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GCSE results

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

The long wait is over, and GCSE results  are nearly out – but what should you do if GCSE grades aren’t as good as you’d hoped? Here are some tips…

Don’t panic!
Slightly disappointing results at GCSE aren’t the end of the world, especially if they are in subjects other than English, Maths or in the subjects not being taken to A Level. However, not doing as well as expected can be demoralising (especially if friends got straight A* grades!) and can be an indicator of an underlying problem that might cause greater difficulties at A Level.

As such, disappointments at GCSE and poor grades can be good indicators of problems that need fixing in the long term. Dropping a couple of grades in a subject that isn’t going to be continued at A Level is probably nothing much to worry about – unless that subject happens to be English or Maths.

Take action on Maths and English
The most immediate problems to face are if GCSE results in Maths or English (not English Literature) are poor. Colleges and Universities usually require at least ‘C’ in both subjects at GCSE for admission. Likewise, most employers want to see at least two Cs for anything except manual work. In practice, as a result of the grade inflation of the past few years, the cut off ‘respectable’ grade is a B – if a grade B  at GCSE in one of these subjects was narrowly missed you might seriously consider an appeal or a resit.

If either Maths or English have been ‘failed’ (strictly speaking, even an E or F is a ‘pass’ at GCSE, though nobody pretends that a grade below C is worth much, especially in English) they should be resat. School (and/or new sixth form college) will advise on this.

Check A Level eligibility
Dropping GCSE grades can have an effect on the subjects that can be taken to A Level (see here for tips on which A levels to choose). Many state schools and FE colleges ask for at least a C grade at GCSE in a particular subject before acceptance on to the A Level course (often higher for more traditional A Levels such as Maths and English). Grammar and independent schools will often require at least an A grade at GCSE before acceptance on to courses. However, it varies dramatically by school and by year.

If the grade has fallen below the notional standard for a particular subject but you/your child still wants to take it at A Level, the whole thing will have to be discussed with the relevant subject teachers. This might be easier if staying in the same school, as there will be existing relationships in place with staff who will know your personality and capabilities well – on the other hand, that could also work against you!

One way or another, an unexpected dip at GCSE indicates that not all is as it should be, and going into A Level you/your child could benefit from extra help. It could be that subject understanding wasn’t as it should be – or that the required effort and level of revision wasn’t put in but at 121 Home Tutors we have tutors that are used to working with A level students and with students who haven’t performed as well as they might – get in touch with us today for a no-obligation chat about how we can help with studies if you live in the Manchester, Stockport, Wilmslow, Macclefield, Cheshire areas.

*** Exam Results Helpline – 0808 100 8000 ***

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Summer holiday catch-up for GCSE and A-Level students

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Now that the exam season is all but finished, it might be time for your older children to think about how they can use the summer holiday break to get a head start, catch up and/or improve on areas where they haven’t performed as well as they might have wished. This is particularly important for students who have just completed Year 9 who will soon begin their GCSE courses, and for those in Years 10 or 12, who will be moving into the critical final phases of GCSE and A-Level next year.

That said, for students in this age group doing a bit of work and catching up over the summer holiday break isn’t just for those who have failed or underperformed in exams. It is also a great opportunity to get a head start and/or keep information fresher. The summer holiday break is quite long: six weeks or so for state schools, around eight weeks for many independent day schools and even more for many boarding schools. Even bright students often lose ground during this time, getting out of good habits, forgetting key information and neglecting skills that they had developed to a high level for the previous exam season.

Three subject areas most at risk from this ‘slippage’ are Maths, Science and modern languages. There are two reasons for this. First, they are among the most difficult subjects any student will be working on, especially at A-Level. Second, each one combines relatively difficult skills with a large amount of knowledge that needs to be learned.

Maths, Science and languages require the student both to develop skills (e.g., solving complex equations; designing, conducting and writing up experiments; forming grammatical sentences) and learn a great deal of information (formulae, physical laws, names of elements and compounds, long lists of vocabulary and tables of noun and verb forms).

