I have been following your debate on AQA exams/spec answers with interest.
We are not affected by the happenings at AQA here but I'm sure you will not
be surprised to hear of very similar problems with the AVCE Business from
Edexel.
In the new AVCE, 1/3 of all units are tested externally. We are putting our
students through 2 tested units this year:
Competitive Business environment Unit 2 and
Motivating and Developing People Unit 19.
We are VERY concerned with the quality of exams and Marking schemes, which
is making it impossible for students to achieve the grades they deserve.
Here is a flavour of the problem from the Specimen Paper
8d) Recommend how railtrack should respond if a subsidy is to be withdrawn.
(6)
>From the marking scheme
8d) possible reactions include: increase ticket price, reduce number of
services, reduce level of service.
1 mark for reaction
1 mark for development
SO AN A GRADE STUDENT WHO GOES INTO DEPTH ON ONE, WILL GET NO MORE THAN 2/6.
TO GET MAXIMUM MARKS THE STUDENT HAS TO EXPLORE 3 POINTS.
Throughout the Unit 2 paper, open/loose questions are accompanied by very
rigid marking criteria, which restrict student achievement.
Are Edexcel sorting this ?
Well the following results indicate that they HAVE to do something about
their tests and marking schemes:
of the 7951 entries for Unit 2 in January 2001
0.4% attained Grade A
2.4% attained Grade B or better
7.8% attained Grade C or better
20.2% attained Grade D or better
40.2% attained Grade E or better
For the 801 entries for Unit 19 in January 2001
0.4% attained Grade A
2.2% attained Grade B or better
6.1% attained Grade C or better
14.6% attained Grade D or better
30.2% attained Grade E or better
These pass rates are abomnable BUT the poor results cannot be purely
ascribed to the increased rigour of the new AVCE. The tests and their
marking schemes must be having an effect.
Such poor exams will only make the taking of this really good new
qualification an absolute NO NO.
Thankfully none of our students took the tests in the January sitting. Did
anybody out there get burned?
Paul Unwin
Business Studies
Grantham College (FE)
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