Reply to: Who has the most GCSES/O Levels

[ratewhore]

MCP anyone?

[wendigo100]

10 O's, 3 A's, BSc, MBA, various It certs.
But experience and common sense matters more than any of those.

True - I've got the experience and common sense!

Maths GCSEs definitely don't go as far as the old seventies O-level, no calculus for a start. I did an electronics later (poly I'm afraid, sas) which, as anyone else here who has done it knows, includes loads of calculus - I thought I was learning greek - but I got on that course with my maths O-level.

Looking at today's GCSE maths syllabus (which I have a copy of because my daughter is doing it) I would need an A-level now.

[sasguru]

Try to reign in your personal insults when talking to adults.
My points are:

1/ You can learn to pass those tests with practice, so yes the 'regurgitators' will be good at that kind of test.

2/ Anecdotal evidence, that is all. But I've met a few of these memorizer types, they don't really understand the concept but give them a few past papers and they will pass an exam.

Of course thats not to say some bright bunnies go to uni, but there are many of the other types too.

Stop being logical, it's no fun. Where's Chico when you're bored?

[Bagpuss]

(1) Psychometric tests test logic and reasoning. There is no subject requirement, so you can't regurgitate what you "know".
(2) That's the second time you've drawn your conclusions from a sample of 1.
Clearly didn't master the principles of Stats then. I rest my case.

Try to reign in your personal insults when talking to adults.
My points are:

1/ You can learn to pass those tests with practice, so yes the 'regurgitators' will be good at that kind of test.

2/ Anecdotal evidence, that is all. But I've met a few of these memorizer types, they don't really understand the concept but give them a few past papers and they will pass an exam.

Of course thats not to say some bright bunnies go to uni, but there are many of the other types too.

[sasguru]

I make of that those from ex-unis have been taught to regurgitate useless information over and over again. You could train a monkey to pass those tests and obviously judging by what you said that is precisely what you are getting.

I remember on my MSc course one of the fellow students, ex red brick, confessed to not really understanding most of her undergrad course but being good at photo memorizing information and regurgitating it verbatim. I imagine she would do well on those tests, but clearly she wasn't that clever.

(1) Psychometric tests test logic and reasoning. There is no subject requirement, so you can't regurgitate what you "know".
(2) That's the second time you've drawn your conclusions from a sample of 1.
Clearly didn't master the principles of Stats then. I rest my case.

[Bagpuss]

Who gives a sh!t about degrees - all a degree means is a key in the door. Plenty of idiots got to uni, plenty of geniuses slipped through the net.

And Ive got a B.Sc Comp Scienec from a proper uni and can voich that 95% of it was complete bollox of no use to anyone in the real world.

Thank you Mr Snaw, we will be in touch in due course.

[snaw]

Who gives a sh!t about degrees - all a degree means is a key in the door. Plenty of idiots got to uni, plenty of geniuses slipped through the net.

And Ive got a B.Sc Comp Scienec from a proper uni and can voich that 95% of it was complete bollox of no use to anyone in the real world.

[Bagpuss]

There is no active discrimination against ex-polys. Like most City firms, all new entrants have to pass a series of gruelling psychometric tests (these include IQ-style tests as well as presentations on a topic of your choice to senior managers). And most of the ex-poly types don't get through. Make of that what you will.

I make of that those from ex-unis have been taught to regurgitate useless information over and over again. You could train a monkey to pass those tests and obviously judging by what you said that is precisely what you are getting.

I remember on my MSc course one of the fellow students, ex red brick, confessed to not really understanding most of her undergrad course but being good at photo memorizing information and regurgitating it verbatim. I imagine she would do well on those tests, but clearly she wasn't that clever.

[sasguru]

Oh dear SAS, Oh Dear !

sometimes environmental circumstance holds back those with the will and ability, but despite all their efforts, circumstance prevents them from moving forward.

Not everyone comes from a nice clean cut, helpful friendly environment. I would have given almost anything for the oppertunity to have a decent education, but alas I was prohibited, despite my efforts.

I got lucky an fell into a string of jobs that led me to where I wanted to go.

True. But I strongly believe that the cream will get to the top regardless. I would actually respect someone like yourself more than someone who simply went on the conveyor belt.

[sasguru]

It beggars belief that a hiring manager would limit the potential candidates so much and still end up with crap candidates. Or then again maybe it doesn't ;-)

.

There is no active discrimination against ex-polys. Like most City firms, all new entrants have to pass a series of gruelling psychometric tests (these include IQ-style tests as well as presentations on a topic of your choice to senior managers). And most of the ex-poly types don't get through. Make of that what you will.

PS I don't make policy. Crappy HR do that. I would like to interview candidates based purely on their experience.

[MrsGoof]

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.

Oh dear SAS, Oh Dear !

sometimes environmental circumstance holds back those with the will and ability, but despite all their efforts, circumstance prevents them from moving forward.

Not everyone comes from a nice clean cut, helpful friendly environment. I would have given almost anything for the oppertunity to have a decent education, but alas I was prohibited, despite my efforts.

I got lucky an fell into a string of jobs that led me to where I wanted to go.

[Lucifer Box]

Whatever happened to S-levels, the super hard A-levels for people angling for Oxbridge admission? When were they phased out (if they ever were)? I did two of those and got a grade 'U' in both.

[Bagpuss]

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.

I think the chip is on your shoulder. From what I have seen, the old polly students are likely to be the articulate ones as their courses are focused on business need rather than the useless assimilation and regurgitation of facts.

Moreover, Mature students tend to go to ex pollys, they also get better grades. Some ex polys have the best industry focused courses, especially in Statistics. Old universities, as they have become more commercially aware have started to mimic the pollys e.g. placement years, presentational and interpersonal skills.

It beggars belief that a hiring manager would limit the potential candidates so much and still end up with crap candidates. Or then again maybe it doesn't ;-)



I speak as someone who went to an ex polly, I had the choice to go to an old uni but the polly course seemed more relevant and is held in high esteem with blue chip companies (I guess they don't know what some of their managers are up to). I also did an MSc at a top old Uni. The old uni was , disorganised, arcane,under equipped and understaffed. The quality of the lectures was inferior to the ex polly, the intellect of the students not really that different. So just goes to show.

[Gibbon]

Why are all you subbies arguing over degrees, all that matters is can you do the job.

I have an HNC and yet I've only worked for blue chips on seriously complicated
and safety critical systems and I've been back to the same ones several times.

I bombed out of A levels when I realised that most of my peers were up their own arse, joined the forces and saw the world and learnt real time computing at the same time. None of this PC computing for babies rubbish.

[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.