Math Exams in Britain Have Become Too Easy

June 26, 2008

The difficulty of questions on mathematics exams taken by 16-year-olds in Great Britain has declined significantly since 1951. This conclusion comes from a report, titled "The Value of Mathematics," prepared by Reform, a London-based think tank.

Report authors John Marks of the University of Buckingham and Laura Kounine and Elizabeth Truss of Reform document how the so-called O-level and GCSE mathematics exams changed over time in style, content, difficulty, and grading. "The evolution of the mathematics curriculum from a rigorous, focused discipline to a broader and shallower subject can be demonstrated by analysing exam papers since 1951," the authors state.

The report describes three phases in the decline. From 1951 to 1970, the exam questions were a rigorous test of thought and initiative in algebra, arithmetic, and geometry. Students had to think for themselves. From 1980 to 1990, despite the content of the curriculum being identical to previous years, a simplifying trend was already evident. From 1990 to the present, questions became significantly shorter and simpler. Pass marks were lowered throughout the latter period.

"Relevance has replaced rigour in the belief that this would make mathematics more accessible," the authors contend. "At the same time high stakes assessment has reduced what should be a coherent discipline to 'pick 'n mix,' with pupils being trained to answer specific shallow questions on a range of topics where marks can be most easily harvested."

One consequence, they say, is that graduates are ill-prepared for the modern workplace, putting the British "maths economy" in danger of atrophying as fewer students study mathematics and attainment falls.

"In today's Britain it is acceptable to say that you can't do maths, whereas people would be ashamed to admit they couldn't read," Truss told the BBC News. "We need a cultural revolution to transform maths from geek to chic."

Government officials, however, insist that standards are carefully monitored by an independent watchdog to make sure they remain world-class and are an appropriate preparation for study or work.

Source: BBC News, June 3, 2008.