How Hard is the Maths GCSE? BBC article following the GSCE Sweets Question Controvesy in the UK Media | ExpatWoman.com
 

How Hard is the Maths GCSE? BBC article following the GSCE Sweets Question Controvesy in the UK Media

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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 20:19
It is actually a very simple question but the wording makes it look more complicated. The candidates are only being asked to prove that n squared - n -90 = 0 If the possibility of her eating two orange sweets is 1/3 if six orange sweets in the bag.. The actual maths involved is very simple..it's just the complicated language and extra info given that complicates it.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 17:37
hahaha! Funny! But I don't think you really [i'>could[/i'> do it. Are you telling the truth? I'm actually not sure it makes sense. Would the probability not change after she took each [strike'>diabetes inducing ulcer causing[/strike'> sweet?
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 17:32
I could, but wanting to is another matter! Who the heck cares how many sweets are left or the probability of what flipping colour were left? Reality, Hannah is heading for a colour overload, dental decay and diabetes; no one cares how many sweets were left. Talk about a boring question so far from reality, mind numbing. What about using a more relevant and more mature example to today’s generation? lol
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 17:23
Lola, tell the truth now. Could you do the sweets question?
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 17:20
I’m so fed up with the exam boards moving the goal posts, the exams are tough and I think people forget that these kids are still young and have to take a lot of subjects. It’s so much pressure on young people, especially here where teacher turnover is high etc.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 17:16
Wow. :nerd: Wonder if anyone got it!!!! :confused:
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 16:47
This is the answer! http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33023123
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 16:33
Maybe they can't do it? :lol:
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 16:31
If anyone can answer the sweets question I would love to see it :) The teachers at DS's school have been strangely quiet on this so far. I would've thought that they would be able to go through the paper with the kids by now.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 16:17
If anyone can answer the sweets question I would love to see it :)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 June 2015 - 16:15
I was actually reading this year's GCSE higher paper maths for a student with extra provisions. The first paper had some really hard questions but then there were also a number of questions that required just required logic and structured thinking. They were okay to answer (I could still remember how to do it, even though I haven't done any maths for the last 25 years :lol:) But my DS who sat his maths a year early, and is very capable at maths, did find the first paper hard as some of the questions were really complicated and took a lot of time for the students to answer. I know the teachers actually thought the first paper to be really hard as well. The second paper, which they did last Thursday, was easier, according to him. The higher paper they did at DS' school (Edexel) didn't have the question about the sweets, so it might have been the foundation paper. The higher tier paper did have a probability question like this one, but I think it was quite do-able. You're worrying me now. The second paper for the higher level Edexel maths is tomorrrow, not a week ago. Please tell me that's true! Also, the Hannah's sweets question was from the higher paper, not foundation.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 June 2015 - 09:54
I was actually reading this year's GCSE higher paper maths for a student with extra provisions. The first paper had some really hard questions but then there were also a number of questions that required just required logic and structured thinking. They were okay to answer (I could still remember how to do it, even though I haven't done any maths for the last 25 years :lol:) But my DS who sat his maths a year early, and is very capable at maths, did find the first paper hard as some of the questions were really complicated and took a lot of time for the students to answer. I know the teachers actually thought the first paper to be really hard as well. The second paper, which they did last Thursday, was easier, according to him. The higher paper they did at DS' school (Edexel) didn't have the question about the sweets, so it might have been the foundation paper. The higher tier paper did have a probability question like this one, but I think it was quite do-able.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 June 2015 - 23:22
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-33025782
 
 

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