Differences in the marks required

Table 20: Raw marks and percentages required to achieve grade C GSCE in June 2006 AQA examinations (AQA, 2006)

Subject Maximum mark Raw mark for C % required for C

Biology H paper 135 62 46

Chemistry H paper 135 54 40

Physics H paper 135 48 36

English A H paper 1 54 31 57

English A H paper 2 54 29 54

English B H paper 1 54 27 50

English B H paper 2 54 24 44

English Lit A H paper 66 37 56 English Lit B H paper 78 45 58

French Listening H 40 18 45

French Reading H 45 23 51

French Speaking H 40 19 48

French Writing H 40 17 43

Mathematics A Paper 1 I 100 48 48 Mathematics A Paper 1 H 100 20 20 Mathematics A Paper 2 I 100 45 45 Mathematics A Paper 2 H 100 20 20

Science Dbl Award 1H 90 37 41

Science Dbl Award 2H 90 33 37

Science Dbl Award 3H 90 31 34

One other possible reason that we can put forward is how students actually perform in examinations. We can examine the raw marks obtained by pupils (before scaling) to see if these provide any insight. Using the example of the raw GCSE marks published by AQA for June 2006 examinations (AQA, 2006), we can examine the differences between particular subjects. Table 20 above shows the percentages of raw marks required by students in each examination in order to attain a grade C pass.

In the above table, we have been selective with the subjects and have only included higher tier exam marks (except for mathematics where we have included

intermediate tier as well). However, of particularly interest are the three marks for the separate sciences. There is a 10% difference between what is required for a grade C in biology and what is required in physics. Therefore, the questions asked in the physics exam are more difficult because a grade C student can answer less of them correctly. Therefore, we would suggest that there may be a direct link between this inability to answer as many questions and perceived difficulty. This will be

particularly true if students are facing these exams or questions from them in school tests or mock exams.

The raw score needed for a particular grade boundary, for example the minimum score needed for a C grade in terms of a percentage, can be considered as an indication of the perceived difficulty of a subject. If students need to get 70% to achieve a C grade in history, for example, and 50% to achieve a C in maths, then it could be argued that the students will perceive the maths paper to be harder as there will be a higher proportion of the exam paper that they get ‘incorrect’. Paradoxically, the outside observer may get the opposite impression, concluding that the maths examination must be easier as you only have to get 50% to pass.

4.2.1. Analysis of Raw Scores in England and Wales

In order to see if raw scores vary between exam boards and between subjects we have arbitrarily chosen a sample of STEM and non-STEM subjects and compared the raw score percentages using summer 2006 results obtained from the exam board websites.⁶ The results are for full course GCSEs and where more than one syllabus was available we have chosen syllabus A. Where modular and non-modular choices were available we have chosen non-modular. Where given, unweighted marks are provided and where a number of components are shown an unweighted mean is provided.

The results have been split into the results of General papers (where there is no choice of paper difficulty, all students take the same paper), Foundation papers (taken by students who are expected to achieve C grade or below) and Higher papers (taken by students expected to achieve grades A to C). The subject percentages vary less than the percentages for the different levels of exam. Higher level papers require students to get lower percentages in order to obtain a grade C compared to those required to get a grade C in the Foundation papers. However this reflects the

differing aims of the papers and the students they are aimed at. When comparing the differences between STEM and non-STEM subjects we can only see a slight

difference, mainly in the Higher papers. In the main, non-STEM Higher papers require students to achieve marks in the 50s to be awarded a grade C, compared to mainly marks in the 40s to achieve C grades in STEM subjects. In the sample that we

6 Grade boundary information can be obtained from the following websites:

AQA: http://www.aqa.org.uk/over/stat.php#grade Edexcel: http://www.edexcel.org.uk/quals/

OCR: http://www.ocr.org.uk/publications/publications_results.html

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have selected mathematics appears to be the subject that requires the lowest grades to obtain a grade C.

Table 21: A comparison of minimum raw scores needed to achieve GCSE grade C in summer 2006

Subject

English Language 55.6% 56.3% 59.0% 54.0% 72.7% 58.4%

English Literature 54.5% 56.9% 60.0% 53.0% 72.7% 56.7%

Religious Studies 49.8% 46.8% 59.7%

History 47.8% 46.0% 52.8%

Music 45.6% 52.0% 50.8%

French 63.9% 50.2% 61.2% 42.7% 66.2% 48.5%

Spanish 59.6% 54.2% 66.2% 50.6%

Science (single) 57.0% 42.4% 47.1% 40.9% 56.7% 45.0%

Science (double) 57.0% 41.5% 51.5% 41.1% 53.6% 40.8%

Biology 58.2% 49.1% 55.6% 47.3% 56.1% 42.6%

Chemistry 56.4% 44.2% 57.4% 39.6% 54.8% 40.9%

Physics 57.0% 40.6% 45.0% 38.5% 54.3% 41.7%

ICT 47.5% 45.4% 51.0% 44.0% 51.3% 44.2%

D.T. (Systems &

Control) 71.8% 64.5% 54.0% 50.0% 56.1% 45.9%

Mathematics 48.0% 31.1% 50.4% 25.4% 45.9% 30.7%

No data available on

4.2.2. Analysis of Raw Scores in Scotland

Similarly to England and Wales SQA produce raw score percentages giving the lower and upper boundary mark for each of the three level at Standard Grade (i.e.

Credit, General and Foundation). SQA aims for their lower boundary raw score to be 50% and their upper boundary score to be 70%. In practice these boundaries differ from these percentages slightly as SQA takes into account the difficulty of the exam paper and adjusts the grades so that there is comparability across the subjects. The results for summer 2006 were obtained from the SQA website.⁷

The results show that there is little difference between the percentages required for STEM and Non-STEM subjects. This possibly reflects the fact that SQA makes use of data on Relative Ratings in order to maintain standards across subjects and from year to year (See Section 2.3).

7 Scottish grade boundary information can be obtained from:

SQA: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/2567.350.html

Table 22: Comparison of minimum raw scores needed to achieve upper and lower levels at each of the three Standard Grade levels

Subject

English 64.0% 44.0% 50.0% 38.0% 56.0% 36.0%

Religious Studies 73.6% 50.0% 59.7% 40.3% 48.3% 31.7%

History 73.3% 50.0% 62.0% 46.0% 65.7% 42.9%

Music 73.3% 55.0% 62.0% 48.0% 60.0% 48.9%

French 60.8% 43.1% 55.2% 37.9% 58.3% 35.0%

Spanish 66.7% 43.1% 58.6% 41.4% 60.0% 43.3%

Science 70.0% 55.0% 71.3% 56.3% 68.3% 48.3%

Biology 67.5% 50.0% 56.0% 41.0% 36.0% n/a Chemistry 76.7% 55.0% 73.3% 58.3% 50.0% n/a Physics 73.0% 52.0% 60.0% 48.8% 41.3% n/a Computing Studies 68.1% 50.0% 59.7% 43.1% 63.9% 47.2%

Tech Studies 78.9% 61.1% 77.5% 57.5% 47.5% n/a Mathematics 72.2% 48.9% 76.3% 55.0% 65.0% 46.3%

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