A-level Results Day

[Uncle C]

Economics History and Politics AS results tomorrow.

I'll see my results and then comment on whether A levels are getting easier

What's your reference point?

 

[essbee]

Nobody has mentioned the role that coursework plays in the scheme of things. In other
words, to what extent does work done during the year leading up to the exams count?

I don't know myself.

 

[SeagullSongs]

Nobody has mentioned the role that coursework plays in the scheme of things. In other
words, to what extent does work done during the year leading up to the exams count?

I don't know myself.

It depends, BTECs are 100% coursework, subjects like Media and English can be as much as 50% coursework. Maths was only 3.3% coursework. Sciences have none, but you do practicals which make up 20% of the total grade.
It may also depend on which exam board the school uses.

 

[essbee]

cheers SeagullSongs and good luck

 

[BrickTamland]

My media was something like 60% coursework 40% exam based. Pretty stressful and times because of technology failing etc but in the scheme of things the coursework was quite easy. Exam was HARD though, not much preparation due to the coursework and was just as long as the subjects which were 100% exams. Crazy!

 

[SeagullSongs]

cheers SeagullSongs and good luck

Thanks

 

[coagulantwolf]

On the topic of UMS I was always led to believe it's a multiplier that is different for every single exam dependant on difficulty. That's why you can get like 80% on the paper, but still get 100 UMS.

Anyways good luck to people. AS level result people not so much, I know I didn't try at all hard first year and got low ABCC. A level though, upped my game big time and got AAA (2 of which were one UMS mark off A*'s).

Anyone hoping to get the grades for uni? If so; what uni?

 

[sir danny cullip]

A 2:1 with some worthwhile experience, might make the cut.

What an absolute load of bollocks. The issue isn't the grade so much it is the university. A 2:1 in an 'unfancied' subject in relation to the employer you are applying for from an 'unfancied' institution is unlikely to get you very far. The flip side of that is a 2:1 from a university very much fancied/targeted by employers in a course that, for whatever reason, they prefer is likely to get you much further.

Choose your discipline and your university very carefully.

Whatever certain people might like to peddle about everyone needing firsts these days it is simply not true in my experience of working with around 50 of the leading graduate employers in the country. Credit is given for a first but equal credit in most situations is given for a 2:1 with lots of extra curricular, gap year, 'good' course at a 'good' university and languages. Clearly this only gets you as far as interview and then you have to impress at that stage also.

 

[Uncle C]

What an absolute load of bollocks. The issue isn't the grade so much it is the university. A 2:1 in an 'unfancied' subject in relation to the employer you are applying for from an 'unfancied' institution is unlikely to get you very far. The flip side of that is a 2:1 from a university very much fancied/targeted by employers in a course that, for whatever reason, they prefer is likely to get you much further.

Choose your discipline and your university very carefully.

Whatever certain people might like to peddle about everyone needing firsts these days it is simply not true in my experience of working with around 50 of the leading graduate employers in the country. Credit is given for a first but equal credit in most situations is given for a 2:1 with lots of extra curricular, gap year, 'good' course at a 'good' university and languages. Clearly this only gets you as far as interview and then you have to impress at that stage also.

So what did you think I meant by relevant experience?

 

[sir danny cullip]

So what did you think I meant by relevant experience?

Perhaps a similar concept but you gave the impression that you were rarely recruiting graduates with any short of a first class degree. Perhaps in your specific area that might be the case but it's wholly unhelpful to those asking questions more generally about whether they need to get a first class degree to get a job (which they don't). Best to give young people at the moment all the information they can be given, especially seeing as most seem to not understand the fee/maintenance loan structure.

 

[HenryC]

Tomorrow!

Is anyone else on here (or any of your family) getting results?

(I'm doing Maths, Physics and Biology if anyone's interested)

Yep. My son is doing the same A levels. Nervous about tomorrow!!!

 

[Bean]

Economics History and Politics AS results tomorrow.

I'll see my results and then comment on whether A levels are getting easier

Did you do AQA economics? Was it me or was Micro really hard?

 

[Uncle C]

Perhaps a similar concept but you gave the impression that you were rarely recruiting graduates with any short of a first class degree. Perhaps in your specific area that might be the case but it's wholly unhelpful to those asking questions more generally about whether they need to get a first class degree to get a job (which they don't). Best to give young people at the moment all the information they can be given, especially seeing as most seem to not understand the fee/maintenance loan structure.

The irony is that many of those that need to be spoon fed are just the sort you dont want to recruit.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Whether they're easier or not good luck to everyone getting their results tomorrow. People work bloody hard for these exams and if they fail they get told they're thick as shit and if they pass they get told it's piss easy anyway, they really can't win.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I think it's more than just learning everything in the syllabus, I reckon students these days find it easier because they can practise with past papers and mark schemes (exemplar answers). When I did my A levels 'back in the day' I don't recall any teacher telling us about past papers and mark schemes. That's probably why I only just scraped passes in mine!

So basically, what you're saying is that nowadays teachers are doing a good job to do the best for their students!

 

[sir danny cullip]

The irony is that many of those that need to be spoon fed are just the sort you dont want to recruit.

Good point, I just read a staggering statistic this week that 40% (or a similar amount) still think that they need to pay large amounts of money up front before beginning a degree course which I found utterly staggering. Don't think the situation is helped by the 'you need a first to get a job anyway', 'no point going to uni it's too expensive anyway' school of thought which is why I linked to your initial post.

 

[sir danny cullip]

Whether they're easier or not good luck to everyone getting their results tomorrow. People work bloody hard for these exams and if they fail they get told they're thick as shit and if they pass they get told it's piss easy anyway, they really can't win.

Is correct. Most of the debate about the merits of such qualifications is done outside the student body, largely because they're either delighted they have the grades to move on to the next stage of their education or they're devestated they've just missed out, it's those outside that seem to have this obsession around every results time.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

The irony is that many of those that need to be spoon fed are just the sort you dont want to recruit.

My experience of selecting staff from applicants with A level background is positive but there is still insufficient emphasis within education on students thinking for themselves and carrying out their own research and studies which suggests to me there is too much coaching and direction from teachers. I guess this is because of the targetted approach to results rather than a balance that also gives students the skills to evaluate research for themselves. This is rather surprising given that the ability to carry out research is a key part of degree programmes as well as an attribute that many employers value. I found one of the most simple indicators is to ask the applicant what they know about the employer's business, how the employer has performed (plenty of background info available on the web and other sources) and for an opinion on current / future challenges within that business/ activity/industry. It is scary just how few applicants have bothered to find out some basic background information, let alone give an articulate opinion. So I am not surprised that Unis are now conducting their own entry exams.

 

[TheJasperCo]

Good luck everyone for tomorrow

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Maths, Economics, Politics and Physics AS results for me tomorrow. Fair to say I'm pooing it