French foul-up

23rd June 1995, 1:00am

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French foul-up

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/french-foul
My children are now adults and I occasionally help out at my old school with supply at a good rate of pay and at a parent rate for invigilation. The rates are so different but who is complaining? Well I am.

Having assisted in the London Examinations board French examination today, I found that the amount of paper used to produce this exam is astronomical. I also think that any exam which causes the candidates to finish about 20 minutes before the official time is not doing justice to the many.

This happened in the exam at which I was assisting. Paper 3 was dealt with by many in 15 minutes, yet it was supposed to last 30.

Paper 4 was dealt with by several of the candidates in about 20 minutes and was supposed to take 30. What are the examiners doing to these children who have potential, and how can the marking be objective if they are not stretched?

Any exam that causes the best candidates to finish early and that the poorest candidates can also finish does not give a good spread and makes it difficult for the moderator.

I appreciate that accurate timing and getting the right mixture in any examination is difficult, but there must be some way that we can stretch the best without hampering the poorest.

TONY BROWN 50 Whitehorse Close Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard

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