Education (Exam Results)

[Matthew]

I'm very pleased with my results and really surprised myself with what I got - revision definitely paid off! Well done everyone. And I was reading few pages back about the whole exams getting easier thingy. Tbh I think it really can be quite hurtful to people doing their exams when all their efforts are just rubbished when they're told that their grades weren't hard to achieve - aka as hard as they would have been say 5, 10 years ago. I think everyone should be extremely proud of themselves. Well done again everyone

[Gemma]

I'm very pleased with my results and really surprised myself with what I got - revision definitely paid off! Well done everyone. And I was reading few pages back about the whole exams getting easier thingy. Tbh I think it really can be quite hurtful to people doing their exams when all their efforts are just rubbished when they're told that their grades weren't hard to achieve - aka as hard as they would have been say 5, 10 years ago. I think everyone should be extremely proud of themselves. Well done again everyone

Exactly, me and my sister were discussing this yesterday and maybe the exam content has gotten a little bit easier but I think that's only so they can be made accesible (I don't even care how you spell it) to everyone so everyone is able to get at least something.

[Benin]

If exams are getting easier, why isn't everyone getting As and Bs?Also, what's with the BBC only showing girls hugging/crying/ringing parents on their newslots about results?British media sucks... But that's an arguement for another day...

[Ellie]

No wonder you got an E, you cant even spell Science

That was pointless. Gtfo.

I'm very pleased with my results and really surprised myself with what I got - revision definitely paid off! Well done everyone. And I was reading few pages back about the whole exams getting easier thingy. Tbh I think it really can be quite hurtful to people doing their exams when all their efforts are just rubbished when they're told that their grades weren't hard to achieve - aka as hard as they would have been say 5, 10 years ago. I think everyone should be extremely proud of themselves. Well done again everyone

<3 It does really feel like your achievements are being made to seem worthless. We should all be proud because we (most of us) worked hard for them.

[Gemma]

No wonder you got an E, you cant even spell Science

Someone could just as easily point out your punctuation error.

[Will]

I understand that it is in Steve's personality to be sarcastic in his humour and I can see that it could be also found to be insensitive. I'm sure Steve was only joking and didn't mean any offense; but I think it was boarderline rude. Ellie, Coaster and Gemma are right, everyone makes spelling mistakes; no-one's perfect not even you Steve.Exams:I still stand by my opinion that GCSEs have gotten easier. I'm not saying they're easy but I have family friends who've worked in teaching and are career advisors to students. They have meetings with the headmaster / headmistress and the other heads of departments to discuss the GCSE and A* Level results; I have been told they've gotten easier.I'm not trying to rubbish anyone's results but the statistics do not lie. Another thing pointed out, is that the way the questions are phrased is different to how it was for us and multiple choice makes exams easier. It could possibly be that teaching in certain areas of the country have gotten better. It could also be that staff or exam staff are more generous with the marking. Coursework might have gotten easier too.Another thing is that teachers might teach not teach the whole syllabus but might teach FOR the exam; they might teach what is going to be in the exam and therefore, not teach material that is not going to be in the exam. I can tell you that in our school (in the different classes), not many people got tons of A*' and A-grades. I think the revision techniques are better and it is very possible that the standard of teaching and material has improved.

[Matthew]

Will I really would love to see these statistics of yours which you are talking about and how exactly they prove that the exams are getting easier - and definitely not that Britain as a whole is becoming more intelligent and that teaching standards are improving.Also, as you seem to think that because you have friends who have ties with education that they are clearly correct, I believe I have every right to present my side if you feel that your friends are really reliable.Every year without fail, newspapers print the whole "exams are getting easier lark" because it sells papers playing on the "it was better in my day" feeling that old people love. It sells papers because they just love being told it was better for them. Today's media hates young people. The Daily Mail really emphasises on all the "youths" getting all A*s, how could a knife bearing, hoody wearing, fox beating, mephedrone taking bunch of alocholic underage and pregnant teens succeed in life?It has to be the exams getting easier.After all that money invested in education, new ways of teaching, support for students - it is unmistakably and definitely that the exams are getting easier.Teachers slave away their lives trying to get people through their exams, many of them working out of hours for people to get their As, Bs and Cs. However, I do accept that on occassions that, for example, AQA have been accused of making their exams easier. But that is not justification that all exams across the board are getting easier as those exams which are highlighted as being easier than usual are always subjected to extreme scrutiny from loads of people to make sure they're up to scratch.Finally, anyone who did the C3 paper this June will agree with me that it was probably the most difficult GCSE chemistry paper ever and it compared to none of the past papers.urgh I really cannot stand people who are just so insensitive.EDIT:

I'm not trying to rubbish anyone's results but the statistics do not lie.

