Is the 11+ more difficult than GCSE'S?

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andy from embsay

So A levels aren't as hard as they were, either? Of course, I don't know when "your day" was ....!!!!! I've heard lots about poor English - but not maths - I didn't know that.

Guest 55, thanks for info about maths. I didn't know a KS2 level 5 would be expected to get an A/*.

However bright our 11 year olds are (well, most aren't 11), I think that GCSE's should be too difficult for them ... unless they have been tutored to do GCSE papers!!!

Back to the 11+ ... do GCSE's help prepare for it? I should know now my dd's done the exam; but don't! Any thoughts? Should I be preparing my year 2 ds to do GCSE's now?! Worrying thought!

[Okanagan]

However bright our 11 year olds are (well, most aren't 11), I think that GCSE's should be too difficult for them ... unless they have been tutored to do GCSE papers!!!

Exactly how I'd expect it to be - I was actually shocked when I first looked at the papers that they weren't any more difficult, and in some cases simpler, than the ones ds had been doing for 11+. I suppose (giving my age away!) that when I was doing exams they were split between CSE and GCE/O level - so the foundation level is more analagous to what would have been CSE then. But I'm still surprised to find that a 10 year old can do them - it begs the question of what they're spending the next 6 years learning!

[Guest55]

Remember GCSE Foundation is mainly taken by children who were level 3 and below at KS2. They will have moved on quite a way to score 70+% to get a grade C.

[twelveminus]

This here is the problem of just restricting a child to narrow curriculum of GCSE testing

“Mathematics teaching at A-level tends to be very narrow and procedural and this is the case across the state and independent sectors. A handful of schools go well beyond the syllabus and they are the ones dominating the Oxbridge entries,” said Jeremy Hodgen, professor of mathematics education at King’s College London.

Anybody know which schools these are?

[moved]

GCSEs are a lot of work. To obtain a good grade requires a high degree of accuracy as well as a good understanding of the mark scheme. Key words and content are essential, so common sense, native wit, etc. cannot be substituted for hard work.

DS sailed the 11+ with barely any prep. He cannot do this for GCSEs!

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moved, (another name which confuses me, I thought you were a mod who "moved" posts!)

You are so right about one thing; no prep needed for the 11+ (proud to say didn't do much with my dd) but obviously my dc will need to do loads for GCSE's.

Moving on from GCSE's, I wonder if anyone could clarify this for me, or whether it is down to individual schools. Do students have to do four A levels then drop to three in the second year?

Also, (maybe I should post this somewhere else), is it true Maths is the most difficult A level there is? Dh was looking at ds (yr 10)'s Mymaths last night ... Dh couldn't do it (not even with a calculate). Something about inverse proportions. Dh has science A levels grades A/B so isn't stupid, (unlike me and My maths!) but he could see why ds couldn't do it.

Does anyone consider Maths to be the most difficult A level (surely not more difficult than Physics) My ds, who's only achieving C's in year 10, wants to do Geography, ICT (as a fourth if necessary), Maths and Physics (he's only predicted B's). He is not top of the class, obviously. He wants to do A levels because he likes those subjects. I'm worried that as he's only on B's, he might struggle at A level. His teachers said last summer he should have no problem. He is at a good comp.

I don't know! And after all our worry about dd2 and the 11+ - well, GCSE's seem more important.

Any opinions on Maths A level?

[moved]

Further maths is hard, but single isn't too bad. Core 1 isn't much more than A* at GCSE. I enjoyed teaching maths at A level, decision maths is great fun, although my cousin has found it tough. I don't know enough about physics yet. DS is still in year 11 and it's too long since my A levels for them to count.

[twelveminus]

GCSEs are a lot of work.

Not IME.

[ginx]

I don't think GCSE's look that difficult - I'm an invigilator - although I couldn't do physics! There are still a lot multiple choice questions in many subjects. In my opinion!

[moved]

GCSEs are a lot of work.

Not IME.

Sorry, what is IME?