german a level essay grade boundaries

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The Eduqas AS & A level in German provides an engaging and exciting opportunity for students to build on their previous study of German. Through social, intellectual, historical and political cultural themes students will be able to develop their linguistic knowledge and cultural understanding of the countries/communities where the language is spoken. An opportunity to study literature and film will allow students to undertake a deeper analysis of language structures and increase their cultural awareness as part of an integrated approach to language learning. A strong focus is placed on building students' confidence and fluency in spoken German using relevant and topical themes. The requirement to research an area of personal interest related to the country/communities where German is spoken will enhance students' cultural appreciation and enable them to gain a greater awareness of intercultural differences.

The AS & A level in German courses will enable learners to:

• enhance their linguistic skills and promote and develop their capacity for critical thinking on the basis of their knowledge and understanding of the language, culture and society of the countries/communities where the language is spoken
• develop control of the language system to convey meaning, using spoken and written skills, including an extended range of vocabulary, for both practical and intellectual purposes as increasingly confident, accurate and independent users of the language
• develop their ability to interact effectively with users of the language in speech and in writing, including through online media
• develop language learning skills and strategies, including communication strategies to sustain communication and build fluency and confidence
• engage critically with intellectually stimulating texts, films and other materials in the original language, developing an appreciation of sophisticated and creative uses of the language and understanding them within their cultural and social context
• develop knowledge about matters central to the society and culture, past and present, of the countries/communities where the language is spoken
• mediate between cultures and between speakers of the language and speakers of English · foster their ability to learn other languages
• equip themselves with transferable skills such as autonomy, resourcefulness, creativity, critical thinking, and linguistic, cultural and cognitive flexibility that will enable them to proceed to further study or to employment
• develop their capacity for critical and analytical thinking through the language of study
• develop as independent researchers through the language of study.

Any requirements set for entry to a course following this specification are at the discretion of centres. It is reasonable to assume that many learners will have achieved qualifications equivalent to Level 2 at KS4. Skills in Numeracy/Mathematics, Literacy/English and Information Communication Technology will provide a good basis for progression to this Level 3 qualification.

This specification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills established at GCSE German .

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A-Level German – 10 Awesome Hacks – How To Improve Your Grade

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To start with, I’ll say that these resources are awesome and will help you to improve your grade. Remember though, it’s not going to happen overnight. The course contains a number of topics, loads of vocabulary and grammar points that you’ll need to get to grips with. In addition, the exam boards have specific marking criteria that they’re looking for you to meet. If you want to know how to improve your A-Level German grade, use my hacks and resources below! If you’d prefer a visual version, why not check out my YouTube How To Improve German A-Level Grade below? Feel free to subscribe for more useful A-Level content too!

HACK 1: A-Level German Textbooks

To kickstart your A-Level German learning journey and improve your grades, I recommend doing the activities set by your teachers in the text books thoroughly. By that, don’t just skim read the text and complete the exercises half heartedly! As standard, take time over them. If it’s a reading activity, read the questions, then read the text. Ensure you answer the question fully, look up unknown vocab and note it down to learn (more about that in Tip 4 below). With listening activities, ensure you look at the transcript after completing the activities.

For AQA A-Level German, I really like these AQA A-Level German Year 1 Textbook by Erika Klinger et al. and A-Level AQA German Year 2 Text Book by Morag Mcrorie et al. If you’d like 

For Edexcel A-Level German, I’d recommend: Edexcel A-Level German (includes Year 1) by Paul Elliott et al.

If your school doesn’t provide a textbook, I absolutely recommend getting a copy, as they cover the related exam board’s content comprehensively. The German A-Level textbooks offer detailed explanations, exercises, and sample exam-style questions. It’s a must-have for every serious German student who wants to improve his/her/their grade!

HACK 2: A-Level German Specification

Really familiarise yourself with the Edexcel/AQA A-Level German specification document available on the exam board’s website. These documents clearly outline the exam topics, assessment objectives and key language skills required. Understanding the exam requirements is crucial for effective exam preparation. As a private German A-Level tutor, I spend a good amount of time ensuring students know what the exam boards are looking for in each of their exams (speaking, listening, reading and writing). If you know what AQA and Edexcel are looking for, it’ll help you to improve your grade tremendously. Obviously with the right application!

