I wrote on Twitter earlier today that it’s a "big day" with the results of my GCSE Maths papers this afternoon and the open evening for Furze Platt’s Sixth Form tonight.
Excitement grew during the day, as our grades weren’t to be revealed until 3:15pm. This nervous tension peaked during the last minutes of the last lesson, by which point concentration in the subjects we were supposed to have been studying was dwindling, as we each grew more desperate to see how we’d done.
Just to remind readers, the grade in question was from our GCSE Maths papers. The two papers (non-calculator and calculator) that we sat in November 2011 had their grades combined to create one result for our entire GCSE Maths qualification.
It’s fair to say that I wasn’t feeling confident, aside from expecting lower-than-usual grade boundaries after hearing what our teachers had made of the paper.
"The first question was a lot harder than the first question of papers I’d done in the past. Whilst I don’t blame a lack of confidence for how difficult I found the paper, it certainly was a harsh question to start with. But it was only a sign of things to come: the exam tested me on subjects I’d never even learnt, let alone revised."
— Andrew Burdett, ‘My Thoughts: Maths Non-Calculator Exam‘, 9 November 2011
So, at last, my grade: I got an A, which I’m very pleased with – it’s much, much better that I’d been expecting (I wasn’t holding out for anything greater than a C). Only one of the many people I asked immediately after the handing-out of the grade-cards got an A*, showing it was a hard paper.
Where many may criticise me is in my want to still retake. Just briefly, I’ll explain my reason. Before the exam, I was consistently getting As and A*s in the past-papers. An A is a fantastic result, don’t get me wrong, but if the opportunity arises (especially as I’m hoping to do Maths at A-Level), I’d love to retake so I can have a shot at bettering it.
For now, though, I’m delighted to have a great grade in the first subject that I’ve effectively finished.