It’s not necessary for students to spend their entire summer holiday revising all this stuff to stay on top of it – everyone needs a break, after all. The trick is to ensure that knowledge, skills and relevant thinking habits don’t just drop to the bottom of their minds for six, eight or ten weeks. As a parent, there are several ways you can help:

  • Travel can make an enormous difference. If your child is learning French and German, consider a visit to one country or the other for a holiday or short break.
  • Think about a visit to the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum in London. These aren’t just resources for younger kids – they contain a great deal of thought-provoking, inspirational material for older students, too.
  • Encourage reading – something we’ve blogged about recently.
  • More engaged students can be encouraged to actually pick up their school books during the holiday and have a quick refresher read. You could give them some sort of incentive to do this.
  • Switch on the telly! Keep an eye on the TV listings for programmes relevant to particular areas of study, and encourage them to watch. There’s also tons of good stuff on YouTube, iTunes U and the web in general.
  • Consider hiring a tutor, especially if your child underperformed in the end of year exams. Summer holiday tutoring doesn’t have to be intensive: a ‘slow burn’ approach to help students reinforce key ideas can work very well. It is a worthwhile summer holiday activity that keeps them occupied

If you live in the Greater Manchester or East Cheshire area and you’d like to find out more about how summer holiday tutoring can help your child – especially in tricky subjects like Maths, Science and modern languages – don’t hesitate to get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. We’ll be very happy to advise you, and, if you wish, put you in touch with tutors relevant to your child’s needs.

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GCSE and A-level students: get reading this summer!

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

If you (or your kids) are just finishing Y10, Y11 or Y12, you might be looking forward to a relaxing and enjoyable summer. And why not? Exams are about to start, and after the slog of revising for and sitting them you’ll be ready for a well-earned break.

However, it’s not a good idea to let your studies ride completely over the summer. You’ll be getting around six weeks’ break (maybe more, if you’re at an independent school). That’s a pretty long time – easily long enough to get out of some of the good academic habits you’ve learned. So it’s a good idea to stay on top of your subjects if you can.

That’s not to say you should spend the entire break revising for the next round of exams! But what can you do to keep your brain in tip-top condition for the start of the next academic year.

Reading around your subjects is probably the single best thing you can do with your spare time. Venture off the curriculum and check out books, magazines and newspaper articles that cover the broad topic areas you’re studying. This is useful because it can help you see the ‘big picture’ of each subject. The detailed areas that you’re studying for your modules will be put in context and (hopefully) become much clearer.

Reading doesn’t have to be dull, and you don’t have to sit at your desk to do it – you can read in the bath, in the garden, in bed, or anywhere you can get comfortable.

Of course, reading around your subjects – though a big help – isn’t all you can do to stay sharp or catch up in the holidays. Personal tuition can also make a big difference – get in touch with 121 to discuss how we can help!

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Making the most of study leave

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Study leave has started – or is about to start – for thousands of A level and GCSE students across the UK.

Study leave presents a big opportunity, and a big risk. For many students, after the rigours of a critical academic year, going off on leave can feel like a holiday, especially if the first exam isn’t for two or three weeks. However, it’s all too easy to slip into the holiday mentality during study leave and fail to make the most of the time to guarantee the best possible results in the coming exams.

As a student, the secret of managing your study leave successfully is to plan the available time with care. In our last post, which dealt with managing exam stress, we discussed the importance of planning and scheduling as tools to build your confidence as you approached exams. Spending your study leave working flat out, putting in sixteen or eighteen hours until your body and brain are ready to collapse, is probably as damaging to your chances as underworking yourself. The most successful students develop a structured, productive routine during study leave, balancing the requirements of revision with the need to rest both body and mind.

On that basis, we’ve put together a suggested timetable for your days during study leave. This is meant for exam-free weekdays only – you shouldn’t abandon revision over weekends, but it might be a good idea to take things a bit easier then. On exam days, your timetable will be guided by the timing of each examination.

7.00am – 7.30am Get up, maybe take some early-morning exercise (even if it’s just a walk to the newsagent), shower and eat breakfast. This might seem really, really early in the morning, but your brain is going to be at its sharpest before lunch, so it’s a good idea to have a long morning. A bit of exercise first thing will wake you up (as will a shower), and a good breakfast is essential. A huge fry-up every day probably isn’t a good plan (you’ll go straight back to sleep…), but a large bowl of cereal, some toast, tea and juice will give your body and brain enough fuel for the morning’s work.

8.30am – 10.30am First revision session. It’s not a good idea to “blitz” this straight through. Instead, do fifty minutes work in every hour. Work for twenty-five minutes, have a five-minute break for a cup of tea and wander around, work for another twenty-five minutes and so on. After two hours it’ll be…

10.30am – 11.00am Time for a break. Don’t just flop around in the room where you’ve been studying – get out and do something. Tidy up, go for a quick walk, have a snack.

