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Coronavirus: Government outlines how GCSE and A-level exam results will be awarded

Reply 1180

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Pistas

Please if anyone has any sort of insight, respond. My anxiety will be the end of me

They are still determining the process for private candidates so I don't think anyone can answer this yet.

Reply 1181

Pistas

15

Thank you for your response. I am just a lot worried like everybody else here. Mainly because I just turned 18 like two months ago, and people usually start their AS levels at 17, and I felt like I was already a bit late, but I guess I will be even more late now. Probably will start university by the time I'm 21 sadly

Reply 1182

young.one

14

Original post by phoenix4

I think they did say on their website that they will look at school statistics to see how much progress similar students made at that school in past years.

For GCSE or for A level?

Reply 1183

SarcAndSpark

20

Original post by phoenix4

do you know if exam boards have decided anything about how they will calc grades for resits? Do you have idea when they might publish that information if they haven't yet?

No and no, sorry!

Deciding how to calculate grades is quite a complicated process and lots of stakeholders will need to accept the process is fair. It also has to be practical for teachers and exam boards. This was always going to take a while to sort out and I think Gavin Williamson mislead people a bit into expecting a clear solution last Friday.

In some ways, I think calculating grades for resit students in exactly the same way as students in their first sitting would be fair, but I don't know if this is what will happen.

Original post by phoenix4

oh thanks! do you remember what page?

I don't, I'm afraid, but you can find all the information if you do a bit of searching on the ALPS webpage.

Reply 1184

SarcAndSpark

20

Original post by Pistas

Thank you for your response. I am just a lot worried like everybody else here. Mainly because I just turned 18 like two months ago, and people usually start their AS levels at 17, and I felt like I was already a bit late, but I guess I will be even more late now. Probably will start university by the time I'm 21 sadly

As I said upthread, I went to uni at 20 and had a great time.

In the long run, going to uni at 21 will be fine, I promise! I know it might not be what you hoped for, but in a few years time, it won't seem like a bad thing!

Reply 1185

Pistas

15

Original post by SarcAndSpark

As I said upthread, I went to uni at 20 and had a great time.

In the long run, going to uni at 21 will be fine, I promise! I know it might not be what you hoped for, but in a few years time, it won't seem like a bad thing!

Oh gosh, you're genuinely the most assuring person I have talked to in a long while. Thank you for your responses. It makes my nerves calm down a bit

Reply 1186

SarcAndSpark

20

Original post by Pistas

Oh gosh, you're genuinely the most assuring person I have talked to in a long while. Thank you for your responses. It makes my nerves calm down a bit

I'm glad to help!

I think before you go to uni, you assume it's all full of 18yos, but actually, when you take into account people who take gap years and retake, people who do foundation years, people who start one degree and then change their mind and do something else instead 1/2 years later and people who just didn't want to go to uni straight out of school + mature students, you end up with an average age that's a bit higher than 18.

Reply 1187

phoenix4

11

Original post by young.one

For GCSE or for A level?

both I think- they will look the average progress people make at that school make from mock to actual exams apparently.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1188

Akiraakis

13

if i got an 8 in the mock, what would my final gcse result be for eng lit

Reply 1189

SarcAndSpark

20

Original post by Akiraakis

if i got an 8 in the mock, what would my final gcse result be for eng lit

Unfortunately, no-one can tell you this, but it will be based on more than just one mock exam grade.

Reply 1190

phoenix4

11

using mocks for GCSE is sooo unfair. I remember in my school for GCSE mocks, they used past papers so pretty much most people got near to full marks or at least A*s. Only the ones who didn't "cheat" got lower grades (and they were usually the hardworking students)
At least A level students have some proper results exam board can use (thank god!)

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1191

phoenix4

11

Original post by SarcAndSpark

No and no, sorry!

Deciding how to calculate grades is quite a complicated process and lots of stakeholders will need to accept the process is fair. It also has to be practical for teachers and exam boards. This was always going to take a while to sort out and I think Gavin Williamson mislead people a bit into expecting a clear solution last Friday.

In some ways, I think calculating grades for resit students in exactly the same way as students in their first sitting would be fair, but I don't know if this is what will happen.

I don't, I'm afraid, but you can find all the information if you do a bit of searching on the ALPS webpage.

How can they have the exact same process for resits and first sitters? Most resits are external candidates- I have not done any mock exams this year like many and haven't been taught by a teacher this academic year.
Also surely for resits, they are not going to look at past year 13 mock results(because that's so irrelevant) when they can look at actual A level exam results instead? I got a E in maths for my year 13 mocks but ended up getting A in the actual A-level exam last year.
I am someone who always does better in actual exams than class tests. same with in year 12, In my AS exam (end of year 12) I got 80% for maths when I was getting Bs and Cs in class tests for year 12.

Reply 1192

RFH1207

12

Original post by phoenix4

using mocks for GCSE is sooo unfair. I remember in my school for GCSE mocks, they used past papers so pretty much most people got near to full marks or at least A*s. Only the ones who didn't "cheat" got lower grades (and they were usually the hardworking students)
At least A level students have some proper results exam board can use (thank god!)

For me, the biggest problem with mocks is that they are not standardised across schools. Some schools will release the paper before hand, or direct students to revise particular modules, some will give nothing. Some schools also have a policy of marking “harshly” is mocks. In my view, there are too many variables. I think it is fairer to use achieved grades (GCSE’s) + School added measure.

Although again, no perfect solutions to this. But then again, not sure our usual method of exams - which just tells us what someone was capable of on a given day - is the best either!

Reply 1193

Sidd1

13

Life sucks ..... it's like we're in a movie right now :frown:

Reply 1194

young.one

14

Original post by phoenix4

both I think- they will look the average progress people make at that school from mock to actual exams apparently.

Does this mean it’s likely to be a booster if you come from a school that does well?

Reply 1195

emilybella

3

a level students - are your schools still setting you work? and if so are you doing it? i've been set loads but i don't know if they'll use this work done during lockdown as evidence for the final grade

Reply 1196

Bhaker_5x

14

Original post by young.one

Does this mean it’s likely to be a booster if you come from a school that does well?

i was wondering the same thing because i dont want my grades to be lowered from school history

Reply 1197

mushroom21

13

Original post by emilybella

a level students - are your schools still setting you work? and if so are you doing it? i've been set loads but i don't know if they'll use this work done during lockdown as evidence for the final grade

I’ve been set some for some subjects and none for others, our school’s policy is to set work but I don’t get how it can be used since surely people cheat

Reply 1198

SarcAndSpark

20

Original post by phoenix4

both I think- they will look the average progress people make at that school from mock to actual exams apparently.

That data would take quite a long time to collate, and as all schools do mocks at different times, wouldn't necessarily be comparable between schools.

Original post by young.one

Does this mean it’s likely to be a booster if you come from a school that does well?

Potentially yes, but not for the above data. If your school has good value added, this may benefit you.

Original post by emilybella

a level students - are your schools still setting you work? and if so are you doing it? i've been set loads but i don't know if they'll use this work done during lockdown as evidence for the final grade

Why not ask your teachers if they are likely to use it?

I'd advise against doing nothing- you may well end up having to resit, and it'll be very hard to start again in September after 5 months of doing nothing.