With the news that A level pass rate has reached 97.2% in England, this will probably be 100% in a few years, how much reliance can be placed on this qualification today.

 

I am not having a go at the student's who have passed, well done to them :cheer: , however if Universities and employers are suspicious of the pass rates surely that is not good.

 

We keep hearing about the problems with reading, spelling and arithmetic with today's students at school so how come 97.2% are passing?

 

Are the exams easier?

 

Are only students likely to pass presented at examination?

 

Are students cleverer than previous generation?

 

In the Scottish results released last week, it was found out that pass rates in certain subjects had dropped to between 43% and 47% to achieve a pass rate. This means that you pass, even if you get more wrong answers than correct, how can that be? Is it just to maintain overall pass rates to show them increasing each year?

 

What do you think?

Exams aren't easier. Anyone that says that is being ignorant imo. If you asked an A-Level student now to sit a paper from 30 years ago, they wouldn't be able to do it, same with if an A-Level student from 30 years ago sat an A-Level exam this year. You learn about different stuff, and have different specifications.

 

There should be a high pass rate for A-Levels too... people who take them have done well enough in their GCSEs to progress onto the next level, so technically speaking they SHOULD be able to do well in A-Levels. To be honest though, at A-Level an E is a pass, and in most subjects it is easier to get an A than a U tbh, expect in the Sciences subjects (Geography, Geology etc. too) and all the Maths subjects.

I am not having a go at the student's who have passed, well done to them :cheer: , however if Universities and employers are suspicious of the pass rates surely that is not good.

 

Let's just hope that those students didn't copy your mistake.

 

Oh, and I know it's almost a decade ago, but when I did my Higher Level exams in 2000, they were bloody difficult. And I got the equivalent of four As in them as well.

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by DitzyNizzy

We keep hearing about the problems with reading, spelling and arithmetic with today's students at school so how come 97.2% are passing?

 

imo, a problem is that even though so many people are passing a-levels and such, 6th forms and colleges allow to let student do any old subjects, so many are leaving with 4 "dumb" subjects such a psycology, business, sociology and media studies altogether, and in reality the subjects are useful for jacksh*t.

 

i think if the government want to improve skills, students should be made to take atleast 1 oblig subject (like a science, maths or english lang/lit) at a-level, and im sure the pass rates would change.

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by laundry service