Memory test for you! GCE "O" Levels...

[shoeshine]

No, please don't do any climbing on my account! As others have pointed out, we don't think the grades were on the certificates although mine were listed on a postcard from the Northern JMB as greybeard said. His explanation of different boards is a possibility but I just thought AL had come up with a definitive answer from Wikipedia.

I have just found mine, there was no grade on it, letter or number, merely saying: "has reached the pass standard in the following subjects".

 

I shall scale the mountain nevertheless.

 

I know the Certificate from the Examination Board doesn't reflect the grades, just the "passes" but I think I retained the original Slip which I was given at School when the results were first released to us.

 

I shall also check the PhD's, BA's, MB's purchased for $20 each (internet) and OAP qualification (DWP) at the same.

[gracek]

How was the work and exams different between the CSEs and GCE O-level?

[denlin]

I took my GCE O Levels in 1979 and we were clearly told that A-C were passes, D and E were "a lower level of achievement, considered worth recording" and U was "a level not considered worth recording". Although I didn't take any CSEs, those who did were formally told that a CSE Grade 1 was equivalent to an O level grade C.

 

That is correct only A-C were passes but I do know someone who took and passed ten GCE's at secondary modern school in 1960s despite failing 11 plus and went on to be a headmaster

[davyboy]

I took my O Levels in 1956 and the certificate just list the subjects in which i passed no grade were mentioned

 

I took mine in the same year.

The results came in the post.

I opened the letter and as I read the results my guts turned to liquid. Against each subject was the letter O. I'd failed the lot:gag:

After a few seconds I realised O meant O level not zero and I'd passed:D

There were no grades either on the letter or the certificate which I got later.

I sat the London board's exams.

[Diddles]

I have a feeling that in the 60's, the GCE 'O' level was graded with numbers, 1-6 being deemed passes and 7-9 failures.

 

Yes that is true, when I sat my 'O' Levels in 1970 they were indeed graded with numbers, as above. OMG, it was a long time ago!!

[gnvqsos]

Just to emphasise that I'm not talking of CSE or the newer GCSE exams, but the "old fashioned" GCE 'O' Level exam of years gone by....

Can you recall the grades involved?

Or was it simply a case of either pass or fail?

Something seems to nag me about passes being grouped A-D, with perhaps E and F indicating failures?

I can remember the number of passes I achieved, and in which subjects, but I'm damned if I can recall if they were by narrow margins!

 

1-6 for a pass

[MrsMozzy]

O levels in 1971 in Calderdale: 1-6 = pass.

 

CSE grade 1 = GCE O level 6.

 

I seem to remember the examination board was JMB.

[gracek]

how were CSEs work and exams set the vs O-Levels?

[stepperry]

Anyone on here took O-levels in 1951? If so did you take A-levels and you took A-levels did you take exams 1952 or 1953?

[HeadingNorth]

how were CSEs work and exams set the vs O-Levels?

 

CSE syllabi were entirely different from GCE O level syllabi; hence, you could not get the equivalent of an A grade at GCE O level, no matter how well you performed on a CSE paper. Even 100% on a CSE paper did not equate to a top GCE O level pass.

 

I say "entirely different;" obviously they'd cover the same subject, but either not as much of it, or not in as much depth, or both.