GCSE Digital Technology rant

[dman6161]

So I had my GCSE mock a few days ago for Digital Technology, basically ICT but all theory, no practical. Weeks upon weeks of answering questions in a booklet, despite having a powerful workstation right in front of you. They insist you use their exact definitions for the terms and if you miss a word or two you lose a mark. Over time these build up and affect your score. It's so frustrating! I know more about computers than the majority of my class. I could build one, install an OS and drivers, easy, basic stuff like that without an issue, but because of how the exams work I could score less than someone who doesn't know if their system is 32 or 64 bit. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, just that I have skills in computing that are basically obsolete. 

 

When we got the mock paper and found out it was 20 pages long, I was not happy. Not at all. Around 15 pages in there was an extended writing question on the use of network cards. At this stage I'd already done 2 mocks that day and had answered more than 2 dozen questions in that exam alone. I was fed up. I sat and stewed for a minute, the exploded in the most techy way possible.

 

I started out with the precise definition of a network card. Then, I went on a 10 line rant about varying network speeds, PIE/PCIe expansion slots, how cards are build into  motherboards unless your computer is ancient and more. I was just fed up. 

I wonder which teacher got to read that.

 

I get my result for the test tomorrow. Fingers crossed. 

 

That's my rant. Just wanted to get it out. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Unfortunately, that's mostly just how exams are, really for any subject, not just ICT. 

 

At GCSE level, you can go into too much depth and explain something that is technically correct, but at GCSE level, is taught in a slightly different, more simplified way so your answer is considered wrong. 

 

A common saying for when moving from GCSE to A level is "For everything you know about X, it's wrong" and then you'll learn a more detailed version. Same happens going into a degree and even beyond that. I learnt plenty of things in my degree (Computing and Systems Development) that are technically wrong. In my position at work, I disregard the majority of stuff I learnt in my degree as either none-applicable or incorrect. 

 

Something you may want to start looking into is vocational courses if you're wanting to go down an ICT career path. You can come out at 18/19 with industry certifications and be a step ahead of where you'd likely be from doing A Levels. You may even get a job out of it. I personally regret not doing it. I'm working towards some general and security focused certifications that are related to my role now, but if I could of had a few by the time I was 20, I feel I would have been better equipped to progress faster. 

[Derkoli]

1 hour ago, dman6161 said:

So I had my GCSE mock a few days ago for Digital Technology, basically ICT but all theory, no practical. Weeks upon weeks of answering questions in a booklet, despite having a powerful workstation right in front of you. They insist you use their exact definitions for the terms and if you miss a word or two you lose a mark. Over time these build up and affect your score. It's so frustrating! I know more about computers than the majority of my class. I could build one, install an OS and drivers, easy, basic stuff like that without an issue, but because of how the exams work I could score less than someone who doesn't know if their system is 32 or 64 bit. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, just that I have skills in computing that are basically obsolete. 

 

When we got the mock paper and found out it was 20 pages long, I was not happy. Not at all. Around 15 pages in there was an extended writing question on the use of network cards. At this stage I'd already done 2 mocks that day and had answered more than 2 dozen questions in that exam alone. I was fed up. I sat and stewed for a minute, the exploded in the most techy way possible.

 

I started out with the precise definition of a network card. Then, I went on a 10 line rant about varying network speeds, PIE/PCIe expansion slots, how cards are build into  motherboards unless your computer is ancient and more. I was just fed up. 

I wonder which teacher got to read that.

 

I get my result for the test tomorrow. Fingers crossed. 

 

That's my rant. Just wanted to get it out. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

What specification are you doing? (AQA etc.) My friend's son is doing Computing and part of it is a 20 hour coding task, which gives no marks towards your final grade, but each student has to do it. That's utterly stupid.

 

 

Honestly, I'm glad I finished school when I did. The new grading system is annoying, There are so many different specifications so you can't really properly compare data from over the country, and various other things.

[Marbo]

I know exactly what you mean. 

I was first year of the GCSE, it was Computer Studies back then. We were taught mostly about using word processors and databases on the old beeb. 

 

For my practical I wrote a telephone directory database in basic. There were others that demonstrated they could use a database or word processor and got higher grades than me. 

[dman6161]

6 hours ago, Derkoli said:

What specification are you doing? (AQA etc.) My friend's son is doing Computing and part of it is a 20 hour coding task, which gives no marks towards your final grade, but each student has to do it. That's utterly stupid.

 

 

Honestly, I'm glad I finished school when I did. The new grading system is annoying, There are so many different specifications so you can't really properly compare data from over the country, and various other things.

I’n doing the CCEA spec, which is Northern Ireland. I agree, I think it’s all far to messy.