11.00am – 1.00pm Second revision session. Late morning, just before lunch, is one of the best times for doing really intense revision. Focus hard, and make plenty of notes.

1.00pm – 2pm Lunch. Again, give yourself a proper break. Have a decent lunch, but nothing too heavy that’s going to send you to sleep.

Afternoon/early evening In general, this is a good time to do less intense revision, such as reading around a subject. However, be careful about lying down on your bed or sofa to read a book – it’s very easy to fall asleep! Unless the pressure is really on, consider using the time to do other things. Get outside, go into town, go for a ride on your bike, have a walk or a run.

7.00pm – 10pm This is the second period in the day when your brain is probably at its most active. Make the most of this, and focus on the toughest bits of your revision.

10pm – 11pm Time to wind down. Watch TV, talk to friends, catch up with your email and Facebook. Better still, read a book.

11pm BED! It’s not a good idea to go out during weekdays on study leave, so get yourself to bed early. Even if you’re a night owl, your body and brain will benefit from a solid 8-9 hours sleep. And remember what your granny said – that hour before midnight is worth two after!

We’re not suggesting that you should stick to this as a rigid timetable. However, it’s a good indication of how you should be managing your days. You’ll notice that it doesn’t include hours and hours of work. We’ve factored in about seven to eight hours of revision per day, interspersed with good breaks and alternative activities. When you’re revising, it’s tempting to work like mad for the sake of it, and convince yourself that by working every spare hour of the day and night you somehow “deserve” to do well. In fact, it’s far better to do seven or eight hours of steady, good quality revision every day rather than flog yourself to half to death. Get plenty of exercise and rest, eat properly and sleep properly. Managing your study leave well isn’t just about hard work – it’s a question of balance.

If you want a bit of extra help during your study leave and you live in the Greater Manchester area, get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. We offer tuition in a range of subject areas, and might just be able to give you that bit of extra help that gets you the grades you need!

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Dealing with exam stress

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

If you or your child are about to go through exams, you won’t need telling that you’ve got a stressful time ahead. If university places are at stake, these are the last exams before the start of of the new higher education term in September – so having to retake any modules could result in lost or deferred places at your university of choice.

Things aren’t quite as pressured as they used to be, when A-level students would take nearly all the exams of their two-year courses in a four-week period. But it can still be tough going. We’ve put together some top tips for getting through a difficult time!

  • Plan. When exams are bearing down on you, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. Make things easier by creating a clear plan that covers the whole exam period, including days for exams, revision and rest.
  • Structure your time. Human beings like routine, and you’ll feel much more in control – and prepare for exams more effectively – if you do things according to a reasonably regular timetable. Get up and go to bed at roughly the same times every weekday, and have a set pattern of work for each day.
  • Get enough sleep. This really is crucial – if you’re not adequately rested, you’ll feel more stressed out and you brain won’t work at its best. Get a good night’s sleep every night, ideally by going to bed in good time and getting up fairly early. At ages 16 to 18 you should still be aiming for eight or nine hours’ sleep. If you’ve planned properly, you shouldn’t have to “burn the midnight oil” to catch up on your revision.
  • Eat and drink properly and get some exercise. Like sleeping properly, this is just part of feeling good. Your mental performance and stress levels are tied to how well you’ve been looking after yourself physically, so make sure you get plenty of exercise in the fresh air and you’re eating healthily. It’s crucial to make sure you’re drinking enough fluid – you won’t work effectively if you’re dehydrated.
  • Remember to relax. You’ve got to work hard, but if you’re over-conscientious you might be your own worst enemy. Give your body and your brain a break by factoring in rest periods, especially at weekends. If you’re a social animal, don’t deprive yourself of a night out – but don’t hit the town so hard you take three days to recover. Save that until after exams are over!
  • Don’t be in the dark. You’re most like to get stressed out about things you don’t know or you feel are beyond your control. If you’re not sure about any aspect of your exams, don’t suffer in silence: check with friends, or, better still, with your teachers. They want you to do well, and they won’t mind explaining anything you don’t understand.
  • Focus. Concentrating on something is a great way to reduce stress, which is a good thing during exam time, because you’ve to plenty to concentrate on. Set aside good chunks of time for revision, get your head into your books and notes, and get on with it!

