Networking Group - JCs General

[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!

[sushi88]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2100241\" time=\"1678077413\" user_id=\"35251:

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 !

It's good that your school has homogenous voices on this matter for Sec 4. Just be aware that since MOE has made the announcement of the new way, just ONE voice from anyone on no big-exam mid year before prelims in your school is a VALID voice. This VOICE will drown the homogenous voices since MOE has already spoken. The school just gotta be smart about it to calm all voices.

However, what other schools do, it may be suitable for their students. Also, it is hard to think any secondary school does not conduct WAs at all for Sec 4 when they will do WAs for all other levels. Is it ? :scratchhead: It's good to know how these schools are managing for their Sec 4, maybe they have special supplementary classes with tests included which we may not be aware of? Also, perhaps these schools have different grouping of their students (like banding but this is banding is for exam preparation) and run different programmes for them to run their last lap towards the national exam instead of just using a one big-exam method? Maybe all groups would do the big-exam method practice but at different timings? No school would want to see their students fail and all schools are accountable to MOE at the end of the day.

For the case of Term 1 and Term 2 only 5 passes A-Math in each term for an entire cohort of (?) ? If the cohort is sizable, this sounds like a problem more serious than what an emergency re-medial lesson can solve.. Do you think the teacher would not be called up by the P to answer to why such a situation can occur?

[sushi88]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2100242\" time=\"1678078349\" user_id=\"28674:

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.

It's specifically discussing about the Sec 4 year here only because frankly any % in the tests before prelims would not really matter as they are really mock tests/exams. Even for those with prelims EOY at other percentages other than 100%, the prelims exam is taken as the alternative results should there be a glitch in the national exam. There has to be a standardization of the prelims results from one exam and not some multiple exams and some from one single exam albeit the occurrence of a glitch is super rare.

Yup, as I have said earlier for JC mid-year exams similar to the Sec 4 students, the full-scale-time mid year mock exam leading to the national exam should be an optional one for the students as some students may want it and some may not want it.

PS: I am confused, I thought we are in a JC thread but now discussing Sec 4 mid year exams here too?

[phtthp]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2100255\" time=\"1678083051\" user_id=\"100857:

It's good that your school has homogenous voices on this matter for Sec 4. Just be aware that since MOE has made the announcement of the new way, just ONE voice from anyone on no big-exam mid year before prelims in your school is a VALID voice. This VOICE will drown the homogenous voices since MOE has already spoken. The school just gotta be smart about it to calm all voices.

However, what other schools do, it may be suitable for their students. Also, it is hard to think any secondary school does not conduct WAs at all for Sec 4 when they will do WAs for all other levels. Is it ? :scratchhead: It's good to know how these schools are managing for their Sec 4, maybe they have special supplementary classes with tests included which we may not be aware of? Also, perhaps these schools have different grouping of their students (like banding but this is banding is for exam preparation) and run different programmes for them to run their last lap towards the national exam instead of just using a one big-exam method? Maybe all groups would do the big-exam method practice but at different timings? No school would want to see their students fail and all schools are accountable to MOE at the end of the day.

For the case of Term 1 and Term 2 only 5 passes A-Math in each term for an entire cohort of (?) ? If the cohort is sizable, this sounds like a problem more serious than what an emergency re-medial lesson can solve.. Do you think the teacher would not be called up by the P to answer to why such a situation can occur?

This 2023 Sec 4 level Secondary school is weird. Even the Principal, VPs also \"bo chap\". The Maths HOD, class Teacher also \"bo chap\". Terrible school, isn't it?
Ya, but it does exist, and these students are in \"Express\" stream.

Is just a typical O-level Secondary school, with both Express & Normal stream, inside.

====================

Mod,

can move these elsewhere. Thanks

[00skyblue00]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2100202\" time=\"1678055332\" user_id=\"35251:

1)

From Secondary 1 onwards,

any examinable subject that compute your L1R5, and if the individual subject were to fall into
B4, C5, C6 range -

then,
the red light alarm signal automatically is turned on, flickering.

The class Form Tr / subject Teachers will tell their students to ... buck up.
If gotten a B4, don't improve to B3, then if not careful, the next round tests (exam) can possibly slip or spiral downwards into a ... C5.

So,
all Sec 1 students in Trimester 1 onwards, already know what to expect, since they have already been briefed by Teachers in school.

Why, from Trimester 1 onwards ?

Because

Sec 1 Term 2 already conducted
WA (Weighted Assessments), isn't it ?
And

Sec 1 students will get back their marked WA2 scripts / test results, for every of their examinable 7 or 8 subjects, which they had sat for.

So,
from Sec 1 onwards,
once start Secondary school life, students already know

what exactly constitute
( A1 to F9 ) score range, per single L1R5 examinable subject.

00skyblue00,
Do u have a child in Secondary school ? If Yes, u can ask them what's (A1 to F9). Your child will know.


2)

You mentioned, trying to rationalise
Why remove mid year exam ?

Because

Students from as young as Primary 5 onwards, some of them, have sadly ended up in tragedy. If u google, newspaper reports in the past on this, will surface. One of these unfortunate tragedy happened in Maha Bodhi primary school before, at P5.

Another sad tragedy was from River Valley High, an IP school.
After this incident,
the ex (former) Principal from River Valley couldn't take it anymore, hence requested to get out of this school.


As mental stress is on the rise,
MOE try to reduce stress for teenagers in academic studies. Hence, removed mid year exam & substituted by byte sized, manageable 2 to 3 chapters / topics tests called Termly WA (Weighted Assessments)


Example
=======

For Sec 1 Term2 Lower Secondary,

maybe test only Total 3 chapters, for Sec 1 subject called General Science -

Tests, possibly include :-

1) Cells , the Basic Unit of Life
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Biology section )

This topic, \"Cells\" is not new.
Students have studied before at P6, in PSLE Science.


2) the Ray model of Light
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Physics section )

Again, this topic \"Light\" is also not new.
Students have studied before, in PSLE Science last time.


3) Model of Matter - Atoms & Molecule
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Chemistry section )


So,
are the mini byte sized tests more manageable, easier to handle now ?


Only tests 2 or 3 chapters,
and start off by testing with familiar topics like (Cells + Light),
something which u are familiar with, because had studied before in primary school at P6,
so as to
ease u in gradually,
into Secondary 1 school life.

Thanks for sharing so much.
Previously, my questions were using sec level mid year exam as an example for discussion but they are also applicable to JC level too.

If the curriculum for one level is one full academic year, what are our expectations of mid year exam? Is mid yr exam half content but full exam length? Or the same format and length as EOY exam. If latter, is it even reasonable to expect students to do well, not alert alarm, when the curriculum has not been completed in class?