Anyone ever taken pro plus?

[back row youth]

The new A and AS levels are nothing compared to anything really. They have been toned down and weaned away from heavy revision and essay writing which is awful.

However, the old A-levels (up to 2001) were far better, better than Advanced Highers or Leaving Certifications in Scotland and Ireland respectively, I would say the best of the British Isles. The old A-levels were based on serious, heavy and intelligent essay writing and most questions asked you to do a David Strettle (i.e. make something out of nothing). For example, an old Government & Politics essay question:

Margaret Thatcher was quoted as saying "There is no such thing as society, only working males and their families", discuss (30)[/b]

The question is basically asking you to discuss Thatcherism and the New Right (no such thing as society), compare and contrast it with traditional One Nation Toryism and discuss the compromise between the two strands of Conservative thought (males and their families). The 30 denotes the maximum number of marks and you usually get a mark or two for each well founded paragraph you'd do so usually it'd take me about three to four sides of A4 to answer a question.

This had to be done under three and a half hours mind you, I was very lucky to just have three questions to do!

No other system on the planet could touch how hardcore traditional A-levels were, can anyone else tell me why nations like Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong negotiated with British exam bodies to continue the tradition A-level for them while the UK was watering down its own domestic version?
[/b]

have you actually looked at the current A-level papers, because trust me they arnt as easy as people are claiming, - take for example physics synoptic exam paper, multiple choise, you get given a questions, where you have to work out a link between two almost completly seperate formulas, to work out a quantity that you cant find just using 1 formula, and a simple mistake will lead to one of the other answer posabilities.

these exams are not as people say "a memory test"

sorry for the rant but i realy hate it when people compare the new a levels to the old and say they are eaisier cos they aint, even the teachers who are the only ones in a real position to make that claim say that the current a levels are just as hard.

plus the new system puts student under more pressure, as they have 4 sets of exams 2 in yr 12 and 2 in yr 13. so you cant do what a lot of my older mates did n just **** aroun in yr 12.

:wall: :wall: :wall:

 

[Prestwick]

I'm an adult! You sir are a child!

I have earned my right to be old, doting, cynical and depressing and exercise those powers I shall!

New A-levels are easy! Nyah nyah nyah-nyah nyah! :bleh!:

 

[back row youth]

haha old? 23? that aint old. everyone is entitled to their oppinion but i personally feel yours is wrong. and actually quite insulting to my generation. plus technically i am not a child.

 

[Prestwick]

haha old? 23? that aint old. everyone is entitled to their oppinion but i personally feel yours is wrong. and actually quite insulting to my generation. plus technically i am not a child.
[/b]

Older than you sonny Jim! You may think 23 isn't old when you are 18, but when you've got a degree under your belt and a job to find without any other major mile stones to get drunk over, yes, it does feel quite old.

And technically I can call you whatever I like, no matter how insulting. My A-levels were harder and that is the end of the matter! Now back to work, before I send you to detention!

 

[back row youth]

hmmm... well thats quite a sad outlook on life youve got yourself there. and as you dont seem to like change i wish to ask you your oppinion on this years new scrummage laws

 

[Prestwick]

Now now, of course I like change. But not change for the sake of it. If it isn't broke, why bother fixing it?

The 'new' scrum laws are perfectly fine, helping to improve safety in the scrum without ruining it. I'm perfectly in favour.

I may be 'sad' but when you see what people in high places are doing to the UK, you can't really help but feel rather disenchanted.