If you think that you (or your child) need any last minute help with tricky subject areas, don’t hesitate to get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. If you’re in the Manchester area we can easily find a tutor to help you out with a few booster sessions before and during the exam season. You might also like to check out our revision tips!

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Revision tips

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

GCSE’s or A levels looming? Here’s a few tips for revision we hope you find helpful.

1. Get organised!

Don’t leave it until last minute to revise; last minute cramming can lead to panic, lack of sleep and not so great results so be sure to plan ahead and get organised. Honest, it’s easier to do little bits more often and over a longer period of time than try to cram a lot of stuff into your head at once.

  • First, find out when your exams are – in the main summer exam season you may even have several exams on one day with little time in between
  • Second, try to organise a timetable for study – one idea is to follow your school timetable for either lesson or homework.
  • Allocate time for each subject and possibly more time for weaker areas or subjects you really need the best grades in

Be realistic with yourself – its great making a timetable that gives you 2-3 hours revision per night. But is it realistic? Does your revision timetable fit around school/homework; does it give you any free time? If it’s an unrealistic timetable, it may well look good on paper but it may give you added stress because you can’t stick to it!

  • Part of being realistic is planning for free time. Free time is important. Learning is far more effective when our brains are fresh and not worried/panicked about the huge tasks ahead.

 2. Know what stuff you need to learn.

This may sound obvious but it’s no use learning stuff that’s not going to be on the exam.

  • Check you know the exam board and syllabus you are taking for each subject – ask your teacher if unsure and ask for a syllabus. A syllabus is often a great revision guide itself. It lists all the stuff you’ll be tested on.
  • Find a revision guide that’s syllabus specific. Also, when looking for revision guides, look for one that appeals to your learning style and don’t necessarily go with the one all your friends have. For example I prefer the colourful, more picture based books than those full of mind maps and plain boring writing.

 3. Do you understand everything you need to learn?

Trying to learn something that makes no sense is very difficult – remembering facts about stuff you did understand is hard enough. If there’s a particular topic, or topics, you struggle to understand, ask your teacher to explain. Alternatively, ask if your friends know – maybe they understand topics you don’t and vice versa. Or, maybe your parents can help. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask. If teachers, parents and/or friends are not helping you, that’s why many students find a tutor. Tutors can often help you find out your learning style, give you tips/hints to revise as well as knowing what you need to know and explaining the tricky topics.

 4. Work out how you learn best

Or try different methods to find learning techniques that’re right for you – a combination of methods and/or a different method for a different subject may work best for you. Try these….

  • Do mind maps work?
  • Does writing notes help? Care though, many students write notes and think that’s revision, but ask yourself. After writing loads of notes – have you learnt anything? Were/are they useful, or did your mind wander?
  • Do highlighters and colours help?
  • Do pictures help?
  • Do you prefer listening? Revision CD’s & many online revision sites have recordings of teachers talking through the topics.
  • Do discussion and/or question & answer sessions help? Some people learn best by being asked questions and/or discussing topics. If you can explain your answers or knowledge on a topic to someone else, it will show you how well you really understand the topic and also help keep the information in your head. A small study group of friends may be useful (but be careful here not to stray off the subject!).

 5. Split learning into smaller chunks

Try breaking subjects down into headings and learning a little bit at a time. Often, splitting learning into smaller chunks makes the whole task appear much less daunting. ‘Bite size’ revision can be very effective – check out the BBC bite size revision site.

 6. Test yourself & practice using past papers

Past exam papers are a very useful way of testing if you can apply what you learning – ideally you also need the mark scheme so you can check you get the right answers, see where marks are awarded and for what and the type of answers examiners are looking for.

Past papers also give you an idea of the type and style of questions asked and most subjects seem to have favourite/popular topics that are tested more often than others. They also let you see how much time you have and the format of the exams. Knowing what you’re about to face means fewer surprises on the day.

 7. Stay healthy

  • Eat right – ‘brain food’ such as Omega 3 foods are a essential for developing cell membranes and signal pathways. Fish, grass-fed meats, some nuts and blueberries are some good sources. If you are a snacker, try to snack on foods with natural sugars rather than sweets and chocolates.
  • Keep hydrated – drink enough water to keep your body working efficiently.
  • Sleep right – too much or too little sleep can affect learning.
  • Keep fit/healthy. Plan for ‘time out’ – its important not to overload yourself with work as it can be counterproductive. Reward yourself with breaks throughout the day, or even plan for whole/part days off. This will give your something to look forward to and work towards.
  •  Plan right – to avoid stress of last minute cramming and panic

 8. Exam day

Arrive in plenty of time, make sure you’ve got pens, pencils, sharpeners, rulers and other necessary stuff, like calculator for science and maths [best to get this ready night before so you don’t panic on the day]

Stay calm, read the question, don’t panic if you don’t know the answer – move on, answer all questions you can, then come back to the ones you found more difficult – for more on exam tips see our other post. And finally,  Good luck!

