ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Technical Score Discussion => Topic started by: Blondie21 on January 06, 2014, 07:11:42 pm

Title: Is this true?
Post by: Blondie21 on January 06, 2014, 07:11:42 pm
Hey guys,
I read this on the internet and wanted to know whether it was accurate or not:

"In Specialist Maths, where the cut off mark for an A+ in exam 1 ranges from 2 to 4 marks. Merely dropping a few stupid marks could destroy chances of obtaining a study score of 40. The difference of four marks in 2011 equate to the difference of A+ to B+"
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: brightsky on January 06, 2014, 07:18:03 pm
I wouldn't be surprised. The Specialist exams are getting dodgier every year. I don't think a difference of four marks translates to the difference between A+ and B+ though. I think, one year, a loss of something ridiculous like 2 marks meant an A instead of an A+. A revamp is in order.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: Blondie21 on January 06, 2014, 07:37:52 pm
Quote from: brightsky on January 06, 2014, 07:18:03 pm
A revamp is in order.

Definitely


Thanks brightsky. :)
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: brenden on January 06, 2014, 07:42:03 pm
A B+ on Spec Ex1 doesn't necessarily preclude you from a 40.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: abcdqd on January 06, 2014, 07:52:26 pm
Quote from: Brencookie on January 06, 2014, 07:42:03 pm
A B+ on Spec Ex1 doesn't necessarily preclude you from a 40.
This. My mate still ended up with a 43 raw despite a B+ on this year's Exam 1. Exam 1 is only worth 22%; Exam 2 is the main decider for your study score.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: b^3 on January 06, 2014, 08:35:41 pm
Yeah, back in 2011 I got a B+ on Exam 1 and still got a 41 (so many stupid errors.... damnit), so ended up with A+ B+ A+ in the end. Yet a mate got A+ A+ A and got a 39, since the A was on the Exam 2 which is weighted heavier (also guessing his A+'s and A were low, and my B+ was high). With that being said 2011 was a screwy year (as said above by others). The exams were real easy (arguably the methods exam was harder than the spesh exam that year), and so losing a few marks meant you slide down a bit. Which probably meant that the distributions were a bit more mixed than usual, i.e. people getting high on one and low on the other due to silly mistakes, rather than around the same score on both exams.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: Tyleralp1 on January 06, 2014, 08:59:32 pm
Could someone please explain what is meant by the Specialists exams are getting dodgier?
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: Conic on January 06, 2014, 09:03:52 pm
Quote from: Tyleralp1 on January 06, 2014, 08:59:32 pm
Could someone please explain what is meant by the Specialists exams are getting dodgier?
They are starting to have high A+ cutoffs (e.g. exam 1 in 2011 and 2013, and exam 2 in 2011 and 2012). This means generally the top end is being separated by mistakes rather than ability.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: lzxnl on January 06, 2014, 10:44:21 pm
Anyone who knows me knows what's going through my mind when seeing such a topic, so I trust I don't need to repeat myself.

But to cut it short: VCAA is running out of ideas when it comes to separating students. AKA they HAVE no idea.
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: Tyleralp1 on January 06, 2014, 11:05:43 pm
Quote from: lzxnl on January 06, 2014, 10:44:21 pm
Anyone who knows me knows what's going through my mind when seeing such a topic, so I trust I don't need to repeat myself.

But to cut it short: VCAA is running out of ideas when it comes to separating students. AKA they HAVE no idea.

Could you please explain for the heck of it. Your rants are great haha!!
Title: Re: Is this true?
Post by: brenden on January 07, 2014, 10:09:42 am
No, he can't explain for the heck of it because that would be going beyond the poin of this post. The tl;dr is the top end are separated by silly mistakes like not reading a question, rather than their creative ability to think of a way to solve some tricky problem that not many thee people will get.