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CCEA gcse t2 maths exam 25/05/2017

Did anyone do the CCEA gcse t2 maths exam today? I thought the paper was really difficult!

I feel really annoyed because in every past paper I done, I got in around 70 - 90% each time and now I've probably failed the real thing.

How did everyone else find it?

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Original post by Apple2017
Did anyone do the CCEA gcse t2 maths exam today? I thought the paper was really difficult!

I feel really annoyed because in every past paper I done, I got in around 70 - 90% each time and now I've probably failed the real thing.

How did everyone else find it?



I didn't do t2, I did t4, but from what I'm hearing all of the papers for math today were dreadful. I had no clue what was on my paper at all and I studdied like mad for it.
Original post by elliemay2039
I didn't do t2, I did t4, but from what I'm hearing all of the papers for math today were dreadful. I had no clue what was on my paper at all and I studdied like mad for it.


Yeah I'd say t4 had some of the same questions as the T2 and I know you're right, the maths papers today were just like a foreign language!

I've never been good at maths in my life but I'd done so much work for it I was actually feeling prepared for my exam today but it's safe to say I was 110% wrong!
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by elliemay2039
I didn't do t2, I did t4, but from what I'm hearing all of the papers for math today were dreadful. I had no clue what was on my paper at all and I studdied like mad for it.

Hey... did the T2 today, and it was the worst paper I ever did in terms of difficulty. I normally score between 78-88% but today I'd be pushing it to say I got 65%. Could not even make sense of the Frequency polygon, nor the flow chart, but there were so many difficult questions that I just ran out of time. Q 29 was a stinker, and tbh every question was horrendous, well with the exception of a few. Haven't passed, it hoping that T5 will be easy. Put it this way, I need to be getting 100 in both T5s
Original post by clare4bear
Hey... did the T2 today, and it was the worst paper I ever did in terms of difficulty. I normally score between 78-88% but today I'd be pushing it to say I got 65%. Could not even make sense of the Frequency polygon, nor the flow chart, but there were so many difficult questions that I just ran out of time. Q 29 was a stinker, and tbh every question was horrendous, well with the exception of a few. Haven't passed, it hoping that T5 will be easy. Put it this way, I need to be getting 100 in both T5s



Oh yeah that flow chart thing was the most mind confusing thing I've ever done in my whole life. I actually gave up with it, I was going to go back to it at the end and complete it but I ran out of time!

And as for question 29, HORRENDOUS! It just made no sense whatsoever, I just stated writing complete rubbish.

I definetly do think CCEA are making their t2 papers more difficult, the May 2016 one was quite difficult as was January 2017 and of course this May's. The last 'easy' one would have to have been January 2016, the one that actually made sense!

T5 should be easier though, I done it last summer and got a D and then a re-sat back in January and got a C
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 5
As a maths teacher in NI, I thought T2 was a really tough paper for foundation. Hope the T5s are more accessible.
Original post by davonovo
As a maths teacher in NI, I thought T2 was a really tough paper for foundation. Hope the T5s are more accessible.


Hi it's good to hear from a teacher regarding this too!

Yes I thought today's paper was terrible, the worst t2 paper I've ever seen!

Although I suppose it means the grade boundaries will be lower!
Original post by Apple2017
Oh yeah that flow chart thing was the most mind confusing thing I've ever done in my whole life. I actually gave up with it, I was going to go back to it at the end and complete it but I ran out of time!

And as for question 29, HORRENDOUS! It just made no sense whatsoever, I just stated writing complete rubbish.

I definetly do think CCEA are making their t2 papers more difficult, the May 2016 one was quite difficult as was January 2017 and of course this May's. The last 'easy' one would have to have been January 2016, the one that actually made sense!

T5 should be easier though, I done it last summer and got a D and then a re-sat back in January and got a C


Just happy that everyone else felt the same as me. Is it possible that the T5s could pull us into a C, if they lower the grade boundaries and also make the T5 a lot easier than that maths paper today. That Frequency polygon was unfair, where they gave raw scores and asked us to plot for 10B, I mean I hadn't time to get the numbers pressed on my calculator never mind 29 tough questions completed. Was there even a Pythagoras question? I'm that far through I can't remember. Past paper revision wasn't of much use to that paper today. So so frustrated cos this was my last chance 😥
Original post by clare4bear
Just happy that everyone else felt the same as me. Is it possible that the T5s could pull us into a C, if they lower the grade boundaries and also make the T5 a lot easier than that maths paper today. That Frequency polygon was unfair, where they gave raw scores and asked us to plot for 10B, I mean I hadn't time to get the numbers pressed on my calculator never mind 29 tough questions completed. Was there even a Pythagoras question? I'm that far through I can't remember. Past paper revision wasn't of much use to that paper today. So so frustrated cos this was my last chance 😥


I'm not really sure about the grade boundaries, all I know is that T5 is a higher percentage of the final grade than T2 so if you have a C in T5 it'll increase your chances of getting a C overall.