 If you need help with revision, exam technique, explanation of topics or just confidence we have private tutors across Manchester and Cheshire that can help you with your GCSE’s and A levels and many tutors will offer Easter revision tutorials. Contact us today

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Understanding GCSE Additional Science – Part 2

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

In the previous post, we took an overview of GCSE Additional Science – now it’s time to look at the subject in a bit more detail.

As with Core Science, the best starting point for helping your child with GCSE Additional Science is to understand precisely how it works and which examination board’s specification he or she is studying. For our students, in Manchester and Cheshire, AQA Science A or Science B, OCR Gateway or 21st Century Science and Edexcel Science are the most common choices. Summaries of each course are listed below:

AQA Additional Science
The AQA Additional Science course consists of 4 units, each worth 25% of the total mark.

• x3 written tests, 45mins each. One test in each of Biology, Chemistry, Physics. Tests can be sat in any order/combination (schools decide the order in which modules are studied and when the tests are sat). Tests are sat in either January or June. Tests can be re-sat to improve marks – maximum mark used to determine final grade.

• Practical element [ISA] worth 25% of the total marks.

• Student can choose between Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*), with a combination of tiers also permitted.

OCR Science
The OCR course follows one of 2 routes; either the 21st Century (Science A) or Gateway (Science B):

OCR 21st Century Additional Science – Science A (J631)
There are 9 teaching modules (x3 Biology, x3 Chemistry, x3 Physics) tested as 5 units. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*).

• Unit 1 – Biology B4, Chemistry C4 and Physics P4 – 16.7% of final marks. Almost always sat first in January.

• Unit 2 – Biology B5, Chemistry C5 and Physics P5 – 16.7% of final marks. Sittings in January and June.

• Unit 3 – Biology B6, Chemistry C6 and Physics P6 – 16.7% of final marks. Sittings in January and June.

• Unit 4 – ideas in context – 16.7% of final marks.

• Unit 5 – practical element – 33⅓% of final marks.

OCR Gateway Additional Science – Science B (J641)
There are 6 teaching modules (x2 Biology, x2 Chemistry, x2 Physics) tested in 2 units. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*).

• Unit 1 – Biology B3, Chemistry C3 and Physics P3 – almost always sat first in January.

• Unit 2 – Biology B4, Chemistry C5 and Physics P6 – sittings in January and June.

• Unit 3 – research study, practical skills and data task – no set date/exam for this, assessed/moderated at school.

Each unit contributes 33⅓% of total marks. Re-sits are possible for units 1 and 2, with best grades being used to determine final grade.

Edexcel Additional Science (2103)
There are several routes available in the Edexcel Additional Science syllabus, giving either greater or lesser emphasis on external assessment (exams). The maximum marks for exam based assessment is 60%, the minimum, 30%. The maximum mark for internal assessment is 70%, minimum, 40%:

Externally assessed route, maximum
60% of the marks are obtained through exam. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*) and must sit:

• 3 multi-choice unit tests (x1 Biology, x1 Chemistry, x1 Physics). Each test worth 10% of the final marks.

• 3 structured (non multi-choice) papers (x1 Biology, x1 Chemistry, x1 Physics). Each test worth 10% of the final marks.

Tests can be sat in any order/combination (schools decide the order in which modules are studied and when the tests are sat). Tests are at various times throughout the year – November, March, June. Tests can be re-sat to improve marks – maximum mark used to determine final grade.

• Practical assessment – practical skills (10%), Biology activity (10%), Chemistry activity (10%), Physics activity (10%).

Internally assessed route, maximum
70% of the marks are obtained through internal (school led) practical and subject based activities. 30% of the marks are through exam where students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*) and must sit either a multi-choice or structured paper in each of the three main subjects – Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

• 3 multi-choice unit tests (x1 Biology, x1 Chemistry, x1 Physics). Each worth 10% of the final marks.

• 3 structured (non multi-choice) papers (x1 Biology, x1 Chemistry, x1 Physics). Each worth 10% of the final marks.

