congratulations A Level Students

I'd just like to say you missed his point about IQ, in that it is physically impossible for the average IQ to change, as the IQ distribution changes dynamically so that the average is always 100.

Secular change in IQ or the Flynn Effect then. The Raw scores are comparable.
 
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I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to see that the standard of exams has decreased significantly.

Maths A-Level 1960
Maths A-Level 2010

Now it's not the students' fault that this has happened - all they can do is sit a paper and get the best mark they can! There will be just as many capable students around nowadays as there were back in the 60s (I hope, at least!).

Oh come on, for the 1960 one you don't even have to answer all of the questions! :p
 
But you did imply it, as you have just done again, by stating that each generation is intrinsically more intelligent than the one before, which means that IQ levels would be increasing as IQ is a valid way of intelligence measurement.
There are many debates as to whether this is actually true (the highlighted), I myself am undecided.

Also the UK would be indicative of global trends as we do not live in an isolated environment.
It would, but we're talking about A-level results. Only the UK takes these exams :)

Secular change in IQ or the Flynn Effect then. The Raw scores are comparable.
So you've heard of the Flynn Effect. How can you say:
IQ is a valid way of intelligence measurement.
... and then also say:
I highly doubt that teenagers today are any more or any less intelligent that the ones from the 1970's and 80's.
The "Flynn Effect" is an observation that raw IQ scores are increasing over time. Surely if IQ tests are a valid means of intelligence measuring, that means we (as a species) are getting more intelligent with each generation ;)
 
There are many debates as to whether this is actually true (the highlighted), I myself am undecided.

It would, but we're talking about A-level results. Only the UK takes these exams :)

So you've heard of the Flynn Effect. How can you say:... and then also say:The "Flynn Effect" is an observation that raw IQ scores are increasing over time. Surely if IQ tests are a valid means of intelligence measuring, that means we (as a species) are getting more intelligent with each generation ;)

As the Flynn Effect is alleged to have stopped in the late 80's to early 90's in many developed countries including our own it would suggest that the increase in A level scores has little to do with intelligence increases and more to do with a failure in marking standards :p


Anyway I was simply pointing out that the A* grade is an effort to differentiate between the smarter candidates as the amount gaining A grades has increased to such a level as to be meaningless as an indicator of excellence.
 
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I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to see that the standard of exams has decreased significantly.

Maths A-Level 1960
Maths A-Level 2010

Now it's not the students' fault that this has happened - all they can do is sit a paper and get the best mark they can! There will be just as many capable students around nowadays as there were back in the 60s (I hope, at least!).

I read somewhere (and the source escapes me) that some A-Levels are as hard as the equivalent O-Level.

Anyway if so many people are getting A grades instead of being dumb and just adding A* how about making them harder so the grades actually mean something?

University should be for the creme de la creme to do proper course. Not for Joe an Jane Blogs to do Media Studies or their life is over.

Good luck to all but your life and career is not determined by Univeristy entry.

Kids nowadays eh? :)
 
the internet sure helps with getting good grades these days.

i know someone that got 76% in their dissertation because they copied and pasted 6 different ones together that they found online.
 
I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to see that the standard of exams has decreased significantly.

Maths A-Level 1960
Maths A-Level 2010

Now it's not the students' fault that this has happened - all they can do is sit a paper and get the best mark they can! There will be just as many capable students around nowadays as there were back in the 60s (I hope, at least!).

Also no-matter how intelligent the students' are, they're then being taught to this lower standard.
 
Taught to a lower standard might be an unfair choice of phrasing. I think education has been heavily skewed towards teaching students how to pass exams, and that's certainly not a good thing.
 
Taught to a lower standard might be an unfair choice of phrasing. I think education has been heavily skewed towards teaching students how to pass exams, and that's certainly not a good thing.

That is very true, I've noticed that for GCSE. It's all been about how to answer the question, what techniques to use when answering the question, rather than applying as much knowledge as possible.

in geography igcse, the longest questions are the 7 mark questions. They always ask for a case study. eg: for an area you have studied, explain why it has a low population density.

you get 5 marks for 3 developed points, that's just making 3 points and explaining them

you get 1 more mark for actually naming a place
and you get one more mark for stating a single relevant statistic

In my geography exam I made all my case studies up on the spot :o
 
I was having a discussion with a few people about this. We have been skewed towards learning how to tackle the exams, so certain questions appear, and they are phrased in a similar way each time - but different questions.

We are being taught mainly just the syllabus. Take GCSE Spanish. I can tell you about my school, and what i like and dislike about it, but come to Spain, and the amount of the language I know is very little.

The exams aren't getting significantly easier, I just think that we, as students are geared towards them more. Whether this is a good thing or not, I don't know.
 
Something doesnt make sense.

Grades are always getting better (so i assume people are getting more intelligent) yet society is getting worse and worse!

How does that work?
 
And who said society is getting worse. People have been saying society has been getting worse since a few hundred years ago.
 
Already paied my deposit for the first year in the new flats?
Is that bad? They looked ok :(

They're fine flats, dont get me wrong. They're just very expensive, and generally full of the most childish and moronic selection of students. You'll have a lot more fun in the centre, and its where the more interesting people are.
 
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