Exams are the story of my life
Today I've been wondering if I can count the number of exams I have sat in my whole life.
I'm referring to external exams. Serious exams. Exams which dictate your future. Not school tests, or ballet exams, or even your driving test.
It all started with the Richmond Tests, when I was probably 9 or 10 years old. I remember these well because it was multiple choice and I rather enjoyed colouring in the relevant 'dot' with a pencil on my answer sheet.
The 11+ shortly followed - the first exam of many that would dictate my educational path, and potentially the most important. Had I failed this exam, would I be a Yuppie now?
I'm excluding SATs from this calculation, because I do not believe they are an accurate enough measure of achievement, and they certainly don't dictate your future. (For any American's reading this blog, a SAT in the UK is a very different type of exam to that in the US, and does not secure university entry.)
The next big thing was GCSEs. 11 subjects in all, so I'll call that 11 exams.
Then came A-Levels - old style in my generation, none of this 'AS'-business! I studied 4 subjects, 3 of which comprised 6 modules and 1 of which comprised 2 modules, that totals 20 exams in all.
University! I cannot justifiably include my first and second year exams in this tally, as they didn't really shape my future any more than letting me continue at university. The 12 exams I sat in my final year were the longest and most exhausting effort to date however, so I will definitely include those.
Total so far = 45 big, important and scary exams.
Now most people would stop there, but me? No. I am crazy enough to submit myself to yet more punishment with a professional qualification.
That adds 6 exams to my total of 45, but it still doesn't add any letters after my name..
...and that's because there are 3 exams left to sit.
2 of those fall in just 14 days time.
Time to do what I've been practising all of my life.. revise.
I'm referring to external exams. Serious exams. Exams which dictate your future. Not school tests, or ballet exams, or even your driving test.
It all started with the Richmond Tests, when I was probably 9 or 10 years old. I remember these well because it was multiple choice and I rather enjoyed colouring in the relevant 'dot' with a pencil on my answer sheet.
The 11+ shortly followed - the first exam of many that would dictate my educational path, and potentially the most important. Had I failed this exam, would I be a Yuppie now?
I'm excluding SATs from this calculation, because I do not believe they are an accurate enough measure of achievement, and they certainly don't dictate your future. (For any American's reading this blog, a SAT in the UK is a very different type of exam to that in the US, and does not secure university entry.)
The next big thing was GCSEs. 11 subjects in all, so I'll call that 11 exams.
Then came A-Levels - old style in my generation, none of this 'AS'-business! I studied 4 subjects, 3 of which comprised 6 modules and 1 of which comprised 2 modules, that totals 20 exams in all.
University! I cannot justifiably include my first and second year exams in this tally, as they didn't really shape my future any more than letting me continue at university. The 12 exams I sat in my final year were the longest and most exhausting effort to date however, so I will definitely include those.
Total so far = 45 big, important and scary exams.
Now most people would stop there, but me? No. I am crazy enough to submit myself to yet more punishment with a professional qualification.
That adds 6 exams to my total of 45, but it still doesn't add any letters after my name..
...and that's because there are 3 exams left to sit.
2 of those fall in just 14 days time.
Time to do what I've been practising all of my life.. revise.
posted by Aaah look Katie! @ 9:32 PM
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