Gcse maths test

[PaulSB]

Nope, the majority took O level.. It wasn’t top tier only stuff. O levels had grades A-E or U for unclassified. A-C was considered a pass.

I've a feeling this varied from school. At my school the years were streamed as Set A or B. I was in Set A with everyone studying for O levels. Set B studied for CSEs. My recollection is we studied for seven O levels but I have a nagging feeling it could be ten as I know I studied ten subjects at school.

Anyone consistently not making the grade dropped from A to B, while those excelling moved up. There wasn't much movement, there wasn't an annual promotion and relegation.

If one was weak on a subject in the final year you'd be entered for CSE instead of O level.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

people who went to the Secondary modern only tended to do CSEs

Not in our town. Seems it was different in places then . Secondary moderns had heaps doing well at O level in our town.

 

[stephec]

I gave up navigating through the pop ups and demands to sign up: no thanks

The Manchester Evening News is a sack of shite newspaper.

Because it's local to me I often see their posts on my Facebook feed, and the number of comments like your's makes you wonder how it's still in business.

Forty years ago it was a decent paper though. 😂

 

[Cathryn]

I had a go at my son's higher level mock last week.I got 2. GCSE Maths is harder than I remember.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I had a go at my son's higher level mock last week.I got 2. GCSE Maths is harder than I remember.

remember that the topics they teach change over time as well

I bet I could beat and top rated Maths GCSE student on question from my 'O' level exams that used logs

although where I would find a book of log tables is something I am not sure about - although I am sure the internet has a site for that sort of thing
(but I better be very careful in what I type into the search box!!!!)



anyway - the point in that when I started was that it is a handy excuse when you can;t do a kids homework when they ask you!!!

 

[markemark]

It’s changed. An A grade in the 90s gets you a 7 these days. To get an 8 or 9 you need to get questions which were the starter ones from A level maths back in the day.

 

[DaveReading]

I bet I could beat and top rated Maths GCSE student on question from my 'O' level exams that used logs

although where I would find a book of log tables is something I am not sure about - although I am sure the internet has a site for that sort of thing
(but I better be very careful in what I type into the search box!!!!)

As it happens, I was having a clearout a couple of weeks ago, and among the stuff I put into the recycling was a book of log tables. Two, in fact, 3-figure and 4-figure ones.

I found my old slide rule as well, but I couldn't bear to throw that away ...

 

[Dogtrousers]

Logs aren't just for log tables though. I hope they still teach the concept of exponentiation.

 

[Profpointy]

Logs aren't just for log tables though. I hope they still teach the concept of exponentiation.

I think it was Roger Penrose no less that makes pretty much the same point that the real valur of learning about log tables is the insight into powers and hence calculus not merely a way of calculating.

 

[Dadam]

Here's an actual past paper (Higher) from 2023. Looking at it, it does seem a little easier than I remember my O Level from the mid 80s, but I'd still bet a majority of the folks huffing and puffing about the arithmetic test would fail it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Here's an actual past paper (Higher) from 2023. Looking at it, it does seem a little easier than I remember my O Level from the mid 80s, but I'd still bet a majority of the folks huffing and puffing about the arithmetic test would fail it.

Let each person reading this thread, do one question each in order. I will start with Q1.

Q1. Coordinate is (0,7)

 

[Beebo]

Q2
15/8

 

[DaveReading]

Q3
4

 

[Dogtrousers]

Q4
(i) 2/3
(ii) 1/12

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I was a teacher I had to do a cover lesson for a maths class
that sort of thing was normal in those days

They were a bottom set year 11 - i.e. doing their GCSE that year
they had been set a paper to do during the lesson

I had to send to the Head of Department for one question as I couldn;t remember (for certain) something about multiplying and dividng by negative numbers

Turned out very well
we got the problem sorted and I apologised to the class but they were really pleased that a proper teacher had admitted they didn;t know this and sent for help and then apologised
which probably taught them something more important - which I also talked to them about

they probably remembered how to fix the problem as well as it was so unusual for that to happen


and - this was bottom set in a "difficult school"
anyway - that was some time around2006/7 - so those kids are in their 30s now