Does anyone have any experience of foundation vs. higher?

My daughter is taking the 3 sciences at GCSE this year and each one consists of 3 papers – numbered in increasing difficulty.

Apparently you can be entered for either foundation or higher for each of these papers

But does anyone know how doing paper 3 foundation level effects your ability to achieve an overall grade of B or higher?

Check with the exam board.

I thought the highest grade was a C in foundation?

She has to do higher to get a B.

I thought the highest grade was a C in foundation?

This was my understanding too, I did mine in 2001 and back then the foundation levels for Science and I think Maths too had a limited grade, so you could ace the paper and get no higher than a C. The board then was AQA, not sure if they’re still about.

Quick google of “GCSE foundation paper grade boundaries” reveals that indeed a C grade is the highest you can get at foundation. If your daughter is studying three separate sciences there is no reason one could not be entered at foundation. You would be entering all three papers at foundation and be limited to a C grade in that science. As this is the last year of science A,B,C grades and looking at the low actual % required for a C at higher, unless your daughter is getting E’s at higher – better to do higher. Higher can go to “D” grade, about 25% correct. The 25% coursework will also bump up the grade no doubt, it is also the last year of coursework.

Numbered in increasing difficulty is a new one to me, are you sure they are not on different units of the course.

Find out the exam board and it’s all very easy to find.
OCR, Edexcel or AQA are most common. here

I have not heard of anyone taking a mix and match approach to higher and foundation..not saying you cant but seems odd. You could get AAC in 3 papers and get a B I suppose. Seems odd to do foundation if doing triple too.

OK thanks all I will speak to school when they re-open too

I think there’s crossed wires somewhere. as mentioned highest mark in foundation is a C, actually a lot easier to get than a C in the higher paper. I’m not sure that the certificate says which level of paper was sat just the grade.

I’m not sure she can get an A*-G anymore anyhow, I teach GCSE Maths resit classes to kids with D grades in FE and was fairly sure that all students regardless of FE or school were sitting the new 9-1 specs this year. Kind of like CSEs used to be graded except a 9 is the highest grade and a 1 the lowest.

I know for the maths the foundation has got a lot harder and covers many more topics than it used to; the list is frightening. In theory you can now get something closer to an old B on the new foundation. If it is the same for Science and she is really marginal the foundation might be more accessible.

If she is doing separate sciences she will get a separate grade for each of them anyway rather than for example a B/B on dual award.

I’m not sure she can get an A*-G anymore anyhow

She can, 9-1 starts next year for science, english and maths started a year early.

I’m assuming the school knows what its doing but she really needs a B in one of the sciences to do her preferred A levels – so if Foundation is going to preclude this it’s not ideal

If she’s finishing year 11 this year, she could be on the old scheme.

I just wish schools and parents knew which board and scheme their kids are in before the last 2 months.

I’ve known it’s AQA for a while now, but the foundation/higher thing has only just happened after mocks

If she’s finishing year 11 this year, she could be on the old scheme.

Will be onbthe old scheme.

I just wish schools and parents knew which board and scheme their kids are in before the last 2 months.

I’m sure the school will, she’d have been entered ages ago.

Science teacher here. At GCSE there are two tiers. Higher tier allows A*- C grades. Foundation tier allows C- G. Both tiers also have a ‘U’ if the student fails to achieve the minimum available grade.

Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers can be sat at either level, both in year 10 and in year 11. Thus, in year 10 she could sit higher biology but foundation physics and chemistry and then a year later it could be any other combination. The higher tier will test additional content that is not included in the foundation tier exam, thus it is not always taught to candidates not likely to sit the higher exam.

As for the ‘numbered in increasing difficulty’- could she be referring to the increasing difficulty of the questions as the paper progresses, thus Q1 is easier than Q4 which in turn is less difficult than the final question.

As for ease of gaining grade C- I always recommend that it is easier to achieve a C grade from the foundation paper than from the higher. Not all parents like to hear this advice because using this (safer) route to a C will preclude possible B, A and * grades.

Thanks Ambrose.

By numbered in increasing difficulty what I meant was they seem to do 3 papers in each of the 3 sciences – so for Physics P1 first which is easier than P2 next which in turn is easier than P3

I assume from what you said you can’t mix higher and foundation papers in the same subject during the same year – so she will do all foundation papers P1 P2 and P3 in Physics – there would be no point as you can only achieve a C grade as soon as you sit one foundation paper in a particular subject?

If you are doing foundation in one of the papers you need to do foundation in the others (similarly with higher).

Email her science teacher.

Get her to practice both papers to see how well she does.

As for ease of gaining grade C- I always recommend that it is easier to achieve a C grade from the foundation paper than from the higher.

There were a few years where it was considered easier to get a C from sitting higher maths instead of foundation, but that got sorted out a few years ago. I think this ‘fact’ is still out there among parents.

‘By numbered in increasing difficulty what I meant was they seem to do 3 papers in each of the 3 sciences – so for Physics P1 first which is easier than P2 next which in turn is easier than P3’

P1, P2, P3 (likewise in chemistry and biology) should all be of a reasonably similar standard. This can lead to problems with early entrants who may sit P1, B1 or C1 earlier than normal- and thus meet the rigour of GCSE when they have not been fully readied for it.

‘I assume from what you said you can’t mix higher and foundation papers in the same subject during the same year – so she will do all foundation papers P1 P2 and P3 in Physics – there would be no point as you can only achieve a C grade as soon as you sit one foundation paper in a particular subject? ‘

A candidate can sit any paper at whatever tier they wish to do so, at any time. A candidate can change the tier that they sit the paper at immediately prior to the exam. Parental confirmation should be required.

A mix of successful higher and foundation results can indeed lead to a B grade. Thus my son managed to achieve a B grade in Welsh despite sitting the foundation paper. His coursework raised his grade.

They only put you in the foundation if there is a possibility you could completely fail the higher one

Thanks again