tories propose going back to norm referencing for a levels

Former Member

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3750726.stm

the tories havejust lost any potential votes from people who know anything about exams

Former Member

Re: tories propose going back to norm referencing for a levels

Originally posted by wheresmyplacebo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3750726.stm

the tories havejust lost any potential votes from people who know anything about exams

the tories never know what they want, they just grasp at ideas they think might be popular but this one is just plain stupid.

Former Member

It would mean that students might reach the top standard but, if there were many bright students in their year, they would not get the top grade.

:eek2: Where is the incentive for people to work hard then?

Former Member

Originally posted by BumbleBee
:eek2: Where is the incentive for people to work hard then?

well the fact you need to beat people in your year is the goal, thats it - if your in a thick year lucky you, if your in a clever year, ur screwed, and noone will accept claim "im in a clever year"

Former Member

I’m not sure if the Tories latest idea is right but something needs to be done. The number of people getting top grades at a-levels has increased massively and employers and universities generally don’t think standards have increased massively. This lack of confidence just devalues a-levels and with some private schools already doing IB’s instead the government need to restore faith in a-levels from employers and universities.

Otherwise private school pupils who’ve done the IB will get another advantage over state school pupils who mostly do a-levels.

Former Member

Originally posted by Disillusioned
I’m not sure if the Tories latest idea is right but something needs to be done. The number of people getting top grades at a-levels has increased massively and employers and universities generally don’t think standards have increased massively. This lack of confidence just devalues a-levels and with some private schools already doing IB’s instead the government need to restore faith in a-levels from employers and universities.

i know for certain courses like law and medicine some uni's have aptitude tests for new entries, this is a good solution i think and it sorts out the good from the great.

Former Member

Originally posted by turlough
i know for certain courses like law and medicine some uni's have aptitude tests for new entries, this is a good solution i think and it sorts out the good from the great.

isnt there such a thing as interviews to do that... how i got accpeted to all my unis even tohugh i wa sjust below what they normally want

Former Member

Originally posted by wheresmyplacebo
isnt there such a thing as interviews to do that... how i got accpeted to all my unis even tohugh i wa sjust below what they normally want

when 1000 people get 4 A's and apply to a course with 250 spaces in it, a test is going to be more useful than an interview.

Former Member

Originally posted by turlough
when 1000 people get 4 A's and apply to a course with 250 spaces in it, a test is going to be more useful than an interview.

how is it theyve proved they can all do test/exams already, sure it can be useful still but there are other ways which differentiate those who learn like robots to those who have a more natural understanding which is what universities want
also a thing as personal statements and people taking different subjects, youll find the amount of people taking up the classically more demanding subjects has fallen, which tend to be best ones for studying at uni even if you arent doing them directly

Former Member

Originally posted by lukesh
This is adversarial Politics for you.

everyone knows that man, i think even pointing out that the pope was catholic would have been less silly than that statement




no its not called adversarial, its called partisan politics

Former Member

Originally posted by lukesh
my whole point was that the opposition will always try and be different from the government.

no they wont, they only differ themselves when they know the government are wrong, cause if theres something that has mass public support, the shadow govt dont want to lose public support

Former Member

Originally posted by turlough
i know for certain courses like law some uni's have aptitude tests for new entries, this is a good solution i think and it sorts out the good from the great.

It's a random tangent, but here's a little bit of gossip for you.

The Durham law tutors tried out the aptitude tests in February, and half of the law department's tutors failed it

I thought it was wonderful!

Former Member

Norm referencing is something that is completely wrong, and yet again a reason why the Conservatives are a dying force who have little or no relevance to modern Britain.

Criterion refencing is far better, and it should never be forgotten that even in this style of marking if too many people are getting As then the presuimption is that the exam was too easy, and the level of marks required to get a grade is raised.

Former Member

Originally posted by Kermit
It's a random tangent, but here's a little bit of gossip for you.

The Durham law tutors tried out the aptitude tests in February, and half of the law department's tutors failed it

I thought it was wonderful!

...and I guarantee that all the administrators at Durham University couldn't pass a SAT test between them.

I actually agree with having a fixed proportion getting a A grade. What is the point of A-Levels if not to separate different academic abilities?

Former Member

Scum. That is a really bad policy, quotas for grades? bullshit. If people are getting A's they are getting A's you can't stop them. All this crap about A Levels being easy drives me nuts. I spent 2 years doing A Levels and i had to work they were not easy :mad:

Former Member

Originally posted by Renzokuken
Scum. That is a really bad policy, quotas for grades? bullshit. If people are getting A's they are getting A's you can't stop them. All this crap about A Levels being easy drives me nuts. I spent 2 years doing A Levels and i had to work they were not easy :mad:

What's the point of an A grade if half of everyone taking the exam gets one? This isn't about A-Levels being easy (although they are a lot easier than they were in my day ). There has to be some way of distinguishing the top students. That's why A* at GCSE was introduced.

Former Member

Originally posted by Kentish
What's the point of an A grade if half of everyone taking the exam gets one? This isn't about A-Levels being easy (although they are a lot easier than they were in my day ). There has to be some way of distinguishing the top students. That's why A* at GCSE was introduced.

Yes but if it was 'easy' to get an A then everyone would have one. Only about 20% of students get an A grade, and the average grade is a D or something...so A Levels can't be 'easy'

Former Member

Originally posted by Renzokuken
Yes but if it was 'easy' to get an A then everyone would have one. Only about 20% of students get an A grade, and the average grade is a D or something...so A Levels can't be 'easy'

Originally posted by Kentish
This isn't about A-Levels being easy

If I were a swearing man, I may say: Fuck. Sake.