Key Skills

[wolfracepunto]

Unfortunately i've got to do KS level 2 as part of an apprenticeship im doing. Thing is I didnt have to do any of the tests (IT, app of number and communication) because I have enough GCSE/A Levels. Does this mean I dont have to do any of the port folio work either? In my opinion theyre a complete waste of time and I could do without the extra work.

Any ideas?

 

[RedSei]

not sure.. cuz it all changed over during my reign of terror in college...
i did the portfolio.. then was told i didn't need to do it... or i didn't need to do it all...

i think you don't need to do it. ask your form tutor.

 

[JonnyBoy]

I was in 6th form when they brought this s***e out (I'm one of the "guinea-pig generation" - we were also the first lot to get SATS and various other unpleasantness), but I refused to do any work for it at all it's a load of b***ocks and a total waste of time.
I was exempt from all the exams as well yet they still expected me to do the portfolio crap; but so many of us refused to do it that they gave up in the end and we got stuck with AS general studies in upper 6th instead.

 

[wolfracepunto]

Well its not for college, the company I work for has a training centre and it is done there- this is why I dont think they know what theyre doing Ive got an A level in ICT so surely I dont need to do any of the ICT stuff

 

[arseofbox]

I had to do the portfolio...was a complete waste of time IMO, as my competence in the subjects could be qualified in the amount of report writing and number crunching I had to do whilst doing my A Levels...

 

[The Negotiator]

Top hint: Babysei is some sort of manager within the key skills division at OCR.


Only the dunces in our year did keyskills, the rest of us did proper work or nothing at all.*NB, I am not calling people who have done keyskills dumb, just the way our school did it.

 

[Liam]

She would be Key Skills Manager and also Tie Side Wearer

Liam

 

[Steven]

Just the woman you need then...

 

[Babysei]

(claire puts managers head on)

*I cant be quoted on the below and I do not represent OCR when I state the below information*

This is all a bit tricky, firstly it depends on where in the country you are...Welsh candidates have different rules to English candidates…(don’t ask me..ask QCA!!)

Then there is whether this is being claimed for an MA etc as sometimes the centre can show your GCSE/other qualifications to the contact officer direct and get something like a concession/relaxation proxy...your college tutors should know this though

Depends on which awarding body you are doing Key Skills with...? is it OCR/Edexcel/AQA etc??? Different exam boards have different admin procedures!!!!

If it’s a normal proxy being claimed within the correct timescale then the follow may apply:

Key Skills Coms Level 2 : As far as I’m aware there are no full proxy exemptions for this one just test only..so you would have to complete a portfolio to get a full unit certificate. Again this would only happen if your proxy is in date and you get your portfolio passed

Key Skills AON Level 2 : There is only ONE AS level that you can get a full exemption on and its a real rare one...something like use of mathematics..(again don’t quote me LOL) of you don’t have that ONE qualification then you will have to again submit a VALID IN DATE proxy and then complete a portfolio to get a full certificate.

Key Skills ICT Level 2 : There are many GCSE/GNVQ/AVCE qualifications that will give you either a full exemption or a test only...your centre tutor would have to check which ones you would stand to claim against...

Anyways its not your job to sort this out mate…it’s the centre..if they are doing OCR stuff tell them to get in touch with me Claire Michie

 

[smurfhead]

Before I start, love the new Sig Claire!


I didn't have to do Key Skills at school. Whilst I was doing my GCSE's though, I did a GNVQ in Business (intermediate) and when I got my results I got KS level 2 for AON, COmmunication and IT thrown in for the hell of it. Fantastic! When I went to sixth form college, everybody had to do level 2 in them but i'd already done it so they tried to make me do level 3 but I just avoided the timetabled sessions. hehe. The college and teachers didn't really care though because much like the students, universities and most teachers/lecturers across the country, they seen what a waste of time they are.

What is the point if you have respectable GCSEs? Most universities don't count them as entry points. Mine and all the other uni's bar one don't count them.

 

[The Negotiator]

They are useful for lower universities and can help you gain a place if you didn't quite reach your grades. Only the people of lower abilities (say C-E grades) did them where as everybody else didn't bother and nothing was said. If you had an alevel in that subject it would be joke to do a keyskills in it!

I don't know about all the different levels WR but it seems a bit demeaning for you to have to do it!

 

[littleyellowcar]

back in the days when i was in college, we were all told it was compulsory to do ski kills. i didnt do any extra work for the communications thing, only gave them my college work and that passed for it all.

what a total was of time if you ask me.

Oh Paul, it didnt help me get into my first choice uni (i fcuk'd up my a levels big styleeeee )

 

[The Negotiator]

Not saying it does help on all occasions, it's nearly as good as general studies though as being a bargaining tool.

I don't see why WR should do it, it means nothing - he has A levels which are above silly things like this (babysei will love me )

 

[arseofbox]

back in the days when i was in college, we were all told it was compulsory to do ski kills. i didnt do any extra work for the communications thing, only gave them my college work and that passed for it all.

what a total was of time if you ask me.

Oh Paul, it didnt help me get into my first choice uni (i fcuk'd up my a levels big styleeeee )

Yeah had no effect on me getting into uni either, strangely I was accepted having dropped 2 grades from the main requirement (wanted BCC, got CCD)

I actually asked to opt out of both KS and Gen Studies, just because I felt patronised by them....as I could have focussed my time on subjects more useful to me (Physics and Maths)...I really really hated Gen Studies...fortunately, I completed the KS portfolio within a week of starting, purely as I couldnt be arsed sityting in a stuffy classroom for longer than I absolutely had to.

 

[The Negotiator]

The portfolios are easy if you do them with sixth form as all the work you do can go towards it! I think people outside of this environment would have a harder time.

Tom, you were quite lucky! Having said that, I have a friend on my course who dropped two grades lower than the offer and still got in, I think it's other reasons TBH but won't go into that.

 

[arseofbox]

Tom, you were quite lucky! Having said that, I have a friend on my course who dropped two grades lower than the offer and still got in, I think it's other reasons TBH but won't go into that.

Oh I agree completely there...I think the word "shortage subject" comes into effect...Strannge thing is, a few people on my course got stuff like ABB, and we're all struggling on the same thing!

I think the "A" Levels prove that yu want to learn...not that yure necessarily any good at it!! (Think about it...the syllabi are very widely available, so if yu want to know it, yu can, but a degree is a bit different!!)

 

[littleyellowcar]

Yeah had no effect on me getting into uni either, strangely I was accepted having dropped 2 grades from the main requirement (wanted BCC, got CCD)

i got predicted AAB (Physics, Computing P&M Maths) and ended up with DCE(Physics, Computing, P&M Maths) - oooops

but i did get my maths lecturer sacked - she was crap

 

[The Negotiator]

I struggle as much as him on most (AAA vs. BCC - probably the lowest on the course) but he went to one of the best private schools in the country, had a friend who got 10As at A level type thing lol, I find it difficult to understand how well he does considering BCC against how hard I find it.

It does make me question about A levels.

Shortage subject, + type of school he went to + outside oppotunity because of that school.

 

[KirstyTL]

A levels are suffocating. ASs should never have been invented and predicted grades are heartbreaking and soul destroying.

 

[arseofbox]

but i did get my maths lecturer sacked - she was crap

Nice work Matt... my maths teacher got a better job just as we were starting our exams...talk about stability?

Ah well...nay matter...as my Physics teacher said "Ive done my bit, Im not responsible for the rest."