Well, it’s that time of year again! Everyone has to pretend to be pleased that the pass rate has increased for the umpteenth (28th, I think) year in a row.
I love this quote from the Daily Mail story on 2010 exam results:
One in ten exams in English and maths is now taken by pupils aged 15 or under…
…Head teachers are increasingly putting bright pupils in for GCSEs early and starting sixth-form studies at age 15.
Yes. That’s because the exams are so easy now that you hardly need to have any significant teaching to be able to pass them. Obviously, even a passably bright 15 year old can do it!
I did this last year, but I have since got hold of a lot more GCSE Maths papers from the last few years. Take a look at Question 2 from a 1968 ‘O’ Level Maths paper:
Now take a look at Questions 1 and 2 taken from two random GCSE papers:
You do not need to know any maths at all to answer question 1. The answer is in the question, and you get 2 marks for that! Question 2 is the simplest of arithmetical puzzles, and you gte 6 marks for it. There is simply no comparison. Modern exams are easy – almost Pub Quiz level – in comparison with those from the past. This explains why Universities are overflowing with applications.
In the past, only those with the get up and go to get good ‘A’ Level grades and the desire and drive to go to University ended up with ‘A’ Levels and degrees. Nowadays, it is virtually impossible to not get an ‘A’ Level (especially if you do it in an idiot subject like “media studies” or “drama”). But although for many years ‘A’ Levels in idiot subjects have been enough to get you a place at a University, the better ones are now digging their heels in. They have a list of banned A levels…
A-LEVELS UNIVERSITIES DON’T LIKE
- Media studies
- Business studies
- Theatre studies
- Drama
- Music technology
- Art and design
- General studies
- Citizenship
- Accounting
- Film studies
- Communication studies
- Leisure studies
- Travel & tourism
- Dance
- Computing
- Health/social care
- Photography
- PE
- Sports studies
- World develop’t
- Home economics
- Hospitality
- ICT
…AND ONES THEY DO
- English
- English literature
- Mod’n languages
- Latin and Greek
- History
- Geography
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Politics
- Economics
- History of art
- Music
- Ancient history
- Philosophy
Some people are trying to make out this is to deliberately block state-school pupils, but I can’t help thinking that if state-school pupils did Chemistry or Physics instead of Health & Social Care then there wouldn’t be an issue (other than the fact it would be harder). People have just got to accept that an ‘A’ Level in Chemistry, Biology, Maths, or whatever is worth a lot more than one in Dance or Travel & Tourism. It’s like comparing a gold ingot to a housebrick.
