A level marking

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Ed's mum
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A level marking

Post by Ed's mum »

My husband has marked psychology A level papers for quite a few years. This year he was pulled off marking them because his marking was too harsh. The moderator was giving full marks whilst he was giving fairly low marks for some of the essays.

He read some of them to me. They were awful. They made no sense. Used few if any psychological terms. Were full of conjecture and anecdotal information. Awful spelling, punctuation abysmal and seriously lacking in basic grammer. He has been a psychology lecturer, also works in the mental health area of NHS. Knows his stuff. He feels extremely worried about the low standards this year.

I won't name the exam board, but they will be making quite a few students happy this year.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Yes exam standards are being manipulated before the next general election. It is disgusting that the government are cheating our children. Cheating less able children into thinking they are capable of a good mark and cheating the genuinely able out of university places, good jobs because one persons CV mirrors another and yet ones is false.

EDIT: I say bring in the US SAT test for uni admission and then we will be able to sort the wheat from the chaff!
Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

I think it is because the universities are beginning to price themselves out of the market by asking for ridiculous grades for their courses so exam boards need to up the grades so the students get in.
We visited Birmingham University yesterday and had a talk on Physiotherapy (daughter really surprised me there). The admissions tutor waxed on lyrically about the kind of person they wanted on their course and stated that the minimum grades requested would not be the profile, you would need much higher grades to get an offer from them. As we had not researched the course (daughter decided on a whim that she might be interested in it) I mistakely thought from the way the tutor was talking that the minimum grades required must be around BBB or even BBC ( not maligning Physios, but they are not doctors) How wrong can you be - ABB is needed - and that would not be enough for physiotherapy ? :shock:

My daughter will probably get ABB or maybe even on a good day AAB, but much more than that - well possibly if her marks are moderated as described above, hopefully she'll have a chance :!:

LFH
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

T.i.p.s.y wrote:Yes exam standards are being manipulated before the next general election. It is disgusting that the government are cheating our children.!
I marked SATs when they were first introduced by the Conservatives.I can assure you every Govt manipulates results at all levels.The next Govt. will be no different .
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

LFH.

Uni's aren't asking for ridiculous grades but you have to remember an A is not the same as it once was and this is why they need a higher grade. As for physio it has always required an absurdley high level of grades. My sister couldn't even get into a rubbish Poly come Uni 12 years ago with 5 Scottish Highers (all A's) and 3 Advanced Highers (all A's) to study physio and yet managed to get into the most prestigious Scottish uni in the same year to study a far more scientifically academic course.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Chelmsford mum wrote:
T.i.p.s.y wrote:Yes exam standards are being manipulated before the next general election. It is disgusting that the government are cheating our children.!
I marked SATs when they were first introduced by the Conservatives.I can assure you every Govt manipulates results at all levels.The next Govt. will be no different .
I agree CM, but it's only now that Ed's mum's OH is affected, probably because the government want to use their exam figures for the next election campaign. I am really concerned that A'levels can have different examining bodies and the markers can range from academics to morons. I know some pupils at Win Coll who had their U paper upgraded to an A because the marker could not understand what they had written! :shock: I am seriously considering Pre-U schools now because if the exam is not wide spread it should have an elite group of markers. Of course they will probably mark it fairly and their results will not appear as good because some moron has marked a C paper at A for the A'level marking! :roll:
Chelmsford mum
Posts: 2113
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

[quote="T.i.p.s.y I agree CM, but it's only now that Ed's mum's OH is affected, probably because the government want to use their exam figures for the next election campaign.:roll: [/quote]

I do understand but it will be done by the next Govt too in order to convince us that things "can only get better" with them.It is a terrible shame that education ever became the political football it is now.

What is a pre u school? New term to me. :?
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

A new exam designed by Cambridge University called the Cambridge Pre-U. No modules, extended essays and superior to A'levels. Only the very top academic indies and a few excellent indies which are not as selective seem to be doing it. I think some state schools are opting for one or two Pre-U's but it's not across the board. Win Coll has ditched all A'levels except for Ancient History and 2 others.
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

I imagine that a certain proportion of children sitting will get an A, a certain proportion will get a B etc, so perhaps its manipulation to a degree, but not for a greater political goal, merely to ensure that the overall population sitting the test is given a grade depending on whether they are better or worse than a standard or the rest of the candidates sitting the exam- a bit like 11+ standardisation process.
I think that this government currently has a little bit more on its plate regarding re-election than worrying about the marking of A Levels this year.

LFH

PS Cm -I tink the Pre U is an alternative to A Levels not sure whether it has started yet or not, but again how can anyone be sure that the marking of that will be any better or worse than the current situation
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Whilst the exam is in its infancy the marking should be better as there will only be a very small amount of top academics trained to mark it.
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