I have been looking into the option of doing an equivalency test for my maths GSCE

Has anyone had any experience of doing this? if so how did you find it?

Here is the site I was reccomended to look at

http://www.equivalencytesting.com/index.htm

Hi
Also needed my maths another option that I have taken is a pass in any course with the open university www.open.ac.uk that begins with a T or M is an acceptable equivalent I am taken a 10 week course with them to get my maths. Is another option if like me you are exam phobic!! I will try to attach the goverment equivalent document which shows all the acceptable courses for maths, science englis etc these are accepted for both teacher training courses and EYPS. Hope this helps.

Hi belle06,

I have heard about them, you don't have to do exams? that would be handy. how much are they do you know?

Jester,

thank you so much for that! I have a really ancient GCE O-level pass in Maths that was worrying me, if I ever get round to EYPS !

I now see it's fine - although mundia had told me it was - 'oh, ye of little faith!!'

Sue

Im not the forum mathemagician for nothing ya know!!

No worries, I hope its been useful! I only wish I had known about it sooner then I might not have got myself into such a state!

I might have to pick your brains mundia!!

no probs jester, Ive successfully coached 3 people through GCSE maths and 2 through the maths skills tests in recent years..

(is now a good time to admit that in a former life I was actually a maths teacher!!!... come on, someone has to...)

Shock!! Horror!!!!!!

A MATHS teacher -ooooerr.

Can you guess it was my least favourite subject at school? Well, actually, Geography was, but Maths was a very close second.

On reflection, I have to say, Geography was only my least favourite subject because we had to learn endless lists of products - St Somewhere (St Helen's??) - glass.... - and they're all wrong now, anyway! It being the 21st Century ( ) I'd far rather've learnt about geology etc.....

In my defence though, I was a BRILLIANT maths teacher!!!!

Can I also admit that I love maths. When I left school, having got married at 18, I missed it so much that I actually went to the library and got maths text books out so that I could do some of the exercises in them. Now I'll just slink away.............

Thanks Mundia, that would be much appreciated!

If Mundia is volenteering to do maths I'll put my hand up for science (well chemistry and biology anyway-not so hot on physics) !!
I'm quite happy to be the residential mad scientist!!
Sal

If Mundia is volenteering to do maths I'll put my hand up for science (well chemistry and biology anyway-not so hot on physics) !!
I'm quite happy to be the residential mad scientist!!
Sal

CAROL!!!!

Give me Shakespeare, Milton and James Joyce any day!! Or a few interesting Tudors - and I refuse to accept that recent rubbish on tv!!!!!

So - it's literature and history for me!

Sue

Art and English for me, but not lit. I got a 'U' for that!
Maths was worse than learning French, it was nothing to do with me and had nothing I could understand.
Science was just as bad, chemistry was a doss, physics? Well with 17% on a test, physics was never going to be my strong point. Our physics teacher was Gary Glitters brother! (Really)
Biology was another doss because if anyone asked the teacher about reproduction it was an odds on bet that he'd go red!
History, great.
Geography, not bad.
PE, didnt do it often enough to care.
Home economics, making a swiss roll or sewing a pin cushion didnt leave me with any ambition to continue with either.
Music, all foreign to me.
Technical drawing, wood/metal work, fab, the best ever.

Did Applied and Pure Maths, English and History at A level. (odd mix I know)
Good O level Biology and Chemistry wasn't allowed to study physics (because I'm a girl !!!)
Art quite good
PE & Music rubbish (think I'm dyspraxic ~ absolutely no sense of rhythm)
German for some reason the teacher took all our books on a train and lost them (an omen for the future)

I was fantastic in the arts- art, drama, craft, textiles- also did my degree in art.
I loved english literature as well- and still do- think all my intelligence went into the arts and there was none left for maths and the sciences!

I was awful at P.E and had two years signed off it due to a knee condition- funnily enough now I love teaching P.E and am very active and go to 3 excercise classes a week plus the gym-how did that happen?

What a nice thread this is, an opportunity to know a bit more about forum members .......

English and History for me too, rubbish at maths and dread this Sept when I start the third year of the degree suppose I will have to eventually start thinking about that equivalency thingy, can I leave it until the last minute??

my brain can't think about it yet, I need the degree under my belt first and I am enjoying studying early years education don't want to spoit it with MATHS!!

Unifix and compare bears are my limit!

Ditto!!

Ditto me too. Although in my case I do have reconised learning diffculity that I can't even spell let alone say!


Beth

Hi

I recently did the EYPS and as I left school in the early 70's without any 0 Levels (GCSE) I needed to do the Maths and English Equivalency test. I did this while undertaking the EYPS at The University of Reading and as I was doing the short pathway on the EYPS I had to gain my maths and english fairly quickly. The university was very helpful and gave offered me some individual and small group tuition. I was not woried about the english but I was terrified about the maths it took me 2 attempts but I did pass it and if I can then anyone can so go for it and I wish you the best of luck. A good site to help revision is BBC Bitesise. Hope this has helped.

