Who has the most GCSES/O Levels

[bobhope]

Quite possibly. We did JMB O-levels at my school which I think was seen as one of the tougher boards.

Anyone who saw "That'll Teach 'Em" last year will recall the pick of that years GCSE students who all had A or A* in maths and english being given sample O-level papers in maths and english from the 1950s. The best result was something like 30% and they all agreed the papers were much harder than GCSEs. It was only then that the kids were told that had in fact just sat a 1950s 11 plus exam.

Shameful.

Surely what we need is to ask Threaded to use his time machine and transport some kids from the 1950s to do 2006 exam papers. THAT would be a real test.

[sasguru]

Complete and utter bollocks. Post the papers

Couldn't find any papers after a cursory look at the web - but found plenty of evidence that undergraduates nowadays lack basic mathematical skills e.g. here

http://mathstore.ac.uk/workshops/ddi...c_math4all.doc

Here's another quote:

"Report finds students with A grade at A-level mathematics today will, on average, obtain a mark on the diagnostic test that would have placed them near the bottom of the cohort 15 years ago"

from

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/1370_1135.htm

From my experience too, where I work, we get the best grads - 1sts and 2-1s only from non-ex-polys - yet they struggle with the statistical theory necessary for this job.

[Bagpuss]

What you may find is an A/S level has some of the old O level syllabus. A 1950s O level will not include most of the syllabus of an A-level.

Post a 1950s O level maths paper, and let's compaire what is on the A-level

[Bagpuss]

From my experience too, where I work, we get the best grads - 1sts and 2-1s only from non-ex-polys - yet they struggle with the statistical theory necessary for this job.

Maybe you should try the people from the ex-polys. In my experience they are not so stuck up their own arse.

[wc2]

I've got a CSE Grade F in woodwork.

[Xenophon]

I am fully qualified in A levels.

Captain Jack

[Bagpuss]

I've got a CSE Grade F in woodwork.

Sounds like whatever you made wooden work!

[sasguru]

Maybe you should try the people from the ex-polys. In my experience they are not so stuck up their own arse.

Chip, shoulder etc. There are plenty of inarticulate ex-poly types and plenty of personable proper-uni types and not all ex-poly types are crap etc. etc. But generally I'd prefer people who showed discipline in their teenage years and got the grades to go to a better uni.

[sasguru]

What you may find is an A/S level has some of the old O level syllabus. A 1950s O level will not include most of the syllabus of an A-level.

Post a 1950s O level maths paper, and let's compaire what is on the A-level

You're probably right. However whatever was on the syllabus (O or A) would have been covered to much greater depth.

Can't find a 50's paper on the web. Perhaps with your A-level in Multi-media studies you'll have better luck

[Mordac]

I think my final total was 9 O Levels (2 A's 7 C's) 1 CSE Grade 3 and 3 failed (2 Unclassified 1 E) A Levels. I can't really remember as it was 20 years ago and no-one's ever asked me about them since. God help me if I ever go permie *spit*. Some bimbette in HR will probably want to see all of my certs.