In some sense some subjects will have been made easier especially if a school is considered to be failing, and I say this by, teachers may hint more at what may be on the exam paper and may only study/revise those subjects whereas schools that are doing OK already may not hint so much. I don't know so much whether the exam boards are making things easier....
My mum always says that schools are going easier on pupils now than they were when she was at school and she is only 36 so that was only 16 years ago that she completed her O-levels. She was part of the test group to do GCSE's as well as O-levels and she got higher marks in GCSE based exams than in O-Levels but she enjoyed the challenge of O-levels more because GCSE's were 'too easy'.
I know you are talking about A-levels in particular, this is just an example that A-levels may have taken the same turn as O-levels.
It is annoying that this happens every year, it will never change...can it never be that maybe teaching is getting better? or does it always have to be that the exams are easier...never the students are working harder or are more intelligent/motivated??
BUT...saying more people get A's because of general studies is rather a sweeping statement as I don't know one person (Excluding people on TSR) who got over a D in general studies because 'they couldn't be bothered' because it wasn't a subject they chose....I personally was bothered because it counted towards my UCAS points for my chosen course...in my mock I got the 2nd to top mark in the whole school, in my real exam...I got an E, and I tried REALLY hard! So I wouldn't say general studies is easy, not in my personal experience anyway.
Yeah like you said most subjects aren't level, some people excel in the arts whereas others do with logic and so on and so forth therefore they can not be measured against one another.
In some sense some subjects will have been made easier especially if a school is considered to be failing, and I say this by, teachers may hint more at what may be on the exam paper and may only study/revise those subjects whereas schools that are doing OK already may not hint so much. I don't know so much whether the exam boards are making things easier....
My mum always says that schools are going easier on pupils now than they were when she was at school and she is only 36 so that was only 16 years ago that she completed her O-levels. She was part of the test group to do GCSE's as well as O-levels and she got higher marks in GCSE based exams than in O-Levels but she enjoyed the challenge of O-levels more because GCSE's were 'too easy'.
I know you are talking about A-levels in particular, this is just an example that A-levels may have taken the same turn as O-levels.
It is annoying that this happens every year, it will never change...can it never be that maybe teaching is getting better? or does it always have to be that the exams are easier...never the students are working harder or are more intelligent/motivated??
The reason grades get better each year is because after every exam session each school recieves feedback about where they went right and wrong. As each syllabus rarely changes greatly between years, this means the teachers are better equipped to direct their students to the kind of methods which will get them high grades. In short - poor marking schemes combined with increasingly better teaching is what leads to better grades. I seriously doubt students get gradually more or less intelligent as time goes on - I would imagine it varies only slightly.
I don't understand why everyone is so crap at General Studies - it requires no effort nor any prior knowledge, just a bit of common sense and basic intelligence. I think it's a testament to the supposed intelligence of a lot of students that they can get 10 A's by jumping through marking hoops but if you put them in an unfamiliar and challenging situation they flop spectacularly.
I don't understand why everyone is so crap at General Studies - it requires no effort nor any prior knowledge, just a bit of common sense and basic intelligence. I think it's a testament to the supposed intelligence of a lot of students that they can get 10 A's by jumping through marking hoops but if you put them in an unfamiliar and challenging situation they flop spectacularly.
Sorry to hear you didnt do that well in General studies but at my sixth form most people got good marks. Most people like myself got asked to take it as another a level and didnt have to attend any lessons. There wasnt any that I could attend, they said jus turn up at the exam and have ago. I might have a biased view on the subject as 13 of my friends took it with out any lessons just turn up at exam and all got A.
Do you honestly believe it is just as difficult as subjects like chemistry History or other subject?
I cant, I cant beleive that if any one turns up to do chemistry will pass with no lessons or pior knowledge of the subject.
Do you honestly believe it is just as difficult as subjects like chemistry History or other subject?
I cant, I cant beleive that if any one turns up to do chemistry will pass with no lessons or pior knowledge of the subject.
