Maths GCSE Foundation Tier or Higher Tier.

[Rainbow Dash]

Basically I've started maths GCSE class part-time. It's every Tuesday in the evenings. My tutor said at the start of the lesson yesterday the main tier we will all be sitting is the Foundation Tier (the highest grade you can get is a C) He said if anyone wants to sit the higher Tier (A* - D) then ask him.

I don't know if I should ask him or not :/ I know if I worked hard I could get a B, maybe even an A. I just don't know if all the stress is worth it, with GCSE's all you really need is a C :|

I'm thinking of waiting a few weeks, see how I find the work and then ask him. I found the work yesterday a bit easy to be completely honest :|

I don't know what to do.

[L'espoir]

Hey,

I think it depends on your ability really. I mean, some people aren't going to pass and they know that... so they take the foundation paper... but if you think you will get at least a C I personally think it's worth doing the higher tier because it's actually easier to get a C on higher tier. It's up to you at the end of the day though. Maybe you could ask the tutor about it and see what he thinks?

x

[Fairy Poppins]

As Jen said; the maximum you can achieve on a Foundation paper is a C.

And to get that you have to get pretty much the whole paper right.

Did they scrap the Intermediate tier then? That's a shame.

I would strongly suggest you go for the Higher if you think you are capable of more than a C. Even if you don't do fantastically well on the paper, you will get a C anyway. So you don't really have anything to lose.

[DutchWelshWolf]

Personally, I would go with higher tier.

When I did gcse maths 3 years ago, my teacher would make us do foundation and intermediate tier past papers to practise and they were awful. My teacher knew this and so deliberately gave us the hard papers so when we sat the higher papers, it was so much easier. I know, it doesn't make sense lol. My friend had to do foundation paper and she had to resit it because it's hard as you have to get nearly all of the paper right just for a C, whereas with higher you need less for a C. Also, my brother is really bad at maths but the teacher made him do the higher tier and he got a B.

Its your choice. If you feel like you really can't do higher tier, then do foundation. But maybe your tutor can help you decide?

[Reverie.]

Perhaps ask for a few practise papers for BOTH tiers, so that way you have an idea of the differences and the kinds of things you'd need to be able to do for higher. Maybe see how you do on them and decide that way? Good luck with whatever you go for though!

Hollie.

[Rainbow Dash]

I've been thinking and I think I will do the higher tier I'll ask him on Tuesday. Thanks <3

[Loxxi Deloxity]

GCSEs are stressful if you think negatively about them. i found them ok to deal with personally. I'd say do the higher tier because there is more of a change of getting a higher grade =] good luck xx

[Rainbow Dash]

I asked him ^___^ He said luckily I don't really have to decide until June. The problem is he will only be going through Foundation work in class, if I decide to do the higher tier I will have to do work on my own. I don't really mind though, it's not like I have a lot to do in my spare time

[dancinfool]

Yeah I was going to say; a lot of the stuff on higher teachers just won't bother with, so you'll have to make sure you know all the C grade stuff really well and have a go at the higher tier things too. There's some really good revision guides out there with topics by grade though so if you're prepared to put a bit of work in you should be fine

[Unicorn ♥✿]

Originally Posted by Serendipity.

Hey,

I think it depends on your ability really. I mean, some people aren't going to pass and they know that... so they take the foundation paper... but if you think you will get at least a C I personally think it's worth doing the higher tier because it's actually easier to get a C on higher tier. It's up to you at the end of the day though. Maybe you could ask the tutor about it and see what he thinks?

x

I wasn't in Maths foundation by choice. I could have got A*, but the teacher never moved me when I kept asking and the it was too late (she kept forgetting!!) So I got the C and had to act hppy about it :l

You prob have a better teacher s just ask
xxx

[Cosmo]

It's not worth doing the GCSE if you're doing Foundation. It's worth zilch to universities. It's like half a GCSE. Seriously go for Higher Tier because even if you get a C in that, you're still better off. If you get a B you're set! Right now I'm looking at a B or an A if I work hard at my next module.

[Illuminate]

Honestly, go for the higher. It's easier to get C's in the higher than the foundation because you'd have to get pretty much every question right in the foundation, whereas you only need roughly half in a higher.

Plus the first few questions on the higher paper are from the back of the foundation anyway, so there's not much difference except it goes into more detail and asks more complicated questions. If you revised enough, it'd work and you'd pass with flying colours

[Sea Monkey]

Originally Posted by Deluminate

Honestly, go for the higher. It's easier to get C's in the higher than the foundation because you'd have to get pretty much every question right in the foundation, whereas you only need roughly half in a higher.

Plus the first few questions on the higher paper are from the back of the foundation anyway, so there's not much difference except it goes into more detail and asks more complicated questions. If you revised enough, it'd work and you'd pass with flying colours

Hey Ceilidh,

As Charli has said. Go for higher. I took foundation last year and failed it, but I am doing higher in March because our school was told there is a better chance of gaining a 'C' grade in higher because you only have to know a few questions. I think our school has looked into stats and stuff and it came out that it's easier to get a 'C' grade doing higher than foundation. Also with higher it allows you to gain a 'B', 'A' and 'A*' grade too; so it's better than foundation where the highest is a 'C'.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Troubled_Heart]

The foundation papers are really easy and the higher ones are not too bad. If you learn the correct methods and techniques for the questions, the A and A* ones are not that bad, it's just because they are longer and you need to know how to do it.
Having a C does limit your oppotunities because some science based courses do require a B in maths, you'll also feel better in yourself with a higher grade.
You could also ask him to go through things with you because if you haven't seen questions of the type before or run into any trouble it would be good. If you're doing it modular it's so much easier to, for you have to remember less things at a time, making higher not hard... Most that start on foundation re-take with the higher paper anyway... It just means you don't have to spend money on a better grade
Xxx

[Cosmo]

Most universities that I know of don't accept Foundation as a GCSE. I could be wrong overall though.