Duncan

I think that perhaps you are too kind.

You seem to be implying that IF there is a link
between Specimen Answers (heavily studied and learned
by pupils) and question papers then this is a result
of negligence.

That is one possibility I'll grant you, but not one I
agree with.

I see Exam Boards as businesses - and businesses
compete. Exactly how Exam Boards compete is another
thread altogether.

You draw the analogy with Tesco and the
supplier/customer relationship.

I have long held the view that there should be only
one (preferably government) exam board albeit with
Option topics.

I also think that Examiners should be paid more AND
that every paper should be double-marked. Higher pay
would attract Examiners so there should be no problem
with supply. The Examiner could mark the paper, record
the mark - but not on the sheet, then send them off
for second marking.

The average of the two marks could be the entered
finalised mark.

You mention the Examiners' books everywhere. Most
Examiners are practising teachers...so just how do
they find the time?

Perhaps it is not so much the Exam Boards that are
businesses - but the Examiners themselves.

Again one comes back to the supplier/customer
relationship.

How does one make sure a book sells?

There are several answers, one of which is that it is
full of 'good stuff' relevant and readable.

Another one is that it is written by someone who will
later be in charge of Examining students. Teachers
will trust (even 'kow tow to') the author; schools
will buy the text.

The way the book can keep selling is to make sure that
people still take that board.

And the way to make that board popular is (among other
things like support services) to try and ensure that
there is a high pass rate.


And one way to do that.....which brings me back to
Specimen Answers. I assume that exam papers are
checked, ratified, analysed etc by some sort of
governing body prior to the exam being sat? I wonder
if that same Examining Body double check to see if
similar questions have been asked before.

The reason I ask is this. There is a Professional Body
that runs a series of Accounting and Business exams.
Successful students are awarded a Diploma and gain
entry into university, sometimes missing the first
year. The exams look reasonably difficult - until one
realises that the exact same questions - word for word
- are asked year after year...and there are four
sittings a year. I am fairly sure the universities are
not aware of this and hence take the exams at face
value.

I don't think there are problems with Examiners as
such - apart from them being underpaid and under
assessed. The problem lies with the lack of checking
on exam papers - and also, I suspect, the lack of
willingness of teachers etc to question, in public if
necessary, the behaviour of such boards.

One such forum could be this but that would be unfair
as exam boards are - presumably - not here. I remember
a particularly nasty interchange of emails about a
particular OCR Business Studies paper a year ago. That
'debate' was very short-lived.

I also remember an email exchange about a year ago
between myself and others where one Examiner openly
said that he chose a particular board as it was 'easy'
and his job was to get as many of his pupils through
as possible. Therefore IF (and I stress 'IF') there is
a correlation between Specimens and 'Actuals' then
no-one's going to moan about it...are they?

Maybe this IS what 'satisfying clients' is about - I
sincerely hope not!

In terms of making a decision, my original concerns
were that I had mistaught my pupils. I am now
beginning to wonder whether in fact I correctly taught
them - but have disadvantaged them for this board.

I had hoped I would not have to choose between
delivering a subject and enabling pupils to pass an
exam. I had assumed they were mutually inclusive
rather than exclusive!

There must be other Business Studies teachers who are
reading this thread - your views?

DH



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