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Schools sticking to one mocks company

  • 21-01-2020 10:42PM
    #1
    Treppen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭


    Why do schools do this?

    I've heard from a few teachers who have to substitute many questions as the companies they are forced to go with have appalling papers.


Comments

  • #2
    Random sample
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭Random sample


    Ease of ordering? Some sort of links with one or other?

    That said, I’ve never heard of it. We must agree on a paper within each subject, but that’s it.


  • #3
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,467 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    To be fair there are only two to choose from. The market isn't big enough to support lots of companies. Quality varies depending on how experienced the person is setting the paper.


  • #4
    RealJohn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭RealJohn


    Why would you need to substitute many/any questions?


  • #5
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 27,445 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    RealJohn wrote: »
    Why would you need to substitute many/any questions?

    Some questions on mock papers could never be asked by the SEC because they are not entirely within the syllabus. Some are just badly worded questions that really just confuse candidates, especially OL.


  • #6
    cmssjone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 363 ✭✭cmssjone


    RealJohn wrote: »
    Why would you need to substitute many/any questions?

    Not finished the syllabus eg Maths


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  • #7
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,467 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    cmssjone wrote: »
    Not finished the syllabus eg Maths

    Surely it's just easier to tell them not to do that question. That's what I'll be doing with mine in two weeks time.


  • #8
    r93kaey5p2izun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,962 ✭✭✭r93kaey5p2izun


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    Surely it's just easier to tell them not to do that question. That's what I'll be doing with mine in two weeks time.

    If they have to stay for the full duration of the exam instead of being allowed to leave early, then this can lead to significant disruption and poor behaviour if they are finished too early. It also gives an unrealistic idea of timing.


  • #9
    TheValeyard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,266 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    Well I'm sick of correcting them for free.

    Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue



  • #10
    Treppen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭Treppen


    RealJohn wrote: »
    Why would you need to substitute many/any questions?

    The exam papers from a particular company are known to be consistently dire. Subject association Facebook page confirms this. But the teachers aren't allowed to go with the other company cos the school is 'tied' to a particular supplier for some reason (discounts... Kickbacks.. I don't know!)

    Of course you can make out your own but I think it's not quite giving them the exam experience if you've to assemble listening cd excerpts and the paper doesn't look like the real thing.


  • #11
    Treppen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭Treppen


    TheValeyard wrote: »
    Well I'm sick of correcting them for free.

    Give it a few more years and you'll be doing just that in June and July :pac:


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  • #12
    wingnut
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,971 ✭✭✭wingnut


    Treppen wrote: »
    The exam papers from a particular company are known to be consistently dire. Subject association Facebook page confirms this. But the teachers aren't allowed to go with the other company cos the school is 'tied' to a particular supplier for some reason (discounts... Kickbacks.. I don't know!)

    Who is telling you that you can't choose... the principal? Seems crazy to me. I get the papers from both and make them available to our teachers on google drive and they order with a google form for whichever supplier has the best.

    From personal experience it can vary year to year on which of the two does the best job for your subject. Depending on how options fall it can also be useful to have two different papers as one may be on a day or two before the other.


  • #13
    Treppen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭Treppen


    wingnut wrote: »
    Who is telling you that you can't choose... the principal? Seems crazy to me. I get the papers from both and make them available to our teachers on google drive and they order with a google form for whichever supplier has the best.

    From personal experience it can vary year to year on which of the two does the best job for your subject. Depending on how options fall it can also be useful to have two different papers as one may be on a day or two before the other.

    It's not in my school, I'm the same as yourself... Order whichever you like.

    But in the other schools in hearing about it's just a blanket ban on one company and "were ordering from X and that's it".
    Not sure if it's the principal or maybe a exams/postholder cutting down on paperwork.


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