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Schools told: GCSE and A-level grades may drop in 2014

The number of teenagers gaining good grades in GCSEs and A-levels could drop this year because of a dramatic overhaul of the exams system, according to the qualifications watchdog. Ofqual has written to every secondary school and college warning of “more variability” in results in 2014 compared with previous years following a sweeping reform of mainstream qualifications.

The move towards end-of-course exams, a clampdown on resits and changes to the way English exams are marked is likely to have a major bearing on results at school and national level, it was claimed.
Exam boards are expected to adjust grade boundaries to ensure that the number of pupils nationally gaining good results remains consistent from year-to-year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10927904/Schools-told-GCSE-and-A-level-grades-may-drop-in-2014.html
(edited 9 years ago)

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Well I'll definitely be contributing towards such an outcome :sigh:

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Hope this doesn't affect igcses? :colondollar:
Whhhaaaaaa????:eek:
dat m1 paper tho.
Reply 5
Oh god.
How would this make sense though as some exams can be extremely hard to everyone across the country which would make the grade boundaries low?
Original post by SyedAreYouDumb
How would this make sense though as some exams can be extremely hard to everyone across the country which would make the grade boundaries low?


it's accredited to the lack of jan exams
Reply 8
So glad I escaped the ****storm of what further education has become in the last 18 months and made it to uni in time. :colondollar:
Good luck everyone, may the grade boundaries forever be in your favour.
Ugh, wouldn't this be the third year in a row that GCSE results (not sure about A level results, as I was in year 11 last year so only read up on GCSEs) have gone down, and only the third time since GCSEs began?
This isn't really surprising, but it's so frustrating, each year is at a disadvantage to the year above them, they're making these exams harder, making students do worse for similar performances, which really seems unfair.

Our results are going down because idiots in the government are trying to screw us over by making the exams harder, like getting rid of January exams and resits, what the heck?!

Here's hoping that many of us won't be that much worse, but it's still frustrating nonetheless. Good look to all you guys expecting GCSE and A level results! (I probably won't be able to sleep the night before results day I: )
why are there 'changes to the way English exams are marked', can someone explain these if they know them??
Reply 12
It doesn't really look that bad to be honest. All these changes are things students were aware of when going into exams, and so if you were getting As in essays the week before exams it's unlikely that they'll suddenly become Ds on results day due to direct exam board interference (as it was with GCSE English in 2012.) The linear exams don't mean A grade students won't get As because the government don't want too many As, it just means that they can't use resits/have more exams to revise for- an A grade essay will (hopefully) still get an A.
Results in 14 days and I cant stress enough of how poorly my results are going to be! Feel so annoyed, tried all my hardest and the geography exam was a joke. Seriously,
But what's going to happen to those who completely fail their GCSEs i.e. don't get the required Maths, English, and another 3 to get through life? Are they going to introduce the correct technical skills education to hoover them up? Are they bugger, because they want the poor unqualified and dependent on the state. Same **** as New Labour, Cameron and his crew are traitors to the people.
Reply 15
Tbf it's about time.
Good, grade inflation is finally being arrested. Ideally only 50% of people should get C and above.

Frankly if you can't get 50% in an exam (the grade boundaries are still much lower) then further education was not for you.
This makes me sad.

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This is so annoying because linear exams definitely had a huge impact on the grades,
I took my English lang exam early and got an A, I could've retook and got an A* but didn't because I was sitting 23 exams but what about those students who could've taken their exams half a year/ year early and got a D and then got a C when they retook, its unfair for them, having earlier exams also helps you understand how you learn, not saying everyone should be entitled to retake as many times as they want but should have the option to do so at least once in a given year

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Original post by MrHogwash
The number of teenagers gaining good grades in GCSEs and A-levels could drop this year because of a dramatic overhaul of the exams system, according to the qualifications watchdog. Ofqual has written to every secondary school and college warning of “more variability” in results in 2014 compared with previous years following a sweeping reform of mainstream qualifications.

The move towards end-of-course exams, a clampdown on resits and changes to the way English exams are marked is likely to have a major bearing on results at school and national level, it was claimed.
Exam boards are expected to adjust grade boundaries to ensure that the number of pupils nationally gaining good results remains consistent from year-to-year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10927904/Schools-told-GCSE-and-A-level-grades-may-drop-in-2014.html


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