GCSE

[TL.]

Us 14-16 year old teenage Brits are working hard for our qualifications, the General Certificate of Secondary Education, which are held in May-June time. As I speak, I'm printing off my Geography Coursework, (started last July). Rant your stress with Coursework deadlines and the exams here for advice.

[TB3]

Harsh - I remember my own GCSEs and it was a tough experience, but I know you well enough that you're gonna do great bro, so don't stress yourself out.

[YDV offline]

....Being a 14-16 year old teenage American, I'm afraid I have no idea what a "GCSE" is. But I assume they're like standardized state tests (usually big government-required exams that they give us every couple years, or every other year, whatever.)

My next one is the OGT-- the Ohio Graduation Test, in 10th grade. Actually I think I'm dreading it, but honestly I haven't given it much thought. It is Third Quarter now-- which means eventually I'll be out of 9th and the Freshman building and I have to go to the big high school, high school. So perhaps I should start thinking about it. ^-^; (I remember being really surprised when a girl on my bus said she's already studying for it. o.O)

EDIT: Err, wait, or are they? Because we certainly don't have "coursework." What is that, exactly?

[TB3]

The way the education system for TL works is that part of his grade comes from the GCSE exams, which are state-wide and standardized. These really are a major point in the academic life as they mark the end of compulsorary education and are so big that two academic years are spent in preparation.

A large part of the grade though comes from 'coursework' which are projects you are issued which must be done independantly - i.e. 'Flooding', 'The Cuban Missile Crisis', 'Application of Mathmatical Probability' etc.

Hope that explains everything and guys good luck with your exams, WHEN they roll round in a few months.

[Osiris offline]

i remember doing my G.C.S.E's we got a time around the exam time off school which was pretty cool. But then they throw an exam at 9.AM which is kinda annoying. im sure you'll do fine though TL and good luck!

And about corcework deadlines......never anygood at hitting them, missed most my GCSE deadlines by about a day
Now im in college it wakes you up though and i hi them fine now (apart form that keyskills leaflet that was due in 3 mounths ago)

[mcrule offline]

I dread the day that i have to do my g.c.s.e's! Ive got another year to go yet! I feel really sorry for you!

[TB3]

Hehe - thinking back to the Advanced-Level exams I did before I entered university, I just remembered something;

On the day of my first exam I got up early and began to get ready - the exam was scheduled for 11.00am and I was in the shower at 10.00am when the phone rang in the hall - Mum answered it and I instinctively got a sinking feeling in my stomach.

The exam had been rescheduled to 10.00am and I'd missed the notification - I felt so f**king stupid! So I got drssed in a rush, raced to school, started the exam late and...aced it!

I got lucky - but I advise everyone (especially my little bro'), to learn from my ineptness!

[YDV offline]

Ohh! So they're like SAT's, but... with homework?

Ehh, I'll never understand the British education system. >.>

Good luck to those who have to take it.

[5188148 offline]

I take the Colorado Standard Academic Procedure, CSAP, which is cake 'cuz front range parents are vicious soccer moms

[Omega offline]

I hate SATs, and I'm not even in high school yet!!! Of course, I never study anyway and get away with 90 some-odds scores on vocabulary. The biggest tests I have are the SATs and the ALPS qualification. The ALPS, for you Brits, is the:
<b>A</b>ccelerated
<b>L</b>earning
<b>P</b>rogram
for
<b>S</b>tudents

They have a questionaire at the beggining to ask you about yourself (hobbies, sports interests, etc.) and say this: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR GRADE!!!

Well, us smart ALPS kids figure this: If it has nothing to do with it, why do they do it? We figured it was the biggest part.

Recently my step-dad went to a seminar about ALPS, and learned that it was actually 30% of the overall grade.

Still, though: 874 - 48 is still one of the questions, since first grade!!! It's supposed to be for "smart kids" but that's not exactly a "grade-level" question, is it?

Ah well, better finish the project for school I'm doing. Hope I didn't bore you to death.

[4lpha0mega offline]

Ohh! So they're like SAT's, but... with homework?

yeah, coursework makes up around 20-40% (not quite sure) of your final mark, it varies between subjects though,

Either way, i got GCSEs next year, i should do quite well, my maths teacher said i could get an A* (best grade possible) easily if i neatened up my writing. Most of my other teachers were positive, except my german teacher who said i could get a C if i worked very hard doesnt matter though, im taking french.


Oh, that reminds me, are any of you brits taking the Intermediate maths challenge (i think its called) this week? im taking it on thursday, hopefully im gonna be in the same test as one of my acquaintances who is a year above me, and he's like the God of maths.... i mean, really, he's Year10, and he's better than all the Year13s in my school

[Odd22 offline]

I got the North carolina End Of grade test( EOG) and End Of Course (EOC).

[odd girl offline]

i haven't got to do them yet, and even i'm dreading them, they sound horrible and hard

[Bootch offline]

All I have to say to all you about to take GCSE's is just to realx. Don't take what teachers say too seriously. just calm down do some revision try and do as best as you can on coursework (just in case). Exams never are as bad as people make them out to be. you just gotta have a calm attitude and don't stress yourself out.