Networking Group - JCs General

[zac's mum]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2100207\" time=\"1678063457\" user_id=\"35251:

zac mom,

This chart is taken from which Secondary school ?
Your son's school ?

Because one look at your Sec 4 WA1 and WA2, 15% weightage each for Term 1 and Term 2 ... is very low ! We are talking about level Sec 4, where students are sitting for O level, no longer level Sec (1 to 3).


My kid's Secondary school WA is very different from your picture, shown above.
In beginning January 2023 this year, sent via Parents Gateway received notification , my kid's school for Secondary 4 level, is -

WA1 (Term 1) : 100%

WA2 (Term 2) : also 100%, same

Prelim : definitely has to 100%, because so close to actual O-level sitting timing


So folks,
take note.
Different Secondary school, different WA weightage !
Best is to refer back to your child's own Secondary school's weightage.

Yes my son’s school.

Every school is different. Eg i know other schools had Sec 1 Term 1 WA (ours did not, but sprung surprise class tests on them).

[phtthp]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2100204\" time=\"1678060741\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2100204 time=1678060741 user_id=53606]
https://i.imgur.com/3gOME3Z.jpg\">[/quote]

zac mom,

You can feedback to your son's school that for Sec 4 level,
Especially for

WA2 mid year exam, cannot be so low at 15 %.

Has to be 100%,
so that the Sec 4 students don't take mid-year lightly (only 15%). Mid year exam start after Labor's day, that week in May month. Already May !

In July, very fast 2 months later, actual Chinese Oral (O level) starts.
Example

This year, 2023, O-level pu hua Chinese Oral, starts in July (7 to 17), stretched over Total seven week-days.
Very little short time left, on the runway.

https://www.seab.gov.sg/home/examinations/important-dates-for-candidates


Thus, your kid's school must treat mid year exam seriously, not 15% like not important at all. Then, where the balance 85% go to ?

Also, feedback to your school -
Mid year (May) exam, must also remember to
conduct Science lab hands on Practical,

for Sec 4 (Physics / Chem / Bio).
Not just merely test Theory, pen and paper only.

Prelim will definitely include testing Practical lab work. But, your WA2 mid year exam, also need that.

[sushi88]

I feel the % given in the WAs in Sec 4 are just indicative of how many questions the paper has because whatever % is given, prelims is the ONLY 100% that will be locked in as a final result and it would be the results taken seriously when there are any glitches in the national exam for exceptional cases.


So WA 15% means it’s really bite-size tests.
WA 100% would likely mean the scope of topics tested is larger(many more questions) and may probably be close to a mid-year exam so that could possibly go against MOE’s announcement of no mid-year exam for primary to secondary from 2023 onwards.

So maybe phtthp’s school may need to alter the Sec 4 WA1 as 50% and WA2 as 50% in order not to get any potential alarm from parents who support no mid-year exam stress and zac’s mum school can increase theirs to a % that the students can stretch themselves a bit for an early revision? Just my 2 cents worth only.

[zac's mum]

For anyone whose kids may be interested to find out more about various careers from the veteran local professionals in those industries. I came across this library ebook & found it extremely enlightening. Worth anybody’s investment of time to read (and especially for those choosing JC or Uni courses).

https://i.imgur.com/eOXWeLW.png\">
https://i.imgur.com/obrtb4x.png\">
https://i.imgur.com/dHAKVEC.png\">
https://i.imgur.com/1eyOaLb.png\">

[phtthp]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2100237\" time=\"1678075644\" user_id=\"100857:

I feel the % given in the WAs in Sec 4 are just indicative of how many questions the paper has because whatever % is given, prelims is the ONLY 100% that will be locked in as a final result and it would be the results taken seriously when there are any glitches in the national exam for exceptional cases.

So WA 15% means it's really bite-size tests.
WA 100% would likely mean the scope of topics tested is larger(many more questions) and may probably be close to a mid-year exam so that could possibly go against MOE's announcement of no mid-year exam for primary to secondary from 2023 onwards.

So maybe phtthp's school may need to alter the Sec 4 WA1 as 50% and WA2 as 50% in order not to get any potential alarm from parents who support no mid-year exam stress and zac's mum school can increase theirs to a % that the students can stretch themselves a bit for an early revision? Just my 2 cents worth only.

Nah

My kid's Sec school students & parents , so many of them prefer Prelim 100% style, for mid year exam.

For students who want to achieve or targeting original RAW score L1R5 10 points and below (better), better request your Secondary school to have 100% WA, for mid-year exam in Sec 4.

