Just in case there are those Dopers who do not know what I am talking about let me give a quick explanation. Here in England, students taking their A-levels can choose to take one such A-level in General Studies. Let it be said GS is the most idiotic form of qualification known to man. It exists for the sole benefit of lame government practices, people who are too stupid to get a real A-level and those strange and often terrifying few that feel they must have every possible qualification available to them. (I know a girl like this. She was at one point taking 8 subjects instead of the normal 3 or 4)
Now onto the story. The GS exam consist of a ton of paper involving multiple choice questions and essays on stuff like science and technology, social science etc. Yesterday I took the second science and technology paper which at the end required an essay of one of the set questions. I picked the following:
Explain what is meant by the term “near-earth object” and describe what could be done to protect us from this situation.
This is not the exact wording but close enough to it
This was me for a second
Since when has something out of a Hollywood movie become a qualification? But I played along. I descibed a “near-earth object”, different scenarios of what could happen, gave sensible thoeries as to the protection of the planet and alternative means of survival in case of a collision.
I really, reeeeeallly wanted to go tinfoil hat style with the question, just because the exam is so worthless but I chickened out. I also wanted to just explain that if it was a near earth object then it would actually pose any threat to us. It’s those on earth objects that’ll get you.
But still, what a doozie of a question. I thought that discussing how all religions are in fact one was weird but damn, this one takes the biscuit.
So what is an A-level in General Studies? Is it akin to college placement, where they determine if you meet a school’s entrance requirements, or is it an aptitude test - the results come back saying “You’d make a fine bus driver or florist”?
When I was in Junior High, I had a very strange test at semester finals - the teacher was out ill, so a sub administered the test. Unfortunately, they grabbed or were given a test for a different grade level and subject entirely. So, the 8th grade print shop and drafting class was taking a 7th grade wood shop exam, one that most of us took the year before when we were actually in 7th grade wood shop. “Which is not a kind of wood? - Oak, Walnut, Pineapple, Mahogany” Easy As all around.
It’s a meaningless qualification. No (decent) university counts it as a ‘true’ A-level (they will spell out a requirement of eg "2 grades B and one C, excluding General Studies). The only reason some schools and (particularly) sixth-form colleges make students do it is that it boosts their ‘average points score’, a simplistic way that A-level grades are converted into points for the benefit of putting them into tables to say who’s ‘best’.
FWIW, I once sat an exam which included the cliche question, “Why?”
gotpasswords, I believe A-levels are something akin to AP exams in the US, although I think more common. Everyone in the UK does some amount of A-levels, but you have to be a very good student to do AP.
Or maybe that’s the O-levels. Drat. Someone come in here and explain it to me (again).
That’s an F for matt. The correct answer is Why not?
An A level is like a high school diploma in America, I think. You need A levels (or GNVQ’s the practical version of A-levels) to move onto to universities and other further education establishments.
A GS A-level like Gorillaman has said is a total pile of the warm, brown stuff. Hardly anywhere accepts the points you “earn” from it. It is there to make the smart kids feel a little smarter (Hey I got 5/6 A-levels) and the school more predominant in education reports.
Uh, so they can’t ask any questions about anything that’s ever been in a Hollywood movie? Wow. That consideraly narrows the pool of possible questions.
You are aware of the fact that near-earth asteriods and comets really do exist, right?
And there are lots and lots of them?
And that they do pose a threat to life on Earth?
And that many real, live scientists spend their time discovering, tracking, and studying them?
And that there is considerable effort devoted to understanding the consequences of an impact and possible means for diverting them?
I think it’s an excellent question for a science and technology exam, if for no other reason than the graders can quickly and efficently flunk any bozo who mentions about asteroids the size of Texas and splitting potential impactors in two with nukes.
It is quite a sensible question if you know what you’re talking about. I made a decent effort of it. But you cannot tell me that every single kid that did this exam didn’t think “Armageddon” or “Deep Impact”. I bet next year they get a question about freak weather storms and ice ages.
