h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/biomod_assess.html

Take your pick

B

??

Alex.

When I sat my GCSEs (oh, many many moons ago) I had just (the day before) had my arm taken out of plaster. I found using the protractor or compass during the maths papers rather difficult as my wrist was still very stiff, but no one said anything. (I did quite well). During my A-Levels I had glandular fever and a tendency to faint every time I stood up, and sat the exams anyway and a doctor's note was sent in with my papers. My results were so poor in a couple of subjects I can only hope they DIDN'T read the note, or Lord knows how appalling they really were.

Nevertheless, and because I did really well in the one subject I loved, I did eventually get into Uni. Ten years ago you could survive poor results by being good at something. Is this still so today, or would I now be trying to do my degrees through Open University? Or would I have given up altogether in despair?

Just one hypothetical point - if I bump off my own pet, (or granny) and I'm very distressed about it, do I still get the points? Or is this deemed to be my own fault?

In my A level French exam, a girl behind me fainted. It was very distracting, especially the noise she made when she hit the floor. She got extra time, but I didn't. Who should I sue? The school, her or the exam board?

sprout

I can't see the bit about extra marks.
I just get a link to Biology Question papers and mark schemes.

Alex.

Master B - cheers for the exam paper link.

I had a look at one, and was pleasantly surprised - it seemed to be at a decent level, *and* I think I could answer all the questions, though a couple seemed slightly dubious in phrasing. I'll have a play with a few more later.

Taking your light-hearted question seriously, the answer is no-one. Accidents happen. I get very fed up of the attitude that says 'everything is someone's fault, so you can sue that someone'. Often it isn't someone else's fault: it's yours. Other times, as here, it's just one of those things. There was no malice or premeditation; a minor distraction is part of the exam, if you like.

We each have a resposibility to take care of ourselves, and to avoid accidents or problems when we can. It isn't always the fault of someone else.

End of sermon.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

Stress marks? These days, spelling and diction being in the sorry state that they are, a considerable number of those 225 would be trying to get points for stretch marks.


Nao

Hay Fever? I was thrown out of an exam room, not because my streaming eyes made it so as I could not see the paper, but because my constant sneezing was disturbing the other candidates.

Nao

Well, the idiots held my Art Higher the day after my birthday, so I had to sit it with a hangover and only got a "B". Who do I complain to?

" believe me, exams are not getting any easier."

I don't believe you. The reason I don't believe you is I know (... in the Biblical sense...) a physics teacher, and she says the exams ARE easier.

Um... alex?

H.

<" believe me, exams are not getting any easier.">

Based on the industrial placement students I see every year (and I have seen them for the past 10 years) the quality is dropping year on year. Their command of the English language is one of the main indicators.(These are degree level enigineering students)

I also know a lecturer at a University who states that the quality of students are dropping.

A number of engineering degrees are also having to put on courses to get students up to the correct level in maths etc so that they can cope with the degree courses.

And you say exams are not getting any easier?

Quotes
"Well their is also the point that GSCEs the exams concerned aren't really worth the paper they're written on. "

"No, I'm sorry here Z, but I'm going to go off on one here. You have taken your GCSEs. You've also taken A-Levels and qualified to practice medicine. Of course your GCSEs are worthless. It's not just you, but it's been a downward spiral since Maggie Thatcher and the Notional, sorry 'National', Curriculum."
End Quotes ___________________________________________

The trouble is that all this is an ongoing process: I think Blair's target is to make degrees worthless as well:
1) Blair wants half the population taking degrees or other higher education. People of average IQ, or less, are now expecting to take degrees.
2) He therefore cannot afford to fund it, due to vastly increased numbers
3) Flash of inspiration: make them pay: Top up Fees!!
4) Now tell me: How many of those who have paid 10 grand or so in fees are going to fail? Would a university fail them, as long as they had turned up to at least a few lectures? NO, because if they did, their intake might suffer in future years. So universities are not going to fail even very mediocre students. Those students have paid for their degree and they want it now, with fries. Oh and a carton of media studies too please to take out.
5) So employers are going to rate these degrees as worth little more than the paper they are printed on. 10 grand and three years for a worthless degree certificate to go with the worthless GCSEs.

Someone please tell me it isn't so!!!

And yes, I have tried taking some modern GCSE papers, and I did watch "That'll Teach 'Em". Standards have not slipped, the flagpoles have been felled.


Nao

" believe me, exams are not getting any easier."

Who said that?

And is no-one going to point me in the right direction regarding the link? Where is the bit about extra marks!

Alex.
(Stupid Physics teacher)

You would not believe the amoutnof jumping through hoops Universities do these days to keep students happy otherwise the students will sue them as the students are now paying directly for their education. So, when they are rightly marked down and virtually thrown off a course for being lazy and taking the p*ss the students threaten to sue. Everything has to be in writing when a student is given a b*ll*cking to make it official and fair rather than just unofficial and more of a 'sort yourself out son or you will fail - OK off you go'.

The reason Blair wants 50% of kids in uni is that it a) cuts the school leaver unemployed figures and b) gives loads of wads of cash to the loan companies who give the student loans out and c) it supposedly 'looks good' to the rest of the world that UK kids are intelligent.

"Who said that?"

F135418?thread=640397&skip=15&show=1

H.

Sussed it. I thought Master B's post was the first in this thread.
Doh!

Go to bottom of class.

I shall now read the whole thread.

Yes, Hoo, got it.

<<But the point is, these kids will be relying on good old-fashioned GCSE grades in English, Maths & Science for their future, for their job. Having someone smugly say, "they're not as hard as they were in my day" is doing little - if anything - for these kids' self-esteem>>

Very true B, many people need GCSE Maths and English GCSEs to get a decent job (ie, they are the minimum requirements).

What about A levels though?
The AS level Physics papers are far easier than the old A level, partly because of the way they are set out (which also goes for the A2 papers) but also because of the depth of knowledge required. Some of the content is O level standard e.g. Snell's law (in AS specification not at GCSE). The equations of motion for goodness sake! (again in AS not at GCSE).

You could argue that AS is taken at the end of the first year so the maturity (academic, mathematical) of the candidates has to be taken into account but they gain 50% of their A level marks from the AS examinations and coursework.

The question is does it matter that A levels are more accessible to less bright students? At least they are continuing to learn.

Alex.

I think its good for people to get a full & proper education, although I'm not sure if half of the population or more continuing into their 20s with only one subject is the right way to go.

The impression I get (here at Bristol university) is that those in the science and engineering faculties actually do quite a lot of work - around 20 to 30 hours a week - which is more than they would do at school. Arts faculty students have little contact time, I guess mostly because the faculty has no money to pay for more professors, so students are expected to get on by themselves. Certainly in the first year the majority don't.