Of course,
there are also some other LAZY Secondary schools exist around, don't even bother to conduct any WA1 Nor WA2, at Sec 4 level. If students like this kind of environment, can join such schools. Yes, this year 2023, already got such lazy schools around, for Sec 4. Their Sec 4 class teachers very switched off, \"bo chap\" type. Students studying in these schools, u better prepare your O level yourself. These schools, indifferent type, are not going to prepare u well.
Example

In a Sec 4 class of 25 to 30+ students,
less than 10 students can pass their Sec 4 (Term 1 or mid-year exam ) Maths, that type of Secondary schools.

Last year Sec 3 ( Term 1 and Term 2), only 5 students passed A-Maths, in each Term. The parents and students requested this class A-Maths teacher to conduct \" emergency \" re-medial lessons. This class teacher also \"bo chap\", told them \"No time, to conduct any re-medial Maths lesson\". A missionary Secondary school, some more !

[sharonkhoo]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2100237\" time=\"1678075644\" user_id=\"100857:

I feel the % given in the WAs in Sec 4 are just indicative of how many questions the paper has because whatever % is given, prelims is the ONLY 100% that will be locked in as a final result and it would be the results taken seriously when there are any glitches in the national exam for exceptional cases.

So WA 15% means it's really bite-size tests.
WA 100% would likely mean the scope of topics tested is larger(many more questions) and may probably be close to a mid-year exam so that could possibly go against MOE's announcement of no mid-year exam for primary to secondary from 2023 onwards.

So maybe phtthp's school may need to alter the Sec 4 WA1 as 50% and WA2 as 50% in order not to get any potential alarm from parents who support no mid-year exam stress and zac's mum school can increase theirs to a % that the students can stretch themselves a bit for an early revision? Just my 2 cents worth only.

Is this how it works now? In my day, decades ago, when \"continual assessment\" was introduced, the weightage didn't necessarily affect the length or difficulty of the test/exam. The term 1 & 3 tests were 10% and so weren't the length of a normal exam paper (could be completed in a single period usually), but the mid-year exam was normal exam length, even though it was about 30% weightage. The marks were scaled down for the year-end computation.

But for Sec 4, only the prelims mattered for backup in case something bad happened at O levels. Frankly, I would leave the student and parents to worry about whether they are going to take the earlier tests seriously or not; if they don't, that's their loss.

[newbieks]

At Sec 4, does the weightage of tests or whatever they call them matter anymore?


Does the weightage of WA/exams affect the attitude a student has while preparing for them?

My kids from 2 different secondary schools - one had the EOY weightage reduced from 60% to 50% citing reducing exam stress as the reason. The other school went the other direction, increasing EOY weightage from 50% to 60%, and citing exactly the same reason of reducing stress - their reason is anyway kids are already preparing hard for the EOY so does not matter whether it is 50% or 60 % . Ah whatever, those who want to study will still study hard and vice versa.

[doodbug]

I’m just a simplistic parent.


To me, it’s as simple as this. At the end of the day, it’s the A levels / O levels that count. A levels and O levels, are full examinations. By removing MYE, (regardless how you change the assessments to whatever forms of WA, take home assignments, mini tests whatever) my child has one less exam practice and full-scale time assessment. Some tuition centres will have mock exams / timed assessments - good for those children. For a normal person like me, it’s hard to see how I will feel more prepared or confident for the real thing with fewer practice sessions.

[lee_yl]

Does the majority of JC students or their parents wish to have mid-yr exam or not? From an earlier online article, seems like JC students prefer mid-yr exam to be kept.


Doing away with mid-yr will penalize students who are more playful. The shock will come later during promo exams. For those who are mature, motivated, ambitious and very hardworking, with or without mid-yr exams, they will still do well. My DD1 told me she was not the only one who got a wake up call after seeing her J1 mid-yr results, all her friends also started to be more focused after seeing their respective exam results. If not for mid-yr, DD1 would probably continue going out with her orientation group friends and classmates. On the other hand, doing away with J1 mid-yr exams may not be a bad thing, with more time on hand now, can go “paktor”, hopefully more couples (and fewer singles) to help increase birth rates next time.

Did MOE mention anything about J1 retention rate under the new system? Will doing away with mid-yr exam lead to more students being retained? :roll:
Or is that MOE’s strategy to filter off those more playful and less mature students vying for the limited places in local universities

[doodbug]

More couples may not lead to higher birth rates - DINK lifestyle is in trend!