Are A Levels getting easier?

[Scarlett]

What do you think?

[thugulike]

Every year we have the same old question. As a former examiner I can assure everyone that the number of passes is determined by the number the exam boards want to pass and at what level. There is no set figure for, for example, a grade A. It could and does vary from year to year. I suspect there is an agenda from the government to restrict the number of passes or otherwise. The more people who get good passes the fewer are likely to go on to the job market.

[Scarlett]

Well that is interesting. I know, as a lecturer that the government have made our BTECs ridiculously easy to pass, so much so that it is impossible to fail. Yup, we are not allowed to fail people or even use the word fail. When I did my BTEC 10 years ago it was far harder to pass. I also did A levels in 1988 and 1998 and I worked really hard each time, and feel that they were always hard! However, that was before AS was introduced, which are of course, easier by definition. I know this because I teach them.

[baremission]

NO.
its simply that there are more subjects nowadays that are easier to pass in...ie heath and social care(i preusme) but the traditional subjects such as languages, english, maths and science aren't getting easier.
Why can't people just accept the theory that teaching is imprving year on year, back in the 60s teachers didn't have a clue what students really needed to absorb the maximum whereas nowadays modern teaching is so relavant mostly to what needs to be learnt.
Thus....students achieve more.