Another year of blanket A level increased passes in England, Ireland & Wales.. does that make you wonder?

Question

Sorry to be in the A level bashing camp, but an increase to a 97% pass rate across the whole country.. AGAIN is either the result of every pupil getting smarter at the same time and at the same rate, or the exams are getting easier...hmmm... you don't have to be Einstein to work that one out I think.

Answer 1

Yeah and that guy doing all the swimming n the Olympics - he wouldn't have gone that fast 10 years ago.

Some things have happened to push up the grades since I left school- these do not necessarily make things easier

1) you can retake individual papers as many times as you like.

2) Teachers are better trained and Ofsted inspected. A lot of c**p teachers have been weeded out.

3) the grades are now determined by how well the students do on the exams, not how well they did compared to other students.

In the old days only the top 10% got an A grade. So the difference between an A and a D grade could be a single mark if a cohort had similar abilities.

Answer 2

I think it's easier to pass A Levels (ie. to get the D/E grades) but I think it's still tough to get a high A grade. Oh and for English A Level you can't take any texts into the exams. And when your studying the collected works of Shelley and need to write an exam on potentially any topic, that's when it gets harder. I also hear that certain subjects like Chemistry and French (esp AS) are still tough. Others are easier to get a pass in. And there's also AEAs...

Answer 3

a pass is A-E isn't it so anything under an E is not a pass, meaning that 97% got between A and E, but is that so hard?

Answer 4

I think the simple answer to this is that everything, particularly the students, curriculum, and teachers especially, is better than it was 20-some years ago.

We are the superior generation. I haven't even taken my A Levels yet, and I know it's just that people want something to moan about. Would it be better if pass rates went down? If more people got fails instead of a bracket that comprises 4/5 (I think) of all the possible grades?

Jealousy does not look good on you, fuddy duddies of England, Wales & Northern Ireland..

EDIT: Sashs.geo has the right idea.

Answer 5

This coming from someone who watches Big Brother. And er...programmable calculators and textbooks? Which exams are these?

Answer 6

I believe that so much emphasis is placed on exam results now, and affects a schools rating and so forth, that pupils are prepared for exam questions. They are taught in a more 'parrot' fashion, meaning they will study for potential questions by simply remembering facts. However, ask the students WHY something is or to think for themself and I believe that is when a lot more students will struggle. There is a lack of real understanding....in my humble opinion. =)

Answer 7

The other question is - why does the government need to introduce a hard A+ exam if the A exam is not getting easier - instead of the introduction of the new exam make the old one worth more by asking harder questions

Answer 8

A Level exams and rules are easier than the Scottish exams (Highers). Scotland's exam board (SQA) doesn't allow programmable calculators, textbooks, mobiles, etc in the exams.

They are also quite difficult in Scotland because they are designed to be difficult! The rest of Britain have different laws, exam boards, rules and regulations...so you might be correct about their exams getting easier.

However, all schools have a different style of teaching, some schools have very high success rates due to the standard of teaching within them.

G.W.K

Answer 9

You have nothing to apologize  and I agree. My belief is simple all you need to do in order to pass is be conscious enough enough when the Ambulance crew wheels you in on a stretcher to the testing center all you need is to have enough motor co-ordination to make an attempt at making an 'X'  and if you are able to make a 'X' then it is sufficient to pass.

Reason why I say that is England is so wrapped up in everyone is a winner, that it is better to be mediocre than to excel, and that testing is too stressful that it is my belief the A-Levels and GCSEs have been dumb down so that students can feel that they accomplished something. It is my belief after seeing university students knowledge, writing skills, and reason skills that the tests are measuring the decline of intellect. Therefore it is my belief with this lazy approach to education it will be some time before England produces another Churchill, Shakespeare, or Darwin.

Answer 10

you need to remember that passes are from A-E. the only fail is a U.

so when it says that 97% passed half may have got all E's which is only 20 UCAS points.

Answer 11

Yeah, well, I did A-Levels last year, and worked very hard to achieve my grades. I definitely didn't find them easy.

Don't forget, we have coursework now, which never used to be the case, meaning not everything hinges on one 3 hour exam.

Edit- Actually, if you look, I didn't say 'they're not getting easier', I said 'I didn't find them that easy'. I was offering my opinion.

Answer 12

gettin an E isnt so hard why are you always claiming that exams are getting easier technology has improved therefore education and teaching improves thee are so many sources for these pupilsto revise on the internet and it is still growing that is why