A Levels?

[snico]

Just watching on the news some students getting their A Level results.

Am I wrong in thinking that its now become a joke, and so easy to pass? all these students looked so excited and shocked to have passed and got the reults they want. A levels now have a pass rate of 97.8%.

They are easy to pass due to the seperate modules and units, isnt it about time they made these exams harder.....they are meant to seperate the good from the not so good aint they? whats the point in them if almost every student is getting the grades to then fight over university places.

 

[cantaloup63]

A levels may or may not be easier to pass, but it doesn't mean that there is a significantly huge number of grade A and A*s, largely upon which most students are given university offers.

Also there are a large number of students who are making the decision that they really don't want to start their adult working life with debts of between £15k and (in the future) £40k+.

 

[snico]

27% of the passes are grade A or A*

For the top marks possible in any exam, that is a huge number.

 

[cantaloup63]

True. But maybe, just maybe, students are better at passing them than they once were and that the GCE's are in fact not really any easier than they ever have been.

The thing about the possiblity of modules and frequent testing (4 exam sessions over the two year A-level period) creating a higher number of higher grades may have a bearing in that students are tested on their knowledge whilst it is relatively fresh, but this doesn't mean that they haven't got the knowledge which presumably hasn't really changed much over time. It simply means that they haven't had long enough to forget it yet

 

[namsag]

Exams easier i would say so , at the age of 13 my daughter passed the equivalent of 4 gcse`s in IT a year before the rest of the top half of the school normally take it. This is an exam that is meant for 16 year olds being passed in the majority by 14 year olds.
Kids are being coached now a days as opposed to being educated .

And as for uni girl on telle this morning been accepted for sociology says its 8 hours a week WTF is that all about .
Gullible kids getting into massive debt to be call centre reps and shelf stackers

 

[Susiejb]

There seems to be little point in an exam that everyone passes....surely the whole point of an exam is to sort out the most intelligent.

Maybe we are afraid of saying someone didn't make the grade, unfortunately when you live in 'the real world' life is full of such disappointments.

 

[cantaloup63]

Exams easier i would say so , at the age of 13 my daughter passed the equivalent of 4 gcse`s in IT a year before the rest of the top half of the school normally take it. This is an exam that is meant for 16 year olds being passed in the majority by 14 year olds.
Kids are being coached now a days as opposed to being educated .

Dont suppose it's because your daughter is very bright and ahead of her age

And as for uni girl on telle this morning been accepted for sociology says its 8 hours a week WTF is that all about .

I'm surprised it takes that long to study for sociology

Gullible kids getting into massive debt to be call centre reps and shelf stackers

It's just a cunning way of keeping them off the dole books for a few years, and it costs the country little since the loan will eventually be paid with interest.

....surely the whole point of an exam is to sort out the most intelligent..

Exams have never been about measuring intelligence.

 

[joinerjohn]

I did A levels back in 1974. Took the A level engineering drawing exam in the 1973 November retakes (as the teacher said it would be a good experience for us) and got a grade B. There were some questions in the exam paper that I couldn't have possibly answered, as we hadn't covered everything. I also did Art and Woodwork gaining a C and another B respectively. Whilst studying for A levels we also had to do O level General Studies (but as the lesson was the first one after morning break on a Monday, most of us used to skip it and go to the pub (for real life education,, eg Maths . scoring at darts, and trigonometry,,, working out the angles of the shots on the pool table. Even Home Economics,,,checking our change, to make sure we had enough for another pint ) ) Ahh, schoolwork was much harder in those heady far off Seventies.

 

[Alarm]

and trigonometry,,, working out

How to fire a gun nowdays.

 

[geraint]

A levels may or may not be easier to pass, but it doesn't mean that there is a significantly huge number of grade A and A*s, largely upon which most students are given university offers.

Also there are a large number of students who are making the decision that they really don't want to start their adult working life with debts of between £15k and (in the future) £40k+.

wil they....

 

[cantaloup63]

Yes. Based on actual and factual evidence gathered today and from conversations with such students over the last 12 months.

 

[misterdubya]

Unfortantely for the Gas Industry, the ACS is even easier than potty training nowadays. It's no different to 'A' Levels TBH.

 

[cantaloup63]

Unfortantely for the Gas Industry, the ACS is even easier than potty training nowadays. It's no different to 'A' Levels TBH.

Does one not need NVQ2 and NVQ3 which takes at least 3 years experience of competence before one is elligible to enrol?

 

[misterdubya]

Yes and No. Its not neccessary anymore. You can spend a few weeks at at an 'approved centre', pass the ACS and then work under scope or get Gassafe Registered.

Or, you can go the NVQ (City & Guilds) route. Took me 4 years to qualify, and personally, I'm glad it did. How many plumbers on here (apart from NigeF) do leadwork nowadays?

Most plumbers nowadays have no idea what the word 'Plumb' means in Latin.

 

[cantaloup63]

But this is potentially dangerous. Where it comes to certain things in life both training and time based experience are needed.

I need a stapedectomy on one of my ears - a few months training will not suffice and this isn't even life threatening