Hello there Jarodella, welcome on board, good to see you posting after you've been with us a while.

Well done on your EYPS

Yes, a warm from me too Jarodella.

Jarodella, well done on your EYPS :D

I am aware of the BBC Bitesize site, I used it the last time I did maths and it was very useful so would defintely use it again.

Now I have another question- would I better doing the test only option or the homework option? my husband thinks I should do the test only option- then if I fail at least it's not as much money

Welcome from me too, Jarodella!

how much do you get paid then mundia?

Hali and I are very proud - we remembered how to do box plots today! And then the excitement - we've got a software package at uni that does it all for you. Brill!

Maz

mundia - that officially makes you a grown up!

Maz

I feel qualified to be the forum's tea maker....

Maz

Maz, I do remember growing up once, not sure what happened after that.

Every forum needs a tea maker.

I really must stop making these confessions, they have a habit of coming back to haunt me....

I think i need a my maths as i got a CSE grade 3. but nobody has said anything so far at uni. I presume i will only need it if i go further then FD to EYPS etc ?

Andreamay, Yes you will if you want to continue towards EYPS

Hello Belle06,

Sorry about this, this thread is a bit old, but can you pls tell me more about the 10 week course in maths, because l also need it for my EYPS. Thanks

so do I.............................and I really can't 'do' maths! They wouldn't even let me take the exam way back then! Can't imagine teachers being allowed to tell a child that the school didn't want to waste the paper.............which is what i was told!.....................so, 'terrified from the west country' here, needs maths.......heck!

Hi Belle06,

can ypu pls give me more information regarding the 10 week course i would need to the maths for my EYPS also, most appreciated. Toro

That is terrible not good for a child's confidence at all

Hi Toro,

Perhaps if you send Belle06 a private message she'll respond as she may not read this thread.

I also need mathes and english....... for my eyps... not sure how i'm going to do this and the ba hons... must be mad.....

You should also check with your uni/training provider about what maths equivalency they accept - they'll need to be certain the paper is set at the right level. It would be awful to have to do it again because the course wasn't recognised!

Good luck TORO!

Maz

i'm doing my eyps through best practice and this is the same web address i was given to do my mathes and english, let me know what you decide....

Excellent advice as usual HappyMaz. I did S154 Science starts here and MU120 Open Mathematics with the OU and the ITT provider where I applied have decided not to accept them. I now have to do maths and science equivalency tests too and in a very short time. I'm so upset and felt I should share my experience here so that others do not make the same mistake.

Wow can't beleive this thread is 3 pages long glad it has been useful.
I haven't been around a while as I have had a baby and have recently gone back to work after maternity leave.
Only yesterday I sat maths for the 5th time and it didn't go well at all, the last time I got 49% and the pass rate is 55%- gutted
I am going to take a break from it for a while. I have been reading about EYPS and it appears that although you need maths they are a little more leanient (sp) than ITT courses with regard to the maths and english thing



So the OU option might be acceptable and I think if it is it will be the route I will go down.

I have just registered to do OU MATHS because there is no exam. I only got CSE maths grade 2. Keep trying to drum it into my 15 yr old daughter to do really well in maths and English or she will be in my postition in a few years.

good luck to everyone I can understand English but find it hard to understand why we need maths. As someone said compare bears is about the limit.

buttercup

Good luck with it Yes I agree will be drumming it into my daughter when the time comes to do well in maths and english.

I don't understand why the maths needs to be such a high level, I mean I won't be teaching Py Thag

I didnt know you could do OU maths... how long does it take to complete and how does it work if you dont take an exam.... sorry for all the questions......... but i had never thought of doing maths with the OU

Belle from the beginning of the post said she was going to do it in a 10 week course but all the info I can find on OU maths suggests the courses are 9 months long.

Have a look here
http://mathschoices.open.ac.uk/routes/p2/index.html

Hi I too have looked at the link and it says 9 months, it sounded so hopefull? Has anyone completed the 10 week courses yet?

I don't know anything about OU 10 week courses in Maths that are accepted as equivalent to GCSE.
I have registered for MU123 (the replacement for MU120) which starts in October this year and finishes in June 2011. There is no exam which appeals to me The course details also state:

It is also usually accepted as an equivalent acceptable qualification to GCSE grade C in mathematics by other teacher training institutions

OOh thats interesting Geraldine. I guess though it would be an idea to check this with whatever institution you are applying to.
Good luck with it!!
Could you pm me some details about it please as it sounds right up my street.