When answering the question: “Which was harder, O-Levels or GCSEs?” there are two different answers depending on what precisely you are asking about.
If you are asking: “Was it harder to get an A on O-Levels compared to GCSEs?” the answer is: Yes, it was harder to get a high grade on O-Levels rather than GCSEs. This is because grades for O-Levels were norm-referenced meaning only a set number of students could ever achieve the highest grade. Given that only students who had showed a high level of proficiency at the age of 11 were entered for the exam, the competition to be in that top percentage was particularly fierce and so an A was a (relatively) rare accomplishment.
If you are asking: “Was it qualitatively more difficult to complete an O-Level exam compared to a GCSE exam?” or “Did you need to know more to get an O-Level than a GCSE exam?” then the answer is more complicated. Having looked at O-Level papers the content is no more challenging than what is expected of GCSE candidates – in fact in some places it seems rather easier. The O-Levels have far more choice in each paper, more marks given for conjecture, and the format of questions requires much less interpretation than today. Of course wise question choice and conjecturing are skills in themselves so I shall not argue that GCSEs are *harder* but I do think there is enough evidence to shows O-Levels were not qualitatively more difficult either. Hence, if you are asking are GCSEs easier to DO than O-Levels my answer would be: No.
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Yes , O level was norm referenced, but I think this is a bit of a red herring. At my school we were told that with the large number of candidates, the grade boundaries rarely moved more than 1 or 2% each year i.e. very little
O-levels far harder and better judge of knowledge than GCSEs.
I should know – worked for many years with them.
I passed my GCSEs and ‘A’-Levels with high grades and consequently obtained two Degrees (a B.A. Hons and a BSc.Hons); but being mildly dyslexic, if I had been at school when the GCE system existed, I reckon I would have been overlooked at age 11, neglected from then on, and not been given a chance to sit any exams whatsoever.
“only students who had showed (sic!) a high level of proficiency at the age of 11 were entered for the exam”
This is no true. The 11-plus was effectively an entry examination for Grammar Schools, however, unsuccessful students were still able to take GCEs in Secondary Modern schools