Tests can be sat in any order/combination [schools decide the order in which modules are studied and when the tests are sat]. Tests are at various times throughout the year – November, March, June. Tests can be re-sat to improve marks – the maximum mark being used to determine final grades.

It is worth noting there is also an option for schools to vary the amount of internal and external assessments within the above limits but there must be at least one exam sat for each science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

Also bear in mind, as we said in the second of our posts on GCSE Core Science, the GCSE specifications will be changing in 2011.

If you live in Manchester or Cheshire, and you’d like to talk to us about tutoring support in Science for your child, please get in touch. We have a full range of qualified and experienced GCSE Science tutors.

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Understanding GCSE Additional Science – Part 1

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

In our previous two posts we discussed GCSE Core Science. In this post and the next one we’re going to discuss GCSE Additional Science.

Additional Science is a GCSE in its own right and, together with GCSE Core Science, makes what used to be known as double award science. It’s also worth noting that this approach is not like the old Dual Award that was in place prior to 2006. Under that system, students would receive two Science GCSEs with identical grades. Under the current system, students studying Core plus Additional will get a separate grade for each of the two Science GCSEs they are entered for.

Students that take Additional Science, in year 11, will have already completed the Core Science course in year 10 (though many students re-sit Core modules to improve grades). The Additional Science course also forms a part of the course for students taking ‘triple’ science – a common way of referring to individual GCSEs that pupils take in Biology and/or Chemistry and/or Physics.

Additional Science is more technical and ‘scientific’ than the core science modules and many students find the concepts much harder. We have found that students that achieved the lower grades in Core Science struggle much more with Additional Science than those that obtained higher grades (A*, A, B). This is often because the content is much more complicated and covered in a relatively short period of time.

GCSE Additional Science can be taken as a series of module tests – variations between exam boards exist so it is important to find and follow the correct syllabus. All syllabuses contain modules for Biology, Chemistry and Physics and can be taken at either Higher Tier (grades D-A*) of Foundation Tier (grades G-C). Most syllabuses allow a combination of tiers to be taken. A student may, for example, be struggling with Physics but be OK with Biology and Chemistry and so sit for Higher tier in Biology and Chemistry, but foundation tier for the Physics. Working out the marks is complicated – see our first post on GCSE Core Science for more information.

In our next post, we’ll look in more detail at some of the specifications for GCSE Additional Science.

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Understanding GCSE Core Science – Part 2

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

In our previous post we looked at the basic structure of GCSE Core Science. To give you child the best possible support during his or her Core Science studies, it’s worth understanding exactly how it all works in detail.

The most important thing is to establish the exact specification your child is following. Most of our students, based in Manchester and Cheshire, take one of the following: AQA Science A or Science B, OCR Gateway or 21st Century Science or Edexcel Science. Summaries of each course are listed below.

AQA Science
The AQA Core Science course can follow two separate routes – both cover identical content, but the objective test route splits the content and tests into smaller pieces.

• Science A – objective test route (multi-choice); 6 separate tests (x2 biology, x2 chemistry, x2 physics), each worth 12.5% of the total mark. Tests can be sat in any order/combination (schools decide the order in which modules are studied and when the tests are sat). Tests are at various times throughout the year – November, March, June. Tests can be re-sat to improve marks – the maximum mark is used to determine final grade.

• Science B – written test route; 3 separate written tests (x1 Biology, x1 Chemistry, x1 Physics) sat in either January or June, again in any order and can be re-sat. Each tests accounts for 25% of the total marks.

• Both routes also have a practical element (“ISA”) worth 25% of the total marks.

• Both routes allow the student to choose between higher and foundation tiers, with a combination of tiers also permitted.

OCR Science
The OCR course follows one of 2 routes; either the 21st Century (Science A) or Gateway (Science B):

OCR 21st Century Science – Science A (J630)
There are 9 teaching modules (x3 Biology, x3 Chemistry, x3 Physics) tested as 5 units. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*).

• Unit 1 – Biology B1, Chemistry C1 and Physics P1 – 16.7% of final marks. Almost always sat first in January.

• Unit 2 – Biology B2, Chemistry C2 and Physics P2 – 16.7% of final marks. Sittings in January and June.

• Unit 3 – Biology B3, Chemistry C3 and Physics P3 – 16.7% of final marks. Sittings in January and June.

• Unit 4 – ideas in context – 16.7% of final marks.