Well someone's just shot themselves in the foot there.100% of people do not like clapping their hands.I'm afraid the statistics do not lie.

[Ellie]

WELL, that's a nice essay you've got going there Matt but I'd like to add a smidge more. Whether or not exams are getting easier, it doesn't mean that the grade boundaries are still just as low. It's fact that, depending on how hard the exams are deemed to be, the grade boundaries are adjusted to suit. Grade boundaries can make all the difference.

[Will]

I did not shoot myself in the foot; I never said GCSEs were easy, what I did say was that they have become easier. They are still hard but not as hard as they used to be. There definately weren't people achieving all these A*s and As back in my day; 6 years ago or in my Sister's day which was 13 years ago.You want to see these statistics, you can go onto the internet but, you might have to dig around a little bit. As for the statistics that this family-friend of mine has seen via teachers discussions for this one individual school, then you might not have any luck because I'm quite sure this family-friend is not very willing to compromise the professionalism and security of her job, by passing the results on to me, just to pass them onto you or other interested members of this forum.I am not insensitive but I think it's quite narrow-minded to assume that because students, who have only taken their GCSEs once found the exams hard, it doesn't mean, the exams you took were not harder for students of previous years. I think the government, the exam boards like AQA and Exexcel and the teaching staff want the exams to be easier. To show that the money that they inject into the education system is working and is making difference.As you and everyone else knows, the money that goes into the education system is funded by the tax payer's money. Tax payers would want to see results and if the % of students getting X-results drops, they wouldn't be happy and they would question, to what use is the taxpayer's money being used for. The taxpayers would want to be told that their money is being used in an efficient and effective way and is therefore, causing the students to get better results regardless if that is actually happening.I think exams are being made easier / less harder but still hard in order to make exams more accessible and to allow the student's to go onto A* Levels, prove that they work and to allow them to get onto university. The government would bend the rules to prove that their procedures and processes are working, just to apease the masses. Governments do tell lies.You guys know me well enough, to know that I would never want to offend any of you lot.

[Ryan]

Ok, I'm sorry but keep these ****ty statistics and what-not to yourself because the last thing I want to here after working my socks off to get the grades I needed is that "Gcse's are now easier". Great little confidence boost for people about to start A levels, thanks Will!

[Will]

Ryan, I don't mean to offend you and I'm not that type of person. I am just voicing my opinion and saying that GCSES are hard, they are very, very hard; I just think that they have become easier than they used to be. So all of you guys should be glad, that you didn't take your gcses when you were my age or before. If you did take your gcses when I did, you might not have been so lucky and you might not have done as well.I remember crying my eyes out and having my mum shout abuse at me; saying I am a disappointment to her because I didn't get all As and Bs. If I could be your age and do my GCSEs again, I wouldn't say no. I don't think for a second that the difficulty level of GCSEs over the last 10-20 years has remained the same; it's gonna change and adjust to the changing times.A Levels aren't for everyone, there are many people who are ready to leave school at 14 and start working and earn money. They would leave school at 16 and start working, start to gain experience and work their way up the corporate ladder. This fam-friend told me that she has seen the feedback reports of girls who've returned from work experience, saying how X girl performed amazing and how they would hire her on the spot, if she applied. And with the 97.4% of A Level students who this year achieved A*-E and the 27.5% of students who achieved the new A*-grade, you've nothing to worry about and I wish you Ryan all the best. =) Let's face it, you did better than me at GCSEs, so I bow down to you and you will probably end up doing well than me at A* Levels.A* Levels weren't for me, I did 1 BTEC in Multimedia and one in Business and I've just got a £1,500 per year scholorship to my chosen university. And for what was the 'one of the slowest / dumbest kids that everyone said I was', I am doing quite well. I'm quite sure you will excel me in every way.

[Matthew]

If you did take your gcses when I did, you might not have been so lucky and you might not have done as well.

My point is proven. You're conforming and buying into the it was much better in my day lark Will. You cannot deny it.And since when were GCSEs luck? Luck in what exactly? How easy the government decides to make them this year? No it's called hard work.You're making yourself appear more important compared to us drugtakingknifebearingsexoholicetc... teenagers. You cannot argue that they are getting exponentially easier. I think I will have to diagnose you with a severe case of sour grapes if you cannot congratulate people who have worked their backsides off to achieve their amazing grades without saying that your grades are better to theirs in comparison because your exams were harder.Also you're really offending people who try extremely hard to get Ds and Cs if you are saying that the exams are getting easier - think how they must feel being told that a C isnt even that hard to get nowadays because in your days they were much harder and a C was much more respected. You're making people feel small. It is extremely insensitive Will.I'm not saying you're entitled to your opinion as this is a free country, but last time I checked it was called manners. Also, I sincerely doubt that the government lies to the extent that you claim it to considering there are countless numbers of regulatory bodies! The Goverment would get totally burned.finally you claimed to have seen all these statistics which "do not lie" and it is clear that you haven't even seen them for yourself. So I think until you find your statistics which "do not lie" I'm not even going to take your opinion seriously. Just stop putting everyone else down to make yourself seem bigger. Again, well done everyone!