HACK 3: German Grammar Exercises

Grammar is key to the A-Level examinations. Passive, subjunctive and conditional tenses class class as complex language to attain the higher grades, for example. You can practise this for free online, such as:

Or, you could use a AQA German A-Level Grammar Workbook which would be equally fine for Edexcel! Although the topics are slightly different, the grammar knowledge required is quite similar. 

Websites like Nancy Thuleen’s Grammar Section , with grammar explanations, practice questions. In addition, a number of the activities have the answers too. Regular practice of grammar will strengthen your understanding and improve your writing skills, listening, speaking and reading skills too. Remember, grammar is the backbone of any language! 

HACK 4: German Essay Writing Tips

For the films at A-Level, I tend to teach Goodbye Lenin or Das Leben der Anderen. For the books/plays, I like der Vorleser and der Besuch der alten Dame. Knowing the plays, film and books you are required to know inside out is a good starting point.

a) Ensuring you know the characters well and how they link to each other and the themes (see point b).

b) Learning about the key themes and how the film/book/play fit into the historical and social context of the period and country. That’ll bag you some extra marks!

c) Finding key quotes around the key themes/characters – one or two per theme and character will be enough and will allow you to offer evidence, which again, will get you extra marks.

d) Looking at the examiners reports of the responses to past writing questions on the exam boards’ websites. These will contain sample essays with a mark for each and a report analysing the positives and the improvements. Use those to help you improve your work!

I would also recommend accessing the Hodder Guide’s for the play/book/film you are studying. If your school doesn’t provide a copy, you can access them here and purchase them if you have the budget.

A-Level German Common Film, Book & Play Study Guides

Film Study Guides

Das Leben der Anderen Hodder Study Guide

Goodbye Lenin Hodder Study Guide

Literature Study Guides

Der Vorleser A-Level German Study Guide

Andorra Hodder Study Guide

These resources will give you a clear picture of the film/literature in detail and will also help you structure your essays effectively, enhance your written expression, and impress the examiners. Your essays will shine like never before!

If you have the time and resource, you could also use a Translation and Essay Writing Workbook to practise writing further.

HACK 5: QUIZLET (or ANKI)

So, download either Quizlet or Anki onto your phone. Create Quizlet sets by topic and just add the vocab to those sets as it comes up. For Anki, you may not be able to add lots of sets easily, but it follows the same principle. Learn often – like daily, for at least 10 minutes.

HACK 6: Exam Technique Videos

Honing your exam technique is key to doing well in your A-Level German exams. Check out the A-Level German Section of My YouTube Channel for videos to hone your exam technique. It includes more tips, tricks and strategies which are tailored specifically to the reading, listening, writing and speaking exams of the A-Level German course. I address tackling different question types, time management tips to ‘quick wins’! These videos will boost your confidence and optimise your exam performance.

HACK 7: A-Level German Past Papers

It’s true – practice makes perfect when it comes to exam practice! Although this is hack 7, it’s actually pretty important in how to improve your German A-Level grade. The AQA A-Level German past papers, Eduqas and Edexcel A-Level German past papers are not only invaluable for familiarising yourself with the exam format, they will also help you to get a feel for timing and question types.

Access the official past papers on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas websites, analyse your answers using the mark schemes and transcripts, and seek feedback from your teachers or an A-Level private tutor to identify areas for improvement.

HACK 8: A-Level German Examiner Reports

HACK 9: German Listening Practice

Often, students find speaking and listening the hardest, since schools don’t offer enough practice. I recommend immersing yourself in the language with German-speaking podcasts like “Slow German” or “Coffee Break German.” Or videos provided by websites such as “Easy German”. These podcasts and audio visual clips cover a range of interesting topics, enhance your listening skills, and expose you to different accents and colloquial language. Why not try speaking about one of the questions posed for yourself? Avoid passive listening though! Try applying some of the listening activities suggested here whilst listening to provide more focused practice?

HACK 10: Facts and Figures

For example in AQA A-Level German, ‘Die Familie im Wandel’ topic is split up into three sub-topics, i.e. 1.1. Beziehungen innerhalb der Familie, 1.2 Partnerschaft und Ehe and 1.3 Verschieden Familienformen. The facts will come in handy as ‘relevant information to support their arguments’ for AO4 in the speaking mark scheme, in relation to the third bullet point in the speaking exams (image is from Candidate material: cards: Paper 3 Speaking – June 2019).

