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Anyone else think that this exam season is quite harsh on us?

Both GCSE (from hearing from others) and AS exam papers (experience) have turned out harder than expected.

Anyone think that this is quite harsh on us?

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Original post by RickHendricks
Both GCSE (from hearing from others) and AS exam papers (experience) have turned out harder than expected.

Anyone think that this is quite harsh on us?


chemistry was fine. biology was just a joke. they better lower grade boundary significantly for bio
This only means one thing...lower grade boundaries :clap2:
There wouldnt be much point in taking them if they were easy.
Stop being such a snowflake.
Original post by cafebee
This only means one thing...lower grade boundaries :clap2:


i geuninely hope so. Only normal maths has gone ok for me. Further maths and physics has slapped me from side to side.
Original post by RickHendricks
i geuninely hope so. Only normal maths has gone ok for me. Further maths and physics has slapped me from side to side.


I'm sure you've done better than you think. Try and stay positive and everything will be fine :smile:
They were pretty easy, chemistry was hard tho

Also I didn't revise French so take that as you will on how ****ing hard I found it
Original post by cafebee
I'm sure you've done better than you think. Try and stay positive and everything will be fine :smile:


i have been.

What about you? AS or GCSE or A-level?
No, it's just random fluctuation of the difficulty of the papers year to year.
Original post by RickHendricks
i have been.

What about you? AS or GCSE or A-level?


A-level. My exams don't start until the 11th June so I've still got a bit of time to mentally prepare myself :rolleyes:
Original post by RedGiant
No, it's just random fluctuation of the difficulty of the papers year to year.


but they made it to a point where doing past papers gets me no where.

I have done all the past papers from 2009 to 2017 for physics, and honestly, they were 5 times easier than this years papers.
Original post by cafebee
A-level. My exams don't start until the 11th June so I've still got a bit of time to mentally prepare myself :rolleyes:


ah good luck dude/dudette. Probably recommend you to not rely too much on past papers but you never know.
Original post by RickHendricks
but they made it to a point where doing past papers gets me no where.

I have done all the past papers from 2009 to 2017 for physics, and honestly, they were 5 times easier than this years papers.


Well to be fair the new harder specs were brought in for both GCSE and A level, to make it harder to do well, and to stop as many people getting 100 UMS just from doing every single past paper there was. Which has worked. And personally I think it should be that way, otherwise exams are just mostly a matter of how many past papers you do, and not so much of how well you can solve a problem and apply existing knowledge to new situations. But doesn't really matter anyway whether or not a paper is hard, because the grade boundaries will be appropriately lower.
New specifications are always received badly and results reflect that. This is made up for by grade boundaries.

Original post by RickHendricks
ah good luck dude/dudette. Probably recommend you to not rely too much on past papers but you never know.


Why should you be able to? I think it's a good thing that your ability to think is tested and stretched, rather than relying on having done very similar questions before. Obviously students would never appreciate harder examinations, but you can see it from the exam board's perspective.
haha if you're referring to the AQA AS physics exam, i'm with you bro.
Original post by tereziscool
haha if you're referring to the AQA AS physics exam, i'm with you bro.


yeppppppp.

**** outta here with that 11 marks on electricity.
Original post by RickHendricks
Both GCSE (from hearing from others) and AS exam papers (experience) have turned out harder than expected.

Anyone think that this is quite harsh on us?


Not really. I was the first year to do the new A-Levels and as long as you use the resources you have wisely and put in the effort, you'll be fine.
A problem I have with hard exams are the pass mark requirements when they're stupidly low. I feel like they should at-least have an easier start to not let the lower end of the grade-boundaries be that low and to give weaker candidates a chance to not feel like they've failed miserably immediately after the exam has taken place.
Original post by Mathematicat
A problem I have with hard exams are the pass mark requirements when they're stupidly low. I feel like they should at-least have an easier start to not let the lower end of the grade-boundaries be that low and to give weaker candidates a chance to not feel like they've failed miserably immediately after the exam has taken place.


But then the alternative is giving them false confidence, just to discover that their quite high mark was just short of a passing grade. You really can't win in that respect.
Original post by _gcx
But then the alternative is giving them false confidence, just to discover that their quite high mark was just short of a passing grade. You really can't win in that respect.

I was more-so thinking about 'the middle' as the rest of the paper being difficult. Although then again the perception of difficuty would vary from person-to-person so I guess you're right in that sense.

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