[Will]

A* Levels weren't for me, I did 1 BTEC in Multimedia and one in Business and I've just got a £1,500 per year scholorship to my chosen university. And for what was the 'one of the slowest / dumbest kids that everyone said I was', I am doing quite well. I'm quite sure you will excel me in every way. I am jealous, I am very happy for everyone. I wish I did my GCSEs this year. I haven't seen the stats that this family-friend of mine has seen but I have seen the stats that the BBC news aired on results day. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean that I'm lying. The government can lie to people; the prime minister lied about how much debt the country is in. Everyone is capable of lying.The GCSEs success rate has risen for the 22nd year, with 22.6% of students being awarded A and A* grades. 69.1% of all students have passed at grades A*-C with one in every 77 GCSEs failed. Girls passed 25.5 per cent of exams at A* or A while boys managed 19.5 per cent. The amount of students taking the individual Sciences has risen. 850 private schools have switched to alternative qualifications - known as International GCSEs and one in ten exams in English and maths is now taken by pupils aged 15 or under. A total of 83,179 pupils took GCSE maths aged 15 or younger, against 60,712 last year and 32,908 in 2008. My original point was that there are a number of factors, it be that the quality of education varies from area to area and it also depends on the type of school you go to (I.e. Grammar, Public, Private, Indepedent) and how much support you recieve from your teachers.Someone who is one of those drugtakingknifebearingsexoholicetc teenagers is not going to do better than someone who works hard and gets the necessary amount of support from their teachers.You just said "You're making yourself appear more important compared to us drugtakingknifebearingsexoholicetc teenagers". Are you confirming that you are a teenager that takes drugs, wields knives and is a sexaholic?I think I am better than someone who takes drugs and wields knives. I think it is disgusting to take drugs and wield knives in a very anti-social and ganster-like way. Who the hell wants to be a drug-taking, knife-wielding teenager? I dont.I am not trying to put you guys down to make myself seem bigger. I think that you guys have worked very hard despite the amount of pressure you have been under. I am just sharing some news that again this year the government is saying GCSEs and A levels are easier.

[Matthew]

The GCSEs success rate has risen for the 22nd year, with 22.6% of students being awarded A and A* grades. 69.1% of all students have passed at grades A*-C with one in every 77 GCSEs failed. Girls passed 25.5 per cent of exams at A* or A while boys managed 19.5 per cent. The amount of students taking the individual Sciences has risen. 850 private schools have switched to alternative qualifications - known as International GCSEs and one in ten exams in English and maths is now taken by pupils aged 15 or under. A total of 83,179 pupils took GCSE maths aged 15 or younger, against 60,712 last year and 32,908 in 2008.

That proves nothing. You cant say that that is teaching standards improving or easier exams.Unless you were to take the exam every single year yourself you would not be able to tell. And even then you would learn more about the subject.Also considering exam questions are recycled too, your argument is weakened once again.Also - you may find it interesting that the my state school regularly beats private schools - so I don't know to what extent your statement about how much you pay for an education and how much support you receive is true. Because at the end of the day you get amazing teachers everywhere.Many private schools are dropping out of the iGCSE as it is not as widely recognised as GCSE and is not as well known by employers.Good for you with your scholarship etc, and I'm sure you'll do great - but you don't need to put us down who have done exceedingly well to make yourself seem better.You say:

My original point was that there are a number of factors, it be that the quality of education varies from area to area and it also depends on the type of school you go to (I.e. Grammar, Public, Private, Indepedent) and how much support you recieve from your teachers.

but actually your original point was

I think if people are disappointed that they didn't get all A*s, then they really need a reality check and should be bloody, damn grateful they got any A*s at all. It shows how easy GCSEs have become. In my days and my sister's day (28 yrs), they were a lot harder.

so don't you dare try and fob me off.

[Will]

OMG!What is wrong with you??!!I was just sharing with you guys that the government and the BBC news has stated that GCSEs and A* Level results have increased once more and that many experts have stated that the exams are getting easier or that the the exam boards are being more generous. I am telling you that a family-friend has said that GCSEs have gotten easier because she has seen these papers and have had discussions and big meetings with the other HoD's and senior staff at this one school.You probably get a better quality of teaching and you probably work extremely hard, you probably don't have any SENs or disabilities like ADHD nor are in the lowest set where all the bad boys of the year are in, disrupt the class to the point that small amounts of teaching takes place. I am not trying to put anyone down. You don't know me and anyone can tell you, that no matter how annoying I may or may not be; that I am not a HORRIBLE person who is so wicked, nasty that he will put down anyone to make himself feel and look better. I feel insulted because you are making me out to be a bully, which I am not. And if you knew me, which you don't, you would know that I am not a nasty person and is quite the opposite.Ask anyone if I am nasty or horrible, people might say I am annoying or very annoying. But no-one is going to say that I am horrible, because I am not horrible.