Well, there you have it! You now have a treasure trove of resources to elevate your AQA A-Level German learning journey. They really are my tried and tested ways of helping my private A-Level students to improve their grades. Remember, consistent practice, engagement with the material, and seeking guidance from your teacher or a knowledgable tutor are crucial for success. With these top 10 tips, tricks and hacks at your disposal, you’re well on your way to feeling more confident in your AQA A-Level German exams. Viel Glück!

COMING SOON: A-Level German Revision Timetable for 2 Year Course. Have you subscribed to my Instagram to get a notification of when it lands?

Have you checked out my A-Level German revision booklets which contain useful vocabulary, facts and figures?

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IB Grade Boundaries M2023: Detailed Comparison with M2019 and M2022

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a highly respected educational program for high school students that emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, and global-mindedness. The IB exams are taken by students all over the world, and their results are used by universities to evaluate students’ academic abilities. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IB exams were disrupted, leading to changes in the grading system and the setting of the IB grade boundaries. In this article, we will explore the IB grade boundaries for M2023 and how they are affected by the pandemic. We have provided IB grade boundary summaries of popular IB subjects in the article below, and we have also  attached a pdf  of grade boundaries for all IB subjects for M2019 and M2022. 

Understanding IB Grade Boundaries

Before we dive into the changes in the IB grade boundaries for 2023, let’s first understand what they are. IB grade boundaries are the minimum marks required to achieve a certain grade on an IB exam. These boundaries are set by a group of examiners who carefully evaluate the exam papers and determine the difficulty level of the exam. The grade boundaries are adjusted every year based on the performance of the students and the difficulty level of the exam. 

Changes in the IB Grading System due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education system worldwide, and the IB program was no exception. The pandemic led to the closure of schools, cancellation of exams, and a shift to online learning. In response to these challenges, the IB program made some changes to the grading system to ensure that students were not unfairly disadvantaged. These changes included:

• Cancelation of exams: In 2020, the IB program canceled its exams due to the pandemic. Instead, students were awarded grades based on their IAs, predicted grades, and teacher recommendations.
• Adjustments to the grading system: To ensure that students were not disadvantaged by the cancellation of exams, the IB program adjusted its grading system. This adjustment included a shift in the grade boundaries to reflect the predicted performance of students. 
• Introduction of an alternative assessment: In 2021, the IB program introduced an alternative assessment for students who were unable to take the exams due to the pandemic. This assessment was based on the IA students did and other evidence of student performance.
• Prior to May 2020, grade boundaries were published by the IB by component, in other words the IB published grade boundaries for each individual examination paper. During covid, exams were canceled and the IB only published grade boundaries for the overall score of each subject.

IB Grade Boundaries for 2023

With the disruption caused by the pandemic, many students and educators are wondering how the IB grade boundaries will be set for May 2023. Although it is still early to say for sure, May 2023 will be the first examination session since the full recovery of the covid-19 pandemic, and the  IB has hinted  that the grade boundaries will be similar to that of May 2019. Assuming that the May 2023 grade boundaries will be similar to that of May 2019, we will compare the May 2019 grade boundaries to the May 2022 grade boundaries in the following section, and examine what students should expect for the May 2023 IB exams.

IB Grade Boundaries Overview of Popular Subjects

In this section, the term “May 2023 Grade Boundaries” or its synonyms should be drawn in parallel to May 2019 grade boundaries. It is important to note that as of now, there is no certainty regarding the specific grade boundaries that will be used for the May 2023 exams. However, based on the information provided by the IB, it is reasonable to assume that the May 2023 grade boundaries will be similar to those used in May 2019.

IB Math Analysis and Approaches

The May 2019 IB Maths syllabus is different to that of the current IB math syllabus. The math course closest to Math AA HL will be the old Maths HL with Calculus option, so a comparison between these 2 courses will be made. The math course closest to Maths analysis and approaches SL will be the old Maths SL, the comparison will be between these 2 math courses as well. 

IB Math Analysis and Approaches HL

• May 2022 only requires students to get an overall of 65% for a 7 while May 2023 will need 75%. In general, the grade boundaries for May 2023 will be more difficult than that of May 2022. 
• Paper 3 requires only a 68% to get a 7, meaning it will be the most difficult paper out of the 3. 
• There is a 10% increase in grade requirements to achieve a 7 for May 2023. However, the grades for IB are scaled, meaning exams could be easier to ensure that a percentage of students can achieve a 7. 

IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL

• Similar to the HL, M2023 boundaries will be 10% higher in general. 

IB Math Applications and Interpretations

The May 2019 IB Maths syllabus is different to that of the current IB math syllabus. The math course closest to Math AI HL will be the old Maths HL with Statistic option, so a comparison between these 2 courses will be made. The math course closest to Maths applications and interpretations SL will be the old Maths studies, so the comparison will be between these 2 math courses as well. 

IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL

IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL

IB Chemistry

• IB Biology SL is one of only 2 subjects in this list of popular IB subjects where the May 2023 exams are expected to have a more lenient boundary compared to the May 2022 exams.

IB English A Language and Literature

IB English A Literature

IB Business Management

IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

In general, the May 2023 IB exams are expected to have a more difficult boundary compared to the May 2022 exams. However it is important to remember that a more difficult boundary does not mean that the difficulty of the exams will higher as IB scales their marking. The IB has to ensure that a certain percentage of students achieve a specific grade, so a harder boundary could in fact suggest that the exams are easier, hence more students are getting higher raw scores. 

Detailed IB Grade Boundaries By Subject PDF

How the ib grade boundaries affect students.

The IB grade boundaries have a significant impact on students’ academic futures. The grades they receive determine their eligibility for admission to universities and colleges, scholarships, and other opportunities. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing disruption to the education system, students may be facing additional challenges in achieving the grades they need. The changes in the grading system and the grade boundaries could potentially help to mitigate some of these challenges and ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged.

However, it’s important to note that the grade boundaries are not the only factor that determines a student’s academic success. Students should also focus on developing their critical thinking, creativity, and other skills that the IB program emphasizes. This will not only help them achieve better grades but also prepare them for success in their future academic and professional endeavors.

The IB grade boundaries for 2023 are still uncertain as the exams have not been done yet. However, the IB program has hinted that the grade boundaries for the upcoming exam will be similar to that of pre Covid times of May 2019. In general, the boundaries for May 2023 for a majority of subjects should be more strict than that of May 2022, and it is important to note that the boundaries are an indicator of the amount of students that achieve a specific grade, meaning the exams of 2023 could be slightly easier. The IB program remains a highly respected educational program that prepares students for success in their future academic and professional endeavors.

What are IB grade boundaries?

IB grade boundaries are the minimum marks required to achieve a certain grade on an IB exam.

How are IB grade boundaries set?

IB grade boundaries are set by a group of examiners who carefully evaluate the exam papers and determine the difficulty level of the exam.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the IB grading system?

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of exams and adjustments to the grading system to ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged.

Will there be any changes in the IB grade boundaries for 2023?

It’s uncertain at this point, but IB grade boundaries for May 2023 exams is likely to be similar to that of May 2019 exams.

How do IB grade boundaries affect students?

IB grade boundaries have a significant impact on students’ academic futures as they determine their eligibility for admission to universities and colleges, scholarships, and other opportunities.

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AS/A Level German

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Our AS/A level German specification provides an engaging and exciting opportunity for learners to build on their previous study of German.

Through social, intellectual and cultural themes learners will be able to develop their linguistic knowledge and cultural understanding of the countries or communities where the language is spoken.

OER is a free interactive teaching and learning tool which includes exam answers and examiner comments.

Important information, past papers, marking schemes, entry/amendment uploads & make post-results enquiries.

We offer an extensive range of free digital educational resources.

Grade boundaries are the minimum number of marks needed to achieve each grade.

• Digital Resources
• Online Exam Review

Discover FREE Digital Resources!

Unlock your learners’ potential with an impressive range of FREE digital resources, teaching tools and materials.

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Access a collection of interactive units that bring together a number of elements including general data, exam questions, their marking schemes and examiner comments, which will lead you through a review of exam questions.

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A-level German

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Notes and guidance: instructions for the conduct of exams - June 2024

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Insert: Paper 1 Listening, reading and writing - June 2022

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Insert (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Listening, reading and writing - June 2022

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Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 2 Writing - June 2022

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Question paper: Paper 1 Listening, reading and writing - June 2022

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Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Listening, reading and writing - June 2022

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Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Listening, reading and writing - June 2022

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