Surge in popularity for Intermediate 2

4th November 2005, 12:00am

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Surge in popularity for Intermediate 2

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/surge-popularity-intermediate-2
It may have taken a few years but many more students are now sitting the exams they are suited to, according to the assessors’ reports.

Intermediate levels continue their upsurge, boosted by younger students who are bypassing Standard grade Credit levels.

In English, the assessor notes “more accuraterealistic expectation in that some candidates who might previously have been presented for Higher are now presented for Intermediate 2”.

It’s a similar tale with chemistry. The assessor states: “The chemistry community is well aware of the significant decline in the uptake of Higher in the latter part of the last decade (from 11,805 in 1997 to 9,730 in 2000).

“Although the number of candidates studying at Higher level continued to decrease from 2000 to 2003, it would appear that many of these ‘lost’

candidates were from the bottom end of the ability range, some having gone to Intermediate 2 chemistry, others to more appropriate courses.”

At Intermediate 2, the chemistry assessor notes a 25.6 per cent increase in presentations, with 67 per cent of them coming from S4 students. In Intermediate 2 biology, the increase is 19 per cent.

Scottish Qualifications Authority statistics show that overall entries at Intermediate 2 rose by 6,700 to 87,000 in 2005. The number of Higher entries was down by 1,400 to 164,000.

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