11 Plus Exams Forum

My dd has just entered yr 10 the vast majority of her gcse's are modular and she seems to start doing assessments in a few months time and then every few months through the next 2 years has anyone else been through this it seems quite a marathon? any tips

The idea is that the GCSE is chopped into bite sized chunks. Small enough to be taught in a term for the easier ones, very little revision as the exam is taken at the end of the topic.

Individual modules can be retaken to improve the grade, but the last two attempts are all that are stored so if attempt one was the best out of three that could be lost.

only some of DSs GCSE were modular or had coursework element (Eng Lang, history, 3 sciences, RS ) - 'spose that is quite a lot reallly. I think it made the whole thing easier with small exams taken in the stride and far less to do at the end .... actually rather a lot of thumb twiddling waiting for exams at the end as there were only about 14 papers over what seemed like endless weeks...

Thanks guys so overall it's probably a good thing i was interested in the point about retakes and only allowing the last two marks

I have set about trying to work out my dd's module exams shedule for the next 2 years we have had something from the school but it was a bit vague i have looked on exam board websites and come up with this nightmare timetable it's taken me hours it seems v scary in summary:

in year 10 she will have done 8 controlled assesments randomly spaced through the year and 7 exams once again randomly spaced throught he year and 3.9 parts of her 9 gcse's done.(not counting some inevitable retakes)

in year 11 she does 12 exams randomly spaced and 7 controlled assesments randomly spaced.

I think i'll be in an asylum by the end of it.

I wish it was like my day ie dos about for 5 terms then work your ***** of for 1 term and do some exams and that's it

Tree wrote:
I wish it was like my day ie dos about for 5 terms then work your ***** of for 1 term and do some exams and that's it

I agree... but then modular exams don't suit all.

My son is one of the youngest in the year and is also one of the less mature (at 15yrs & 2 months still waiting, in disgust, for his growth spurt).

Some of his modules were taken when he had just turned 14.

His attitude to exams now is so different to the start of year 10..... I almost wish he could take all his modules again as he would def get better grades.... but that has to be weighed against having to retake in May, just before main GCSE's.

Something similar came up in a conversation with friends this weekend. It seems to me a lot of boys in particular are going through horrid puberty hibernation and general obstinacy at the very time when they need to be working towards their future. No wonder they are achieving less than girls. Am actually relieved now that DS1 went through it so early but unfortunately don't think that will be the case for DS2.