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Is it true that people with top GCSE grades suddenly flop in A-Levels???

It's just something I've heard in people's experiences in Sixth form where they have seen people that got 8s and 9s in GCSEs just flop in A-Levels whereas people with lower grades do better in A-levels

Reply 1

ALEreapp

It’s nothing to do with getting lower or higher grades, a levels are a completely different ball game to GCSEs and are HARD. GCSEs are incredibly easy in comparison and quite honestly nothing can prepare you for the difficulty increase in workload and content. Someone who’s relatively bright can do very well at GCSEs with little to no work, the same cannot be said for a levels- you need to put the work in to do well.

Reply 2

elliemab22

Original post by serterweryerper

i got good gcse grades (4 9s, 3 8s, 2 7s and a 6) and i did not do as well as that in my a levels, tbf i did my a levels this year when the grade boundaries were soooo much higher than last year so its hard to objectively compare people's grades year by year. i still did good by any means but not what i wanted. i don't think the idea about getting bad grades in gcse means ur gonna get good a level grades. a levels are soooo much harder than gcse bc of the workload. i know people who got bad gcse results and got even worse at a level or just completely dropped out of a levels. alternatively i know people who got straight 9s at gcse and got As and A*s at a level, so either way it's not really something you can definitively say. it really is just about how much work you put in.

Reply 3

LunafromMLP

not completely true i think. it's probably more about if you were exceptionally good in those subjects. Most people ik still do well at a level (a/a*)if they got solid 9s at GCSE in those subjects and particularly if they didn't work that hard at GCSE. If you already put 100% effort in GCSEs you would probably struggle more at A level since they are significantly more difficult. Many people who get 8/9s are decent at everything but just not a* level. It's a lot more difficult to get a* at level than a 9 GCSE despite people calling it a**.

Reply 4

Baleroc

Original post by serterweryerper

Yes, it is called the Dunning Kruger effect. The Dunning Kruger effect is believing you are more talented and skilled than you are in reality.

One such instance happens when students who take GCSEs get a really high grade without having to study at GCSE, who then go on to study their A-levels, without revising or studying much, believing they can achieve the same result without having to study or revise.

Alternatively, it can also be the opposite. You can study a lot at GCSE and because you get a high grade, you believe you won't need to revise as much or study as hard as you did, since you believe you are talented at the subject.

This happens a LOT to people.

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 5

Zarek

Yes, I can confirm from personal experience that it’s possible. You’re still growing up and many things can blow you off course