No I don't think it is more difficult than say Chemistry for example, I just think in my school (and it can't be the only one) I don't think there was any emphasis placed on it, it was classed as a whole a-level to be completed in one year, with NO classes or revision/exam prep, and I also think there was a lack of willingness to do it.
I got all the study guides for it but think that because my school didn't help us with it and expected us to complete it in a year with all our other a-levels then not so many people did well.
I got all the study guides for it but think that because my school didn't help us with it and expected us to complete it in a year with all our other a-levels then not so many people did well.
With more and more subjects like Media Studies, it's getting easier to get a grade A if that's all you're after. Also, teaching is getting more geared toward simply passing exams. It's less about getting a good education now and more about getting the marks. So yes, imo it's easier to get a good grade. But the content of the exams isn't getting dumbed down at all.
The press have complained ever since the Ancient Mesapotanian Times declared in an article that "clay tablets have made it easier for students to erase and re-do sums, not to mention iron stylos: the current Mesapotanian youths have it too easy, and should by rights not even be doing exams, but building the Tower to Babel...".
FanTOM
If I posed this question to the group of people I opened my results with, I'd of been shot on the spot. There are so many hard-workers at my college who failed exams completely. They would have an A in one exam and a U in the other 
From my own personal point of view, I think the difficulty of the exams is dependant wholly on the subjects you are taking and the exam board. I tried very hard in ICT and scraped a C in the first exam and got a U in the second. In Sociology, while I did work and enjoyed the course I wish I had put full effort in as I breezed to a B. Same with general studies. My OCR grades seem terrific yet my AQA ones are very low. All this is probably coincidental, but I felt it was worth mentioning.
And as those have already pointed out, in the majority of cases, we are taught to pass exams and gain the most possible amount of marks. Some teachers do not teach the subject, rather they teach how to move up the markscheme. It is the rigid and inflexible syllabus that causes such a problem however. I'm shocked to have failed ICT at AS-level. I can code in PHP, know Windows and Linux inside out, but cannot seem to pass the exams. My teacher tells me it is because I do not lay out my questions in accordance with the markscheme or use the "correct terminology". Pft.
From my own personal point of view, I think the difficulty of the exams is dependant wholly on the subjects you are taking and the exam board. I tried very hard in ICT and scraped a C in the first exam and got a U in the second. In Sociology, while I did work and enjoyed the course I wish I had put full effort in as I breezed to a B. Same with general studies. My OCR grades seem terrific yet my AQA ones are very low. All this is probably coincidental, but I felt it was worth mentioning.
And as those have already pointed out, in the majority of cases, we are taught to pass exams and gain the most possible amount of marks. Some teachers do not teach the subject, rather they teach how to move up the markscheme. It is the rigid and inflexible syllabus that causes such a problem however. I'm shocked to have failed ICT at AS-level. I can code in PHP, know Windows and Linux inside out, but cannot seem to pass the exams. My teacher tells me it is because I do not lay out my questions in accordance with the markscheme or use the "correct terminology". Pft.
I agree to pass exams you have to put thinks just right and jump through the right hoops. But how can they change this often exams are marked by people who do not know the subject and just go from the mark sheet. The education systme doesnt have enough money to change this I believe.
a THREAD GOT CLOSED ON THIS EArlier beacuse some idiot stated that "In my opinion A levels are really easy," which caused uproar because for a start BAD TIMING_lol being results day and all, and he was undermining everyone getting As and Bs saying it's cos the exams are so easy nowadays. But i dont think the exams are easy, i think people are working harder and also the teaching is a lot better! We have the chance to retake exams nowadays and do modules and coursewrok instead on 1 final exam! Teacher's teach us to pass exams nowadays, HOW to answer the question paper etc, not just the subject itself. Congratulations to everyone who got good results today 
Lol I will be in no way undermining anyone who gets an A or B or anything for that matter because EVEN IF A-levels are getting easier...they are still hard to pass and you must put the effort in...I didn't now look at me...I regret it! So I second ^ Congratualtions to everyone who got into their chosen university!
If you look at the statistics, it's interesting to see that General Studies and Media Studies have a lower pass rate and a lower A grade rate than things like Maths and Modern Languages, which are often claimed to be 'harder'.
