CSEs

Before GCSEs came in, there was a trial exam called the 16+. Candidates could get either an O level or a CSE, if I remember rightly. I’m not sure how many years it ran for, maybe two. I remember being an examiner for it, probably around the early 70 ies.

I think they were introduced in 1958 in a few schools, and finished 30yrs later when GCSEs came in. Previously (remember school leaving age was 15 until 1973) there had only been O levels, most pupils left with no qualifications. Some might have had coursework, most didn't. Like O levels there were different boards, mainly based on geographical area.
Pupils who might get an O level grade but might not, the school would double-enter. Occasionally parents would pay for double-entry

CSEs were introduced in 1965 and continued until 1987.
They were introduced to secondary modern schools which previously did not offer any exams to pupils.

I attended a semi selective school, which was the town's old grammar school, but which had abolished the 11 plus entry in the sixties and where everyone had to attend a secondary modern until they were 13 and a head of house decided whether you were suitable for the grammar school. This school expected everyone to study for 8 O levels, but there was a CSE class for those considered weak at maths. OTOH the secondary moderns mostly taught CSEs and there was a strong emphasis on craft subjects for boys, where there was continual assessment, and home economics subjects for gitls. Subjects such as languages and music weren't taught to CSE level.

I did O levels and 16+ in 1985. Got a CSE grade in my 16+ maths so retook it the following year and got a worse grade. Five years later did the GCSE maths and passed despite no tuition!

It's quite possible that secondary modern schools only routinely entered pupils for CSEs and charged the exam entrance fee if parents specifically requested that their child took the O level too.

That's what I thought happened with me.

My grammar school was part of an experiment when they were looking to bring in CSEs and for that one year we sat both in just English and Maths.
I do remember the exam seemed a lot easier but I suppose it would have been, logically.

Presumably someone was looking at the grades of the people who sat both to look at parity?

I'd forgotten I'd even taken it as I only ever wrote my GCSEs on my CV/job applications.

I'm pretty sure my tests showed I was OK at some subjects, but my coursework was terrible, so my mum was advised to pay for o'levels.
She certainly wasn't the sort of person to take it on herself and insist I did them in fact I was threatened that I'd b3tter pass.

The is, unless I've made this whole thing up, in which case I'm quite impressed with my imagination.

Cumbrianale , languages were examined at CSE level at most schools. I went to moderation meetings as Head of Modern Languages. Some pupils did O levels as well.

At my school if you passed your mock GCE it was free and if you failed the mock but still wanted to take the subject, you paid.

That sounds likely, except I can't remember sitting two lots of exams.

The main thing is, it doesn't matter now, I suppose.
I'm sure my grade 3 in shorthand is of no interest to anyone.

Indigo8

At my school if you passed your mock GCE it was free and if you failed the mock but still wanted to take the subject, you paid.

Never heard of that.

I failed Mock History GCE (miserably, 22%!) but didn't have to pay to take it and got a 3. That was the days when they were graded 1 - 9, 1 being the highest grade. Now they're the opposite way round. 🤔

I'm writing your comment down in shorthand as we speak.

I didn’t take any exams at school, having left at 15 to begin full time work in the civil service in London.
Years later I was a mum with 2 children when I started looking into education opportunities for myself. Did a few courses before applying to and being accepted by a polytechnic now university for a degree. I took my first formal examination which was for my degree in my late 30 s. I studied with a group of A level school leavers, there were about 10 mature students and we all got on well.
Access courses gave those of us who for whatever reason had missed out first time, an opportunity to study at a higher level. Happily I think Access still exists.
As for grade 3 shorthand, well done MissA. I coukd never get past the circle S.

MissAdventure

That sounds likely, except I can't remember sitting two lots of exams.

The main thing is, it doesn't matter now, I suppose.
I'm sure my grade 3 in shorthand is of no interest to anyone.

The Mocks were just internal exams, set by the school. They were taken in February and designed to frighten you into doing some work and revision after 18 months of messing around.

I could write paragraphs as they were dictated.
Reading them back was a different story altogether.

We did "typewriting" too, with a sheet of paper stuck over the keyboard. If you had your wirs about you, you could put the paper on the top of your head, and have a look at the keyboard.

😁

I learned to type on an old black sit up and beg imperial 58 typewriter. It was a civil service training school in London and we had to type in time to the Willian tell overture. A very fast piece of music.
Anyone hitting carriage return too early got hit with a stick on the knuckles. Those were the days. 1963.

Anyone hitting carriage return too early got hit with a stick on the knuckles
😯 reminds me of my driving instructor. 1963.

Our shorthand teacher was very fierce.
She once made me and my friend read back what we had written, and it came out as "d.r. s.r.s. I rfr t yr ltr f..."
I really disliked the office type lessons.

I red yr s/hnd strt awy MissA ….

Oh well, it shows something went into the old noggin. (Mine and yours!)

Oh yes! My GCSEs were actually O'levels.
Totally forgot!

Allira

^Anyone hitting carriage return too early got hit with a stick on the knuckles^
😯 reminds me of my driving instructor. 1963.

It reminds me of one of the nuns at my convent school.