Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

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Catseye
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Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by Catseye »

?? and will A* only be awarded to a fixed percentage of the cohort presumably to stop grade inflation?
SteveDH
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Split from Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by SteveDH »

My thought is that it will make it different.
I was reasonably good at exams.. so I pretty much dossed the whole of the 6th form and the did a lot of cramming just before the exams.
My poor DD who did the non linear exams had to work hard through the whole of the 6th form.

I think they will shift the balance, and probably take them further away from the real world. but that's just my opinion.

I think grades are juggled at present to make sure not too many pass.

so the ultimate aim of getting everyone well enough educated to get good grades is self defeating.
moved
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by moved »

As the modules have already been removed from the January sitting, I know several children who are now repeating yr 12. They are doing this because retaking their AS levels at the same time as taking their A2 would be too much work.

In the old days and the future ones this would be unnecessary as they won't need the ASs. Under the modular system they could have retaken them in January and then focused on A2 for the summer. The current group are already penalised, I just wish that the ministers would leave schools and exam systems alone and stop 'tinkering' with education for political successes rather than educational ones.
Guest55
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by Guest55 »

In the old days and the future ones this would be unnecessary as they won't need the ASs
Yes but in the 'old days' people would fail at the end of two years and end up with nothing! At least now they have a 'wake-up' call with AS. The change is a disaster (imho) as many students change their minds about which AS subjects to continue but this won't be possible in future.
mike1880
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by mike1880 »

I'm not convinced. When I did A-levels my Y12 "efforts" mercifully counted for nothing and I was able to put on a sprint and get some tolerable results at the end of two years. Son, sadly, is following in his father's footsteps, but unfortunately HIS dismal Y12 performance and predicted AS fiasco will feed directly into A2 results, assuming his GS doesn't politely ask him to leave at the end of the year anyway.
Guest55
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by Guest55 »

mike1880 - you were clearly wise enough to learn - many students weren't. I only have to look in old mark books to see the evidence ...
hermanmunster
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by hermanmunster »

Not that it will be relevant to us (year 13 DC) - but what is happening about numbers of A levels?
DD and DS chose 4 at the beginning of year 12, DS carried all four 3 but DD took the opportunity to drop one after AS. Will kids be doing 4 all the way through ? or only choosing 3?
drummer
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by drummer »

The change will certainly add a lot of teaching time back into the timetable which must be a good thing. Currently weeks are spent preparing for, revising for and sitting the AS exams. And think of all the time that is now spent on exam technique, the A2s are different from the ASs so they have to start over.

Plus, many get of to a shaky start in 6th form learning how to balance new responsibilities and freedoms and it seems harsh that poor A2s now limit their potential A level achievement.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by Guest55 »

Drummer - it will actually reduce teaching time - many students will only do three A levels from day one.

Now the January modules have gone, the only revision we do is in the summer. With a two year course, like linear GCSEs there is more knowledge to keep 'on the boil' so more revision time overall ... just like it was pre-2000.
KB
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Re: Will Linear/Terminal A levels make them harder?

Post by KB »

But at least they won't loose all that time in school in the summer of Y12. Must have had 6 weeks altogether in study leave.
It will also remove the issues of doing A2 maths modules once they are back in Y12 after AS exam leave, which all mine found hard. Though I realise that only applies to a few.
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