stepperry Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Were there 16+ exams that someone would take if they didn't do well at O-level? ...16+'s which was a predecessor of GCSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Were there 16+ exams that someone would take if they didn't do well at O-level? ...16+'s which was a predecessor of GCSE Yes. They graded from O level grade A down to CSE grade 5 (I think). They were a sort of forerunner of GCSE. They ran alongside O level and CSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Yes, they were in operation in the mid 1980s. If you know your exams then you could date me completely accurately because I'm one of the only academic year that could take O levels, 16+ exams and GCSEs all within 2 years. When you took a 16+ you ended up with both an O level and a CSE certificate at the end, so I've got both Os and CSEs in most of the subjects that I took (along with a couple of GCSEs that I took to boost my subject knowledge in 6th form). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I have a 16+ in Latin from 1980. I'm keeping the O level, but if anyone wants the CSE grade 1... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stepperry Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Did having to do O-level and CSE together make harder or easier to do well on the 16+? Anyone who both 16+ and GCSE was one harder than the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracek Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Yes, they were in operation in the mid 1980s. If you know your exams then you could date me completely accurately because I'm one of the only academic year that could take O levels, 16+ exams and GCSEs all within 2 years. When you took a 16+ you ended up with both an O level and a CSE certificate at the end, so I've got both Os and CSEs in most of the subjects that I took (along with a couple of GCSEs that I took to boost my subject knowledge in 6th form). Were they set in 1982-1986? 1985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampersand Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I did O levels in 1981 and I'm fairly sure there were 16+ exams at that time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stepperry Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 I did O levels in 1981 and I'm fairly sure there were 16+ exams at that time Would the 16+ have been different form A/Os? If they were what ways would they have different if you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I Would 16+ have been different form A/Os? If they were what ways would they have different if you know? If I remember rightly, and A/O exam gave you an "A" level qualification if you did well enough, and an "O" level if you didn't. (And as such, it was completely pointless for anyone who'd taken O levels and gone on to A levels in the same subjects.) The 16+ exam gave you an "O" level if you did well enough, and a CSE if you didn't. The same principle, but at a lower grade. The intention, I think, was to solve the problem of borderline students; if you entered them for a CSE and they got a grade 1, they could have had a proper "O" level but didn't; whereas if you entered them for "O" level and they failed, they were left with nothing. (Theoretically a CSE grade 1 was equal to an "O" level grade C, but most employers would discount them as worthless on the grounds that if you were really good enough for "O" level grade C you wouldn't have been made to take the CSE exam!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampersand Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I Would 16+ have been different form A/Os? If they were what ways would they have different if you know? I honestly don't know, partly because I have no idea what an A/O is! From what I remember of the 16+ you just sat the exam as normal - if you were good enough you got an O level grade - if you weren't you got a CSE grade - it just meant you only had to sit one exam rather than doing O levels and CSE's in the same subject - which you'd do if you weren't sure you'd pass the O level I remember my chemistry class sitting both CSE's and O levels - no-one got a grade 1 CSE (which was supposedly an O level equivalent), but only one (me!!) failed the O level Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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