[Matthew]

Whatever, you were clearly insulting everyone who just completed their exams.Whether you intended to upset people or not is not the question. You managed to.You should know that comments like that are prone to touch people's nerves and you should have been prepared for a bad reaction. Which is why I was calling you insensitive. People didn't slave away for hours on end to be told their exams were easy.Just think before you say things Will.... or in this case type.

[Will]

I never said GCSEs were easy, please read what I type. What I did say, was that according to the government and to family-friends of mine, they have become less harder than they used to be. If you want to disagree that's up to you. I am not a horrible person and anyone can tell you that I am not like that.

[Matthew]

Oh my God Will.Give it a rest. You posted in front of everyone that you think they're easier.Easier:

Main Entry: easyPart of Speech: adjectiveDefinition: not difficultSynonyms: accessible, apparent, basic, child's play, cinch, clear, easily done, effortless, easier, elementary, evident, facile, inconsiderable, light, little, manageable, manifest, mere, no bother, no problem, no sweat, no trouble, not burdensome, nothing to it, obvious, painless, less difficult, paltry, picnic, piece of cake, plain, plain sailing, pushover, royal, simple, simple as ABC, slight, smooth, snap, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding

"less difficult" is just a synonym for easy. If I said your hair has grown longer, your hair is long. In comparison to the hair you had before.If I said my trousers had got smaller in the wash, they are small. In comparison to the trousers before I washed them.You said the exams are easier, you imply the exams are easy. In comparison to what they were.Getting it now?

[Will]

Why don't you give it a rest and stop trying to make me out to be a bad person? I never said gcses were easy, I said theyre not as hard as they used to be; I said they have become easier. I can say that something has become easier but still being difficult or a challenge.Read every post of mine on this topic, if you are that bored. GCSEs are hard but they're not as hard as they used to be. You're just reading my posts wrong.

[Pickles]

Woo I got told a couple of days ago by someone who wasn't in my Law class OR even took an interest in my education until now tell me that I obviously didn't know the stuff just cause I got an E. I would like to point out that exams to me are unfair as you can have a bad day etc etc I had one caused by said person. I knew everything that I needed to know for my Law exams and I would say you can ask my teacher but that would be mega weird. It just pisses me off cause he came out of school with 2 GCSE's went to work re-did his GCSE's at the age of 20 and just because he got pretty much all A* and A's he thinks he knows everything. God I hate people like that.

[Matthew]

My God will, you really are seriously annoying and you're in denial.I really don't like you. At all. And Holly I totally agree - with the whole if you mess up on the day its meant to be a representation of your whole two years' work.Which is why I prefer modular exams, although a certain someone would probably accuse them of being easier than their exams several years ago.

[Pickles]

They were meant to be my best mate as well so yeah I got an E so what not like I spent a year torturing myself over it. God I hate A levels after 2 years of AS I'm finally doing 2 A2's which will now put me at a disadvantage at Uni. Point of this is easier or not be proud of what you've achieved and do your best cause in the end it's your grades not theirs.

[Ryan]

Chase the dream, not the competition.

[Will]

I'm annoying? At least I know I can be annoying, you're in denial.You're unbelievably annoying and I don't like you because you're arrogant and you accuse people of being horrible when you don't even know them. You can't read posts properly and you get 'easy' confused for 'easier' or 'less harder'. You just won't back down because you don't want to admit you misread my posts. So...I am going to be the bigger person by backing down and walking away.Kthanks bye

[Matthew]

AHA You're hilarious. I was misreading your posts..? Right, not quite sure about that.And I have not once used the word horrible.And how exactly am I in denial? I even proved to you how I got to the conclusion that you think GCSEs are easier.

If I said your hair has grown longer, your hair is long. In comparison to the hair you had before.If I said my trousers had got smaller in the wash, they are small. In comparison to the trousers before I washed them.You said the exams are easier, you imply the exams are easy. In comparison to what they were.Getting it now?

ring any bells?Also, you're not "backing down" at all tbh you know you're wrong and that you haven't got substance to argue with.And sorry to keep going on but this statement defeats itself:

it's quite narrow-minded to assume that because students, who have only taken their GCSEs once found the exams hard, it doesn't mean, the exams you took were not harder for students of previous years.

And you have taken multiple series of GCSE exams? Edited August 26, 2010 by Matthew