Edexcel C3 Replacement Maths Paper

[aliportico]

I did it last night and didn't think it was *that* difficult, but there weren't as many easy marks as usual. But more thinking required, which was clearly a shock to some! I read one post on TSR this morning saying, "how was I supposed to know that sin40 = cos50?" (or whichever way round it was) - seriously? You've got to y13 and think you're good at maths and you've never actually looked at a triangle?

[Guest55]

I have worked through the paper; it is not correct to say the questions 'weren't on the syllabus'.

The problem was the framing/context made some questions difficult for students to see a way to begin some of them. I don't think the paper will discriminate well across the ability range. We all got an e-mail from Edexcel on Friday explaining what their position was.

There is this on their website:

http://www.edexcel.com/Aboutus/press-ro ... ilter=2644" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Daogroupie]

So two UK and two Overseas Centres took the original paper even though they had been sent the new one. Is there anything to stop them opening and reading through both papers and deciding to let their student sit the easier one? Should they not be made to recall their students to sit the right paper? DG

[aliportico]

They can't do it now, it's all over the internet!

And the marks of the two papers won't be compared, will they?

[Guest55]

Edexcel need to ask serious questions at the centres where the wrong papers were sat. The new papers were sent in plenty of time and teachers knew about the problem through the website.

I cannot understand how any school could make that mistake.

[Daogroupie]

Let's hope that no candidates from any of those four centres gets a better grade in their easier paper and takes a University place away from one of the candidates who had to sit the new paper. DG

[KB]

I think that what the exam board are saying is that the original papers will be 'moderated' separately from the others so if the paper is easier the grade boundaries will be higher.

There must be a danger that so few of the original papers were sat that there is insufficient data to compare properly though.

The use of the original papers does seem a bit dodgy but if there has been any wrong doing it still isn't the fault of the students at those centres.

As I said, hopefully the Universities will look favourably on anyone who just misses their offer as a result of this.

[Guest55]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22951054" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If I felt it had affected all my students equally I would not be so concerned as the 'rank order' would not be affected.

[KenR]

According to my son, the replacement C4 paper today was not not as bad but still very tough.

I agree with an earlier post of KB's in that it's unreasonable to provide past papers with one level of difficulty and then issue the actual paper this year that is very significantly more difficult.

My son missed a couple of questions in C3, but he goes to a very good school and is a good mathematician. He was averaging 92 in his AS to-date but thinks it's now unlikely he will get his A*. So there may be a risk of UCAS clearing come Aug

My real concern is for other students at some of the other schools where the teaching and support isn't as good. We spoke to a parent today with students at the local Worcestershire comp - she told us that many students who took the exams were in floods of tears afterwards - they just couldn't cope. It sounds like this particular paper is going to favour the very bright pupils and also maybe those that are studying Further Maths.

[Daogroupie]

I wonder if this will impact those planning to do A level Maths if they see the problems students at their school are facing. DG