An Open Letter to: Examination Boards

Dear examination boards
On behalf of every single student that ever went through your exams, I would like to thank you for the crippling stresses you have put us through, the mindless cramming, the terror of turning over a sheet of paper...you get the idea. Because of you, examination boards many, many of us will pass our exams with flying colours, but similarly because of you, many will also fail, categorized because they failed to fall within time limits, or simply do not have exam technique, and blocked in turn from reaching their full potential. I would like to further thank you, for this instilled belief that many now have that, if you do not get said grade, you will fail to achieve your place in life and find yourself falling into the mindless place in the middle lane.

Best wishes,
Alice

Of course, I'm being facetious. There's no way I would ever be able to talk for every student, I don't know them. But, with the news that GCSE examinations were becoming exam focused and dropping the coursework orientated element, I was filled with a) an overwhelming cackle of laughter, but mainly b) a sense of pity for the students who will be dealing with these changes. As an A-Level student, I like to consider myself a veteran of the examination board. I also know, I wouldn't be an A-Level student, had it not been for the coursework element of GCSEs. I will straight up say it now: I'm a good writer. That's not me boasting, it's a fact. I grew up writing and I enjoy it. A piece of writing coursework, like an essay is something I genuinely enjoy writing and will get a good mark for. My essay technique is good. My exam technique....not so much. And this I feel is what will inherently be the downfall to bringing in the new style of GCSEs - people are not born with exam technique. Exam technique is a learnt and honed skill, not everyone is blessed with it (of course, some are, but even they will find their struggles I'm sure). I would even go so far as to say, the majority of my A-Level studies have been devoted to finding that exam technique.

In other words, the coursework element, the saving grace of many students lives during GCSEs, was what pulled me through. Without it, I would have done significantly worse. By removing this coursework element, you are doubling the stresses these students go through, there will be no back up (I tend to feel this way about the removal of the January exams too) and furthermore, you will not only be changing one element of exams, but the government will have to change an entire teaching style to build that exam technique far in advance. And that seems neither fair nor....feasible.

I'm all for change, but changing a complete style in my opinion seems rash and unthinkable, because of the long term ramifications because of these changes.

Then again, I may be completely wrong.
Guess we'll find out....