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A* Grade coming into force 2008!

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Reply 60

~Kirsty~

I hadn't heard the news about 2 module per year instead of 3....

When was that announced?

Reply 61

Nieva-en-el-invierno

~Kirsty~

I hadn't heard the news about 2 module per year instead of 3....

When was that announced?

along with the A* grade I think, I heard about them both at the same time.

Reply 62

~Kirsty~

Nieva-en-el-invierno

along with the A* grade I think, I heard about them both at the same time.

Its only certain exam boards and only certain subjects, OCR for example still have 3 units per year with Biology, Chemistry, Electronics, Geology, Human Biology, Music, Physics, and Science.

Reply 63

sammyrj

~Kirsty~

I hadn't heard the news about 2 module per year instead of 3....

When was that announced?

Sorry, took a while to find it:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/alevels/story/0,,1742007,00.html

Reply 64

Nieva-en-el-invierno

~Kirsty~

Its only certain exam boards and only certain subjects, OCR for example still have 3 units per year with Biology, Chemistry, Electronics, Geology, Human Biology, Music, Physics, and Science.

ok, cool thanks, I thought it was for everything (all exams boards & subjects), thanks for the correction!

Reply 65

~Kirsty~

All exam boards all probably incorporating it to some extent - but some subjects are still excluded. (Mostly all the ones i studied - so it wouldn't have made a difference to me)

Reply 66

sammyrj

I honestly could not care less what they do to them once I'm done. I worked hard, I got good grades, and I'm happy. Why that should change because someone in 3 years will have to do less exams and have the opportunity for a higher grade, I don't know.

Reply 67

~Kirsty~

I guess its less exams, but more content in each exam... I don't know which is worse...

Reply 68

Toiletpaper8

Nieva-en-el-invierno

I know lol! I may just spend this year working & go back next year!

Just do your best on A-Levels, universities can now see your UMS score out of 300 (AS) and 600 (A2), when you sat the modules and what you got for each module, so they'll know how good you are anyway. Well, the good ones will, the other unis won't look lol. Just do an AEA or summit as well. There just isn't an official grade, but unis still know your module marks/raw marks.

A* grade is a complete waste of time, if the papers aren't going to be any harder, then what is the ****ing point? Do you or anyone really believe that someone who gets an A* (90% ish) is really cleverer than someone who gets an A (80%ish)?

I don't..

The difference between an A and A* is just going to be how many past papers you do, how vigorously you check your work, how fast you write and of course luck. A* is ridiculous... have a harder paper instead and lower the boundaries! Make exams challenging like AEAs, not something you can revise for completely, have a surprise, a challenge so students think on their feet, not some complete (censored work) exam where if you learn all the facts and stuff, you can't go wrong, and the exam is the same as last years paper but just with different names and stuff...

e.g.

2006:

Ben, Sam and Marcus have £30 between them...

2007:

Jimmy, Fred and Bilbo have £30 between them...

Okay, slight exaggeration, but the questions, you pretty much know what they're going to ask 90% of the time...

Reply 69

JohnnyD

I am currently going into year 11, about to do my GCSEs this year. Thus I will be doing my A Levels starting in September 2008. My AS results coming in 2009, will they be graded with the new system?

Please could anyone inform me regarding this.

Regards

Reply 70

Pepe Le Poosh

I think so... correct me if i'm wrong, but the new system is for people starting AS in september 2008, i think. Not 100%, but yeah i think you'll get the new system.

Reply 71

calcium878

The exams are too predictable :s:

Reply 72

Ben Dover the Lollipop Man

why dont they just increase the grade boundry. didnt know idiots worked in the education department.

Reply 73

~Kirsty~

I don't think it will affect you.

Reply 74

oliv3r

I'm just about to enter my AS year in September, so the A* won't be available.

But, if I decide to have a gap year before university, or for some reason, I don't go to uni that year, when I come back, everyone else will have A*s when I can only achieve As maximum. Won't this put people going into sixth form at a really unfair disadvantage? Should we mention on our qualifications that A*s were unavailable.

Oliver

Reply 75

~Kirsty~

The universities will know... plus the grade is being phased in, so over a few years, some will have the grade, and some won't... I don't think offers will change till at least 2010 - since thats the year it should be fully implemented.

Reply 76

rpatel2

is this A* grade actually offical because i was surfing through some of exam board websites and i could find them mention an A* grade for 2008 GCE's.

Regards

Reply 77

oliv3r

~Kirsty~

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Oliver

Reply 78

WoWZa

I can imagine it would be more pressure to perform well for those who are about to embark on them.

Reply 79

luckysmartie

I personally think it's a good idea. For example, I just scraped an A in my German A-level (487) but one of my friends German is amazingly better than mine and yet she will have got the same grade. There is a difference in the kind of students who can get 480 and those who can get 580.