CSEs

Yes I remember and you're right Grade 1 was equivalent to a C Grade at O'level. As course work counted toward the final grade at CSE, it gave those not so good in exams a chance to still achieve an O'level.

Smileless2012

Yes I remember and you're right Grade 1 was equivalent to a C Grade at O'level. As course work counted toward the final grade at CSE, it gave those not so good in exams a chance to still achieve an O'level.

I remember the CSE being less rigid and simpler than the GCE O level, but a Grade 1 was as good as an O level and 5 Grade 1s were acceptable to most employers. However, the qualification often didn't extend to subjects like music, art and languages.

I took both.
I think cse were standard, and o levels were paid for at that time.

Don’t think O Levels were paid for MissA. It was all we took at my school (Grammar 66/7).

Hmm. Well, I definitely took both.
I don't know how it all worked.

I took both in 1977 and no payment was required.

I suppose mine was around that time, too.
Perhaps my mum told me she had to pay to try and make me do some homework.

MissAdventure

I took both.
I think cse were standard, and o levels were paid for at that time.

We didn't pay to take GCEs
Nor did we take CSEs at my High school.

The CSEs were not introduced until 1965.

I took both, too. I was at a bilateral school and was always in a grammar stream class. I left school in 1975

Well I was two in 1965.

I seem to have cses, gces, and o levels in the same subjects too.

I did O levels in 1960. There were no CSEs at that time and O levels were never paid for. My children did a mixture of O levels, and CSEs. Going on to A levels. I believe everything falls under GCSEs now.

I did O levels at grammar school but our French teacher told us about CSE which was fairly new and which she wanted to trial. She asked if anybody would be interested in taking it instead of the O level as it might suit some of us better. I stuck my hand up, did the coursework and exam and got Grade 1 which was equivalent to an O level.

I enjoyed it because we got brand new modern, illustrated text books which IMO were far better than the ancient old books we were used to.

We only did O and A levels at my school

I must have been in a league all my own, I expect.

I took both, no payment required for either.

My mum told me a fib!!
And I believed it!!

MissAdventure

I must have been in a league all my own, I expect.

I think they did a mix at some of the new comprehensive schools for a while, before they were amalgamated with GCE and GCSEs were introduced.

My school put you in for the CSE in some subjects as well as the O level in case you missed the O level pass. I was entered into 7 O levels and 4 CSE's- a total of 32 exams in June 1973, it was very hard going. The only subject I didn't get an O level pass in was maths, I got a CSE grade 2. I retook O level maths but still didn't pass....

Ah, yes.
I did a mixture, too.
I passed maths- no idea how!!!!

I never even understood what on earth they were on about in maths lessons.

Actually, thinking about it, it's not really fair.

Students who get a D or equivalent in GCSE are told they've failed yet with the other system, they have passed a CSE.
A good set of CSEs used to be enough for entry to many vocational courses.
Sadly, vocational course are undervalued in this country.

I taught O level and CSE English Language and Literature classes for several years at a comprehensive school, starting in the late 1970s. No payment was required from parents and a few students were encouraged to take both exams. At both levels, coursework was teacher-assessed and externally moderated and it counted towards the final grade. Some exam boards even offered 100% coursework assessment so there were no final exams at all. That was great for the students but very hard work for the subject teachers!

It definitely wasn’t easy to get a CSE Grade 1 in English. In addition to the written coursework and perhaps a written final exam, students had to give a talk / presentation in front of their teacher and external moderators (teachers from another local school) and then answer a number of questions about their chosen topic.

Those who achieved a CSE Grade 1 in English had worked extremely hard. They deserved to be very proud that it was equivalent to an O Level.

It sounds more stressful than an 'O' level!!

I went to a secondary modern and took CSEs. I achieved two 2s two 3s and two 4s. Really they weren't worth taking, I might as well have left school at 15 and gone straight into employment. None of my employers ever asked about them.
I went into nurse training in the good old days when nursing didn't need a degree.

MiniMoon

I went to a secondary modern and took CSEs. I achieved two 2s two 3s and two 4s. Really they weren't worth taking, I might as well have left school at 15 and gone straight into employment. None of my employers ever asked about them.
I went into nurse training in the good old days when nursing didn't need a degree.

Two girls I knew at primary school who went to the Secondary Modern did a Pre-nursing course at the local Further Education college. I don't know whether the one I kept in touch with took any GCEs at all as CSEs weren't around then. She became a Sister in charge of a large department.

The 11+ was very divisive; some children would have felt they would always be failures. I think her school was very good in fact.