from the guardian:
The new exams are accused of 'dumbing down'. But how well would you do?
Quiz: Twenty-first century science GCSE exam papers
The controversial new GCSE science papers, which feature multiple choice questions, have been accused of 'dumbing down' the subject. But how well could you do on the paper?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/qui ... ience-quiz
my results:
You scored 8 out of a possible 8
You rated: Alpha quiz-taker
shamefully easy, most of them. and i haven't studied any sciences since i was 14 (22 years ago!)
Exams dumbing down?
- markfiend
- goriller of form 3b
- Posts: 21181
- Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
- Location: st custards
- Contact:
I got 6 out of 8.
But I think the answer I gave for q1 is as valid as what it says is the "correct" answer. And none of the answers for q6 is quite right.
But remember the multiple choice questions are on the foundation paper, you can only get an A-C grade if you take the higher paper too.
But I think the answer I gave for q1 is as valid as what it says is the "correct" answer. And none of the answers for q6 is quite right.
But remember the multiple choice questions are on the foundation paper, you can only get an A-C grade if you take the higher paper too.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
—Bertrand Russell
-
- Black, black, black & even blacker
- Posts: 4962
- Joined: 11 Jul 2002, 01:00
8 but i think mini PiB could get 4-5 using common sense
Goths have feelings too
- EvilBastard
- Overbomber
- Posts: 3931
- Joined: 01 Feb 2006, 17:48
- Location: Where the Ruined Tower shouts
Hot damn - 8/8! Which explains how I managed B/C in Physics/Chemistry 20-some years ago. Mind you, the disconnect in those days between the frankly weedy GCSEs ("repeat what we tell you") and well'ard A levels ("you need to think for yourself" - they hadn't dumbed them down by that point because they didn't know what effect the GCSEs would have - was immense - I suddenly discovered that I had to work as opposed to coasting through exams on my good looks and charm (both of which were hopelessly inadequate to the task! )
"I won't go down in history, but I probably will go down on your sister."
Hank Moody
Hank Moody
- Quiff Boy
- Herr Administrator
- Posts: 16774
- Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
- Location: Lurking and fixing
- Contact:
i was the second year to sit the GCSEs after they were introduced (1989) and they were much harder than that
having said that, as mf points out those questions were taken from the 'easy' exam that the kids who arent going to get any A grades sit, where the best result you can get, even with 100%, is a C
just after i left school they merged all the sciences into one for GCSE, so no more physics, chemistry & biology and hello 'general science'... i remember all the teachers complaining that they were going to end up dumbing the subject down and make it an even harder transition from GCSE science to A level physics etc
having said that, as mf points out those questions were taken from the 'easy' exam that the kids who arent going to get any A grades sit, where the best result you can get, even with 100%, is a C
just after i left school they merged all the sciences into one for GCSE, so no more physics, chemistry & biology and hello 'general science'... i remember all the teachers complaining that they were going to end up dumbing the subject down and make it an even harder transition from GCSE science to A level physics etc
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
- Izzy HaveMercy
- The Worlds Greatest Living Belgian
- Posts: 8844
- Joined: 29 Jan 2002, 00:00
- Location: Long Dark Forties
- Contact:
Same here. Q1 have two possible answers because of the way the question is asked eg not specific enough. Missed the last one because I really did not know and I had to guess.markfiend wrote:I got 6 out of 8.
But I think the answer I gave for q1 is as valid as what it says is the "correct" answer. And none of the answers for q6 is quite right.
Not bad after all, off to school again!
IZ.
And they made it even worse than that, believe it or not. They had "general science", which was compulsory, and could at best get you a Grade C, and "Advanced Science", which could net you an "A/B" but was listed under "options". Unfortunately, you couldn't take Art and "Advanced Science" , so a load of us who were decent at Science but had arty leanings were frozen out.Quiff Boy wrote:i was the second year to sit the GCSEs after they were introduced (1989) and they were much harder than that
having said that, as mf points out those questions were taken from the 'easy' exam that the kids who arent going to get any A grades sit, where the best result you can get, even with 100%, is a C
just after i left school they merged all the sciences into one for GCSE, so no more physics, chemistry & biology and hello 'general science'... i remember all the teachers complaining that they were going to end up dumbing the subject down and make it an even harder transition from GCSE science to A level physics etc
I read somewhere that a lot of private schools in England are beginning to ignore GCSE/A-levels in favour of the International Baccalaureate. I wish my school had done that for History, I might have learned more than the NUT's political bias.
- Harvey Winston
- Amphetamine Filth
- Posts: 226
- Joined: 09 May 2008, 19:43
- Location: Barton, by the sea!
8 out of 8, a couple were educated guesses though.
- silentNate
- Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
- Posts: 824
- Joined: 11 Jul 2007, 07:48
- Location: Stars Hollow
You scored 8 out of a possible 8
You rated: Alpha quiz-taker
Thank goodness, I really should have known the answers even though I didn't take science at school but I feel relieved at completing this. They did A-Level mathematics recently and I failed miserably
You rated: Alpha quiz-taker
Thank goodness, I really should have known the answers even though I didn't take science at school but I feel relieved at completing this. They did A-Level mathematics recently and I failed miserably
I had a face on the mirror
I had a hand on the gun
I had a place in the sun and a ticket to Syria
I had a hand on the gun
I had a place in the sun and a ticket to Syria
I got thrown out for cheating
Thank goodness separate science survived in my school. Double Award (2 GCSEs worth of 3 sciences) seems to the be the standard these days, thoughQuiff Boy wrote:just after i left school they merged all the sciences into one for GCSE, so no more physics, chemistry & biology and hello 'general science'... i remember all the teachers complaining that they were going to end up dumbing the subject down and make it an even harder transition from GCSE science to A level physics etc
Got 8 on 8, but I honestly couldn't have told you some of the answers without prompting - and that's having taken the 3 at GCSE 4 years ago and A Level Physics two later. My Biology lets me down
Question 1 is just bad paper setting, though...