‘Atmospheric’ pressure gets to exam students
As millions of school children opened envelopes containing A-level and GCSE exam results last week, the English Examination Board was explaining why some of the kids taking their examinations did less well than expected this year – increased pressure.
But not the kind of pressure from demanding parents or iron-fisted head teachers, they blamed the poor results on the atmosphere.
“For years, the results have been better and better and this year is no exception, but the overall pressure level has increased three-fold since 2002,” said Lindsey Palmer, head of the EEBs fair testing committee.
The early summer exam sitting was not helped by record temperatures and very high pressure over most of the United Kingdom during June and July, and for those taking exams earlier, in May, the turbulent pressure patterns ‘played havoc’ with some students.
“One minute I was writing just fine, the next I just couldn’t cope with the question and I felt my head was about to explode,” said Matt Jones, 16, who ended up with 5A*s, 6As and an F in his GCSEs this year.
“I knew when I looked at the barometer spinning around that it would be a bad day to write a Physics essay paper.”
The Met office said the mixed pressure could be here to stay, with global weather patterns in turmoil over large parts of the country. “Students should probably start practising past exam questions at high altitudes to prepare for any future problems,” said Mark Butler, chief atmospheric advisor at the UK Weather Centre. One school in Leicester has already changed their school summer trip from Stevenage to Mexico City, to prepare kids for next year’s exam pressures. “We’re just thinking ahead,” said headmaster Richard de Souza.
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