Three teenagers from Grimsby have revealed the "extreme stress" and anxiety caused by being "used like guinea pigs" as the first to sit exams under the Government's new GCSE grading system.

As students across Grimsby prepare to pick up their all-important GCSE results on Thursday, three The Academy Grimsby pupils have spoken of increased pressure in the classroom caused by tougher exams and confusion over new grade boundaries.

The government has replaced the traditional and well-known A* to G grades with scores of 9 to 1 in a bid to drive up standards.

Experts warned that GCSEs taken under the new rules were expected to be more challenging, with almost all exams taken at the end of the course and with less coursework.




A chart to explain the changes to the GCSE grading system
A chart to explain the changes to the GCSE grading system

Since students sat exams earlier this summer, warnings have been made that the new grading system could lead to thousands of students receiving the wrong grades.

And for some students, the added pressure and uncertainty over how highly they need to perform to secure certain grades have proved to be too much to take at an already difficult and stressful time for them.

Year 11 The Academy Grimsby student, Carmen Cox-Whittleton, said: "Due to the change in the grading system for GCSEs, I was very stressed during exam season.

"When it came to mock exams, my teachers weren't sure on my rightful grade meaning I never knew how prepared I was for the real exam.

"In addition to this, the maths exams were only getting harder and not being sure what the grade boundaries were it was frustrating.

"There was a time when the government didn't even know whether the new C equivalent would be a grade 4 or 5."

Classmate, Chloe White, has revealed how she witnessed some students bursting into tears during an exam due to the stress.

She said: "The new English literature GCSE means students had to revise and remember 15 poems when only one would come up in the exam and three books or plays.

"This was extremely stressful and even caused some students to cry during the exam.

"We as students are oblivious to the grade boundaries as we are the first year to sit the new scheme and are being used as Guinea pigs."

GCSE results day is on Thursday

Kira Roberts has argued that this year's cohort are at a "disadvantage" because the students are the first to experience the changes.

She said: "The new GCSE grading system has put a lot more pressure and anxiety on myself and other students sitting their exams especially with having read articles explaining how complicated it is.

"I don't think it's fair at all and it will place myself and fellow students at a disadvantage."