Yes I think there was a Pythagoras question, it was the one about the right angled triangle and it told us the area of it or something and you had to find the length of one of the lines, but I was never told how to find the length when told the area! So that's another 4 marks down the drain for me!
Original post by Apple2017
I'm not really sure about the grade boundaries, all I know is that T5 is a higher percentage of the final grade than T2 so if you have a C in T5 it'll increase your chances of getting a C overall.

Yes I think there was a Pythagoras question, it was the one about the right angled triangle and it told us the area of it or something and you had to find the length of one of the lines, but I was never told how to find the length when told the area! So that's another 4 marks down the drain for me!


Precisely, it gave the area as 24m2 or something, and one of the sides and we were asked to find something. Think I wrote out the formula although couldn't get the answer as I only knew how to do that with having two other measurements, but in hindsight prob could have done more. It was so difficult that I panicked from early on, and knew I wasn't gonna do well. I'll never forget how complex the Easter egg question was. Would have needed at least 15 mins on that one. Thanks for the support anyway, and fingers crossed T5 is do-able. Revision time! Reflections and rotational symmetry here we come!
Original post by Apple2017
Did anyone do the CCEA gcse t2 maths exam today? I thought the paper was really difficult!

I feel really annoyed because in every past paper I done, I got in around 70 - 90% each time and now I've probably failed the real thing.

How did everyone else find it?


I've never done a harder t2 paper before. I sat the January one in 2017 and got a high D. But this one was hectic no papers were similar to it. I was struggling on the 2nd question. I rly hope the grade boundaries will be low so I can get a D at least.. :frown: That was far too hard for a foundation paper.
Original post by Matty3209
I've never done a harder t2 paper before. I sat the January one in 2017 and got a high D. But this one was hectic no papers were similar to it. I was struggling on the 2nd question. I rly hope the grade boundaries will be low so I can get a D at least.. :frown: That was far too hard for a foundation paper.



Certainly was, bet the question paper writers were sitting laughing when they made that paper!!

I done the January 2017 paper as a past paper not that long ago and yeah it was difficult but god, it was nothing like yesterday's!
NI teacher here again. It was tough. The triangle one was a combination of area of triangle knowledge + Pythagoras. Much more complex than past papers where it's usually one or the other. The Easter egg question had many diff steps to it, hopefully u will have picked up marks by showing ur different steps to solving it. Tbh I looked at the flow chart and went "huh??"
Reply 13
I'm an AS maths student with CCEA and all our exams have been really hard - whoever sets maths papers really hasn't done a good job :frown:
Original post by davonovo
NI teacher here again. It was tough. The triangle one was a combination of area of triangle knowledge + Pythagoras. Much more complex than past papers where it's usually one or the other. The Easter egg question had many diff steps to it, hopefully u will have picked up marks by showing ur different steps to solving it. Tbh I looked at the flow chart and went "huh??"


This is reassuring to hear a teacher say this. I've completed every past paper that ever existed, with average scores under test conditions around 80-85, but I was struggling on q2 this year, and then it only went downhill with a few brighter moments. So disappointed cos I certainly have not reached 80. 60 at best. Still hoping to smash T5 to get the elusive C I so desperately need 🙏
Original post by davonovo
NI teacher here again. It was tough. The triangle one was a combination of area of triangle knowledge + Pythagoras. Much more complex than past papers where it's usually one or the other. The Easter egg question had many diff steps to it, hopefully u will have picked up marks by showing ur different steps to solving it. Tbh I looked at the flow chart and went "huh??"



I just looked at the triangle one and was like "what on earth" because I was only ever taught how to do it by being given the length of two other sides but then somehow my brain just clicked and I worked it out as you said above.

The flow chart was awful, for something that should have been simple, CCEA's writers did not plan that one very well, I kept forgetting what numbers I was on and I just gave up.

And they wonder why people cheat in exams
Original post by T0ucan
I'm an AS maths student with CCEA and all our exams have been really hard - whoever sets maths papers really hasn't done a good job :frown:



God help anyone doing A level maths! But you must be very good at it, wish I was!
Reply 17
Can anyone remember the last question I know it was like something to do with easter egg but I can't remember all of it
Oh my word...I am over the moon I found this discussion!
I sat the exam on Thursday and left in almost tears, I only managed to get as far as question 26 and my brain was pickled.
I spent so much time doing the past gcse papers and actually felt somewhat confident going into the exam and then 'boom' I felt as though I was doing a PhD in maths haha!

I really need to get my C so fingers crossed Friday will okay! I'm also not sure on grade boundaries etc so if someone could explain briefly I would be ever so grateful :smile:
Grade boundaries exist to make sure there is consistency in exam results. If the majority of people find T2 difficult this time then the actual raw scores will be low. Maybe the last T2 paper was easier and people did better. So it's not fair on those just having completed T2 so they standardise the scores . 65% may have been required for a C in the last T2 paper bit it may be only 60% this time. At the end of the day the same numbers get A's , B's , C's etc each time

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