• Unit 5 – practical element – data analysis (13.3%) and case study (20%).

OCR Gateway Science – Science B (J640)
There are 6 teaching modules (x2 Biology, x2 Chemistry, x2 Physics) tested in 2 units. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*).

• Unit 1 – Biology B1, Chemistry C1 and Physics P1 – almost always sat first in January.

• Unit 2 – Biology B2, Chemistry C2 and Physics P2 – sittings in January and June.

• Unit 3 – ‘Can do’ tasks and report on science in the news – no set date/exam for this, assessed/moderated at school.

Each unit contributes 33⅓% of total marks. Re-sits are possible, with best grades being used to determine final grade.

Edexcel Science
There are 6 teaching modules (x2 Biology, x2 Chemistry, x2 Physics) tested in 6 units. Students sit either Foundation (grades G-C) or Higher tiers (grades D-A*).

• Students sit 6 multi-choice unit tests (x2 Biology, x2 Chemistry, x2 Physics). Each worth 10% of the final marks.

• Tests can be sat in any order/combination [schools decide the order in which modules are studied and when the tests are sat]. Tests are at various times throughout the year – November, March, June. Tests can be re-sat to improve marks – maximum mark used to determine final grade.

• Practical assessment – practical skills (10%), Biology activity (10%), Chemistry activity (10%), Physics activity (10%).

GCSE Science Changes for 2011
Note that GCSE sciences will change slightly in 2011. This will affect children currently in year 8. The changes to core science appear to be minimal; content seems unlikely to change much, though the number of re-sits allowed will be limited. The structure of the science suite of exams doesn’t appear to be changing much – Applied science will no longer be available, but none of our students have taken it so this doesn’t seem to affect many.

If you live in Manchester or Cheshire, and you’d like help understanding the GCSE Core Science specifications and possibly some expert tuition for your child, get in touch for a chat.

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Understanding GCSE Core Science – Part 1

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Understanding ‘How Science Works’ – as in how the combination of science GCSE specifications interlink – is almost worth a GCSE in itself!

The way Science is examined at GCSE level has become horrendously complicated with numerous choices of exam boards, variations of syllabuses within and between exam boards, and choices of when to take tests. In summary, students take Core and/or Additional Science (previously known as single or double awards respectively) or separate sciences (ie Biology, Chemistry, Physics – previously known as ‘triple’ award).

Courses do share common themes. In this post we’re going to discuss Core Science, but we’ll talk about GCSE Additional Science and separate GCSE sciences in later posts. Hopefully this guide will be useful for parents of students currently in Year 10 and for parents of secondary age children in Years 8 and 9 who about to decide on options. Please feel welcome to call us if you’d like further explanation and we will do our best to try to make everything clearer!

Understanding the structure of GCSE Core Science (a.k.a. “Science”) specifications

Core Science is a GCSE in its own right – it is also sometimes known by its older classification, single award science. The Core Science course also forms a part of the course for students taking ‘triple’ science Biology and/or Chemistry and/or Physics.

Most students study for the Core Science GCSE in Year 10, though less able students study the modules at a slower pace and over the 2-year period through Year 10 and Year 11. This is a very general GCSE that covers the key scientific ideas that students are required to learn at GCSE.

Core science can be taken as a series of module tests – variations between exam boards exist so it is important to find and follow the correct syllabus. All syllabuses contain modules for Biology, Chemistry and Physics and can be taken at either Higher Tier (grades D-A*) of Foundation Tier (grades G-C). Most syllabuses allow a combination of tiers to be taken. A student may, for example, be struggling with Chemistry but be OK with Biology and Physics and therefore sit for Higher tier in Biology and Physics, but foundation tier for the Chemistry.

Be warned, working out the marks is complicated – raw marks become “UMS” marks that get aggregated to give a final grade. Most students get an idea of the grade they are working towards, what they need to achieve and so on, so as parents let’s not worry too much for now; the main thing is to get to grips with when your child may be taking their ‘real’ GCSE exams (some, especially in yr 10, haven’t quite realised these are the ‘real’ things!). That way you can help them prepare, and if necessary get them extra tuition!

In the next post we’ll look at the most common specifications in more detail. In the meantime, if you’d like to give your child a little extra help navigating the maze of GCSE Science – whether he or she is studying Core Science, Triple Award Science or one of the intermediate options – get in touch and ask us about the Science tutors we have available in Manchester.

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