How many people who think A levels have gotten easier can really compare?

Question

I'm wondering how many people who think that A levels are getting easier took them when they were apparently 'hard' and worthwhile AND now so they can really compare?

I achieved AAA at A level and should have been over the moon but every single newspaper claimed that the grades meant nothing because the exams were so easy. I achieved the highest I could physically get and yet apparently even that isn't an achievement anymore. Why not?

Answer 1

Quite simply because the syllabus no longer has the depth and breadth of coverage that it used to. This particularly applies to maths/science subjects.

Answer 2

First off! You are doing really well to achieve the grades you have. Just remember to turn in everything you receive from your teachers, even if it is extra credit you don't think you will need, and you will be just fine when you get to college. As for the question, I actually work in the education field creating ancillaries and textbooks. Here is what has happened.

The No Child Gets Left Behind law came into effect. This law was to help students who were getting bad grades or behind in the class by teaching to their level instead of to the grade level. Supposedly to create an even playing field. Sorry folks, but parents do not like thinking their child is average or sub-par. The states have now decided what the standards are that must be mastered every year by students in Math, English, Science, Social Studies, etc. These are what the average student can attain in a year. If they feel it can not be handled all in one year, it gets moved to the following year. Because of this what was considered 7th grade material when I was in high school 15 years ago might be considered 9th grade level now.

Another thing that has been happening. When I was preparing for college, I was told how hard it would be. When I arrived I thought everything I had heard must have been an exaggeration. That's because I was well prepared by my schooling. Now I hear students getting into University and they have trouble keeping up with the general education syllabus.

Remember, you achieved outstanding grades for yourself and these will get you into a good college. Don't let anyone take that away from you or stand in your way. Your education leads to your life's future security so keep up the good work. :-)

Answer 3

I did my A-levels in 2000 and got a bunch of As. You know what? Sorry to burst your bubble but they are worthless! The C marks for many papers are now less than 50%. How much is an exam worth if you can get half the paper wrong and still get a C? I did no revision and missed most of my course and I still got As. At university, people who had passed their A-levels with good marks suddenly found themselves getting 6%. I studied English and luckily had the ability to do it, but there were people on my degree course who had passed English at A-level and yet they didn't know what verbs were and failed to write in paragraphs. What exactly were the A-levels awarded for if people who clearly have no grasp of the subject are coming away with decent grades? You may be very intelligent but even then you're being done a disservice by the system. The system that doles out A-Cs at GCSE and passes at A-level with such ease is not showing the failings of those not at a decent standard, nor does it allow those that are to shine. I can say they're nonsense. I took them (Seven years ago) and they are nonsense.

Answer 4

A few years ago there was a programme on the telly which tried to test this out. They took a fairly large number of students who had recently got straight 'A's in their A-Levels and got them to sit exams which were based and marked on the exams of thirty or forty years ago.
The result was that only one girl managed to get straight 'A's in the old-style exams,some passed some exams and failed others(with Ds,Es and Fs), and some even managed to fail every single exam.
The conclusion from that is that,whether or not exams are getting easier,they certainly seem to be getting easier to pass.(Not the same thing,but you never hear a news reporter ask politicians that question-are they getting easier to pass?,they only ask-are they getting easier?)
When I was in school passes were -
C = 50-59%.
B = 60-69%.
A = 70-100%.
I read in a newspaper a few years back that nowadays, in some subjects, a 'C' pass can be achieved with as little as 18%. If this report was correct,then modern exam results have been considerably "dumbed-down".
With your results, I assume you'll be going to uni-if so,good luck and keep it up!

Answer 5

well done -youre always gunna have people say oo they are much easier to get now just like people who say oo in my day there was no crime- i think youll find there was but u just didnt know about it-pat yourself on the back from me x

Answer 6

well done! don't let people stampeed over your parade!