Who looks like that when they are studying?!

Every time that there is any exam-related news (take the British A Level results that came out yesterday) there’s a controversial news report in which people claim that exams are getting easier.

“Those kids of today, they have it so much easier than we did.”

Bollocks. As a 16 year old I am inclined to say that, I know, but it’s true! What a load of bollocks.

Ok, so just repeatedly typing bollocks isn’t really helping me to prove my point. Having not sat any exams 40 odd years ago, I can’t say that exams now are harder or easier; I have no basis for comparison. However, these days there is far more pressure on students to achieve highly in all exams. How important were your year 9 SATS when you were young? Probably not as important as they are now. Furthermore, University is considered far more crucial today, and people without a University education are less likely to be employed. So, even if exams are easier now (which I am not convinced that they are) students today have way more pressure on them than students did years ago. The degree of difficulty something has does not simply depend on how easy it is. If something is really important, some people often mess up because they worry too much. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people, and if I was a student in the 60s or 70s, I think I would achieve better marks. Not because the teachers were better, or the exams were easier, but because I wouldn’t be under so much pressure.

I get my GCSE results in 6 days, good luck to everyone else who does.

Americans, you won’t know the tests I’m talking about. But you can still get the point.