So, I don't think it's to do with the non-traditional subjects - just teachers getting used to the exams.
So, I don't think it's to do with the non-traditional subjects - just teachers getting used to the exams.
Congrates to everyone who got A's or B's or any grade passing is difficult and I know loads of people have put tons of effort in.
I was just debating what the media are saying.
It is true people cant keep getting higher and higher grades, I was just wondering if anyone can see a way to change this? What do you think of the idea of merging GCSE with A level. Im not sure i like the idea.
What do you think?
I was just debating what the media are saying.
It is true people cant keep getting higher and higher grades, I was just wondering if anyone can see a way to change this? What do you think of the idea of merging GCSE with A level. Im not sure i like the idea.
What do you think?
they may be getting easier!!! how else would a dummy like me get AAA :O
philjw
If you look at the statistics, it's interesting to see that General Studies and Media Studies have a lower pass rate and a lower A grade rate than things like Maths and Modern Languages, which are often claimed to be 'harder'.
So, I don't think it's to do with the non-traditional subjects - just teachers getting used to the exams.
So, I don't think it's to do with the non-traditional subjects - just teachers getting used to the exams.
That does suprise me loads, but if you look at the statistics less people are taking maths to general studies but also you have to remember to do maths there is a stigma that you have to be brilliant at it to start with to take it.
I know are my sixth form you need a at GCSE to take it where for only the best students get to take it and therefore get a better grade. With general studies anyone can take it it didnt matter what GCSE you go therefore this would give a more spread out data as seem and possible lower grade mean as often more academic students take traditional subjects like maths and often are more successeful in attaining better grades as the education system is designed for them.
supercacti
they may be getting easier!!! how else would a dummy like me get AAA :O
Congrates
oh course they're getting easier, try doing a paper from 6 or 7 years ago on your subject and you'll struggle. The main problem is that people getting 60% or so in exams and then being rounded up to an A (due to ums)
There should be a set limit on the numbers of A's (say top 10%), then at least your A level would mean something. I feel sorry for the current crop of students who are being cheated on by the system.
There should be a set limit on the numbers of A's (say top 10%), then at least your A level would mean something. I feel sorry for the current crop of students who are being cheated on by the system.
Tractor-girlie
That does suprise me loads, but if you look at the statistics less people are taking maths to general studies but also you have to remember to do maths there is a stigma that you have to be brilliant at it to start with to take it.
I know are my sixth form you need a at GCSE to take it where for only the best students get to take it and therefore get a better grade. With general studies anyone can take it it didnt matter what GCSE you go therefore this would give a more spread out data as seem and possible lower grade mean as often more academic students take traditional subjects like maths and often are more successeful in attaining better grades as the education system is designed for them.
I know are my sixth form you need a at GCSE to take it where for only the best students get to take it and therefore get a better grade. With general studies anyone can take it it didnt matter what GCSE you go therefore this would give a more spread out data as seem and possible lower grade mean as often more academic students take traditional subjects like maths and often are more successeful in attaining better grades as the education system is designed for them.
That could well explain the stats, but they do show that the rise in A grade passes isn't coming from the "?????-studies" subjects. I think it's down to teachers and students being more familiar with what will get them marks on the exam. That, and the wider use of retakes.
jonas123
oh course they're getting easier, try doing a paper from 6 or 7 years ago on your subject and you'll struggle. The main problem is that people getting 60% or so in exams and then being rounded up to an A (due to ums)
There should be a set limit on the numbers of A's (say top 10%), then at least your A level would mean something. I feel sorry for the current crop of students who are being cheated on by the system.
There should be a set limit on the numbers of A's (say top 10%), then at least your A level would mean something. I feel sorry for the current crop of students who are being cheated on by the system.
Kinda understand what you are saying. I certainly feel as if there is no real discrepancy anymore. An 'A' student is not always indicative of someone who is truly academically gifted. Its getting more difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff in this aspect...
But I guess these people will shine more on their 3rd year thesis and research when they're at uni...
The day the pass-rates got so high was when they made an 'E' a passing grade. I just can't understand this anymore.
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