Category Archives: Exams

Schools forced to spend £328m on ‘over-inflated’ exams

Posted on May 9, 2012 by dchan

Head teachers criticised the “over-inflated” exams system today after it emerged that schools were forced to spend almost £330m on GCSEs and A-levels last year. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Academies, Exams, GCSE, Head teachers, Secondary Schools | Leave a comment

Exam boards face fines for test paper errors

Posted on May 8, 2012 by dchan

Exam boards face multi-million pound fines for mistakes in test papers under new powers granted to the exams watchdog Ofqual. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

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Drinking water improves exam grades, research suggests

Posted on April 18, 2012 by dchan

Students who bring water into the examination hall may improve their grades, a study of 447 people found. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Exams, Pupil health, Research | Leave a comment

The A-Level isn’t done – yet

Posted on April 5, 2012 by MThompson

Exam season is just a couple of months away. Osiris’ Matt Thompson takes a look at the current debates around our exam system. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in A-Level, Exams, Government Policy | Leave a comment

Teachers ‘under growing pressure to inflate exam results’

Posted on April 2, 2012 by dchan

Teachers are increasingly being forced to cheat the exams system by inflating pupils’ results to hit “unrealistic” targets, it is revealed today. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Exams, Ofsted, State Schools, Teachers | Leave a comment

Delays to new Scottish exams an ‘option’

Posted on March 21, 2012 by dchan

Individual schools will be allowed to delay the National 4 and 5 exams, due to replace Standard Grades, for a year. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Exams, Scottish Education | Leave a comment

Would ranking pupils against each other restore faith in exams?

Posted on March 20, 2012 by dchan

Bringing back exam results which rank pupils against each other might be the only way to raise public confidence and stop the sniping about standards, says Mike Baker.  Have you noticed that when you talk about schools to almost anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Exam Focus: AS-Levels, Exams, Secondary Schools | Leave a comment

Bright students ‘cannot write essays’, say Cambridge dons

Posted on March 6, 2012 by tburr

Bright students are starting university unable to structure an essay because of the “damage” caused by test-driven schooling, Cambridge academics warned on Monday. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in A-Level, Exams, Gifted and Talented, Sixth Forms, University | Leave a comment

Maths teacher criticised after suggesting Oxbridge candidate may be happier at Bangor

Posted on February 14, 2012 by tburr

A maths teacher at a Sixth Form college has been criticised for telling a gifted pupil who hoped to go to Cambridge that he would have a more enjoyable time if he got C grades and went to Bangor University. … Continue reading →

Posted in A-Level, Exams, University | Leave a comment

Eton head: Axe GCSEs and leave all exams until pupils are 18

Posted on February 10, 2012 by tburr

Leaving certificate would end exam factory and allow schools and pupils more freedom of choice. The headmaster of Eton College is calling for GCSEs to be abolished and for teenagers to be spared the tyranny of examinations until they are … Continue reading →

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University maths ‘too difficult’ for British students

Posted on February 10, 2012 by tburr

Universities are being forced to “dumb down” standards of maths because of the sheer number of children leaving school with poor numeracy skills, according to research. Many institutions are “marginalising the mathematical content” of degree courses amid fears English students … Continue reading →

Posted in A-Level, Exams, GCSE, Maths, University | Leave a comment

New-style ‘nappy curriculum’ will damage childhood – say academics and authors

Posted on February 7, 2012 by tburr

Children’s natural development is being undermined by a relentless focus on formal assessments and targets in nurseries, childcare experts warn today. In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, academics and authors said that controversial education reforms are robbing under-fives of … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Years, Exams | Leave a comment

Easy GCSE

Posted on February 1, 2012 by tburr

Jon Coles, an ex-director general at the Department for Education, said major exam boards were attempting to win business from schools by promoting GCSEs and A-levels as “more accessible” than their rivals. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in A-Level, Exams, GCSE | Leave a comment

Exams make our hands sore, say students

Posted on January 25, 2012 by dhutson

Normal life can be resumed now that January exams are drawing to a close. But as budding scientists and mathematicians stroll carefree to their lectures, humanities students are left nursing a rather ugly legacy – the writer’s bump. Held aloft in pride … Continue reading →

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Science lessons should be tougher, pupils claim

Posted on January 23, 2012 by dhutson

The examination would be more rigorous than the rudimentary “citizen science” currently studied in schools and introduce gifted students to advanced disciplines at an earlier age. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Assessment / Exams, Exams, Science | Leave a comment

Girl, 15, to study first indoor skydiving GCSE

Posted on January 19, 2012 by dhutson

Examiners have allowed the 15 year-old to nominate it as one of her participation sports, which account for nearly two thirds of marks. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

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Head attacks ‘aggressive commercialisation’ of exams

Posted on January 10, 2012 by dhutson

John Wood, incoming chairman of the Independent Schools Association, said competition between major exam boards had damaged the “integrity” of the system. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

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Just 3% of pupils in some areas are getting good GCSE pass in key subjects

Posted on January 4, 2012 by dhutson

Just 3% of teenagers managed a good pass in six traditional subjects at GCSE in some parts of England, according to a Conservative party survey. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in Assessment / Exams, English Baccalaureate, Exams, GCSE | Leave a comment

Too many exams are ‘ruining children’s enjoyment of learning’

Posted on January 3, 2012 by dhutson

Too much testing is robbing school pupils of their childhood and the opportunity to enjoy learning, according to the former director of the national curriculum. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

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Shakespeare dumbing down row after pupils told exam texts in advance

Posted on December 23, 2011 by dhutson

Students are being told which acts of which of the playwright’s works they would be questioned on up to six months in advance. {lang: ‘en-GB’}

Posted in A-Level, Assessment / Exams, English, Exams, GCSE | Leave a comment