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ChrisRogers said:
the exams aint that hard. i didnt revise for any exams or do any extra work to prepare for any of them i failed RE and english but passed the rest (i got 9 GCSE's)
exams test ur short term memory. not long term. so there a waste of time
Don't let it get you down Chris. People have been saying "exams are getting easier" ever since exams started. I did my GCSEs back in 1996, the year after the A* was introduced. People moaned about it, "an A is an A", and so on.
When you get your results, why don't you ram that "Information Technology" GCSE right up the bottom of anyone who did O-levels in 1964 and claims GCSEs are far too easy now.
Now, I speak French far more fluently than people I know who did their French O-levels in the 1960s and 1970s. I was by no means exceptional, I got an A, not an A*.
I did "woodwork" of a sorts back at school, but seeing as we now have a greater range of readily-available materials, my "Technology" lessons also included vacuum-formed plastics, hot-wire cutting, PCB-making, soldering, semi-conductors, ICs and computer-control. Was all that covered in Woodwork O-level? Bear in mind I only studied Technology to the end of Year 9, I didn't even START a GCSE on it yet I had covered all the above. GCSE pupils of the subject got to do a bit of brazing and welding too.
OK, so the core subjects such as Maths and English have evolved little in 40 years (in fact 100 years or more), but judging by the way some of my middle-aged neighbours speak then I would say that the standard of English has got no "worser" in that time.
Anyway, people who say that exams get easier are often the same people who will say that exams mean little once you have a job.
When you get your results, why don't you ram that "Information Technology" GCSE right up the bottom of anyone who did O-levels in 1964 and claims GCSEs are far too easy now.
Now, I speak French far more fluently than people I know who did their French O-levels in the 1960s and 1970s. I was by no means exceptional, I got an A, not an A*.
I did "woodwork" of a sorts back at school, but seeing as we now have a greater range of readily-available materials, my "Technology" lessons also included vacuum-formed plastics, hot-wire cutting, PCB-making, soldering, semi-conductors, ICs and computer-control. Was all that covered in Woodwork O-level? Bear in mind I only studied Technology to the end of Year 9, I didn't even START a GCSE on it yet I had covered all the above. GCSE pupils of the subject got to do a bit of brazing and welding too.
OK, so the core subjects such as Maths and English have evolved little in 40 years (in fact 100 years or more), but judging by the way some of my middle-aged neighbours speak then I would say that the standard of English has got no "worser"
in that time. Anyway, people who say that exams get easier are often the same people who will say that exams mean little once you have a job.
andrew2022 said:
Erm... you say that you did no revision, passed the rest, and that exams don't test your longterm memory... Please explain logically!
I too did no revision, got several A*'s and the rest A's (10 GCSEs in all)... got an F in modesty though
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AdamW said:andrew2022 said:
Erm... you say that you did no revision, passed the rest, and that exams don't test your longterm memory... Please explain logically!
I too did no revision, got several A*'s and the rest A's (10 GCSEs in all)... got an F in modesty though
i could remember most of the stuff for the subjects i did pass from the lessons. i couldnt be asked with revision so i didnt revise for any. by long term i mean years, not months. i cant remember most of the stuff i needed to kno when i done my GCSE's in 2002
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Was English one of them?
Don't take this the wrong way - I'm not having a go, but I'm not surprised...andrew2022 said:
Whenever I've been in B&Q their "electrician" is usually the most gormless looking one of all.....racket said:B&Q has a lot to answer for, they probably sold him the consumer unit. Isn't it about time they had somebody on the electrical side who is able to spot the gormless looking bloke buying stuff like this, and is able to say to them.........."excuse me sir do you know what the f*** your doing.
Look - here he comes now...
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Well, I took several exams in 1982 and 1983, including an AO (Alternative Ordinary) in Human Biology, which got me a B. Having seen recent GCSE papers, I would say that they are FAR easier than the exams I took. Part of the reason for this is continuous assessment. Having a % of your coursework go towards your final mark helps a great deal.
On a separate exam note, I have just spoken to someone who has been assessed a "competent person" as far as PP goes: he says the examiners were as keen as he was for him to pass, as THEY were being examined, too!
He had a set-up on the wall and had to detect 12 faults, 11 of which were detectable without the use of a meter. He was asked to work with another guy and between them they found 27 faults...sounds like becoming a "competent person" is easier than you would believe...
Le's face it, even the NIC have deigned to say that you don't need to be professionally qualified in the use of test equipment: as long as you can demonstrate to the NIC you can carry out all the required tests competently, you are away.
On a separate exam note, I have just spoken to someone who has been assessed a "competent person" as far as PP goes: he says the examiners were as keen as he was for him to pass, as THEY were being examined, too!
He had a set-up on the wall and had to detect 12 faults, 11 of which were detectable without the use of a meter. He was asked to work with another guy and between them they found 27 faults...sounds like becoming a "competent person" is easier than you would believe...
Le's face it, even the NIC have deigned to say that you don't need to be professionally qualified in the use of test equipment: as long as you can demonstrate to the NIC you can carry out all the required tests competently, you are away.
securespark said:
But old son, I am thinking you did not have to take on 10 or 12 subjects or did you in the atees ?
I recall from the 6tees 5 O's being the normal (on the varm anyway).
The old, grass roots, wiring game just ain't rocket science .. and certainly is not populated by Einsteins .. I mean half of 'em cannot even use a flippin spelll chequer never mind a megger ... How will they fill out a sirtifecult ? Like they always have I suspecked wiv invizabul link !!!
pipme said:The old, grass roots, wiring game just ain't rocket science .. and certainly is not populated by Einsteins .. I mean half of 'em cannot even use a flippin spelll chequer never mind a megger ... How will they fill out a sirtifecult ? Like they always have I suspecked wiv invizabul link !!!
Pip light blue touchpaper and retreat!I suppose you are referring to the basic housebashing brigade, but a lot of electricians have moved on from that game and gone on to learn in more specialist and lucrative fields and the basic knowledge they learnt at college and experience on site has helped them progress into the more technical jobs.
Have to say, I worked with some excellent sparks in industry, trained by our own engineering company at the company college and on the job. From replacing fleuro tubes to fault finding robotics and state of the art machining centres -- some of which were being developed with the very major jap manufacturers and hence not yet on the market.
Memories of presenting wash m/c 'card' with burnt out resistor at lunch break -- end of break circuit analysed - correct value resistor and a 'counter chip ?' replaced -- M/C was still running sweetly after 3 yrs !!
College has been sold --- I think the electrics have been 'bought out' now.
More lucrative --- Plumbing ? Ah, but tis a killer job - knees, back, fumes etc.
P
Memories of presenting wash m/c 'card' with burnt out resistor at lunch break -- end of break circuit analysed - correct value resistor and a 'counter chip ?' replaced -- M/C was still running sweetly after 3 yrs !!
College has been sold --- I think the electrics have been 'bought out' now.
More lucrative --- Plumbing ? Ah, but tis a killer job - knees, back, fumes etc.
P
If everyone passes then you have lost the whole point of doing exams, which is to sort out who is good at it and who is not.
Doesn't matter whether this is because everyone is working harder or because the exams are easier. The results are no use to anyone if everyone gets a good mark.
Doesn't matter whether this is because everyone is working harder or because the exams are easier. The results are no use to anyone if everyone gets a good mark.
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