SG{3} It's no fair, I WANT MY OWN AVATAR!

[Mercator]

erm, sorry, signatures only allow vB code, so skip the HTML tags.

[KrazyHorse]

Thanks, Mercator. I hope Civ III does better than to use your projection in its World map. No offense.

[Mercator]

If you´re referring to the standard world maps... they´re not Mercator´s projection, just crappy map making.

[KrazyHorse]

Actually, my problem is that the Mercator projection overestimates the area of the higher lattitudes in the interest of preserving directions. The map generation system and the standard map should be completed using the Peters projection map.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Different projections are effective at different scales. If the map generator uses an actual projection, the quality will be compromised at some scales. A continent might work better with Albers, a smaller region with a simple transected conic projection. The civII map generator avoids this by sucking at all scales. You simply pop in squares until it "looks right." O well. The benefit is that if your source is in an appropriate projection, the map editor will accomodate your land shape, essentially mimicking the source information. Far from ideal, as you note...

Sorry, SG3, you seem to have lost the thread!

[Scouse Gits]

I shall tell brat daughter that she has been threadjacked by some illustrious civers - I'm sure she will be thrilled, honoured ... and anxious to reclaim her thread ...

[*End Is Forever*]

ROFL...

[Rasputin]

Thread Jackers

The first up agaisnt the wall come the revolution !!!

[TCO]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits
SG{3}
! year until I have to do them
*hyperventilates, falls out of chair, lies unconcious on floor, comes round*
sorry about that...
Oh nooooo GCSEs
Then AS levels and A levels aghhhhhh!

Beast, I have absolutley no idea how to do this thing, and would quite like to do it, but I do like being part of the collective...
It gives me a notoriety and confuses new posters
any how, will try and overcome fear and get my own.

*hypervenitlates about GCSEs again!*

admits that is predicted 5 A* and realises that 1 would be a miracle

Could y'all explain the English system please: translate all these levels and A* etc into something an 'Murican can understand. (Seriously...would like to know.)

[Rasputin]

ahhhh school exams, i remember them with such affection .... best years of my life !!!

[Immortal Wombat]

English examination system:

<b>General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams</b>

• Taken at 16 (end of year 11)
• Usually, students attempt between 8 and 12 exams (I'm doing 10)
• Most exams have a least two tiers, foundation and higher.

Grades acheivable are between: A* and G.
Candidates taking higher tier can get grades A* to C, if they acheive a grade below C, they get a U.
Candidates taking foundation tier can acheive between C and G, but it is easier to get a C in foundation tier than higher tier.

The grades do equate to percentages, but they are different for each exam, as the top x% get A*, the next y% get A etc...

It is usually something like this (maybe) :
Higher:
A* - 85%+
A - 75%+
B - 65%+
C - 55%+
---------------
Lower tier I don't know, because I'm not doing it.

<b>AS/A Levels</B>

• AS levels taken at 17 (end of year 12 - Lower 6th form)
• A levels taken a year later at 18 (end of year 13 - Upper 6th form)
• Usually, students attempt 4 or 5 AS levels
• and 3 or 4 A levels

Then students drop a subject and continue 3 (or 4) subjects up to A level. This consists of another year's studying, and more modular exams, until you have enough passed at satisfactory grades to count.
I have known people to get 97% in a maths module exam, then re-sit it to get 100%

Too complicated to think about really, I just do what I'm told, and hope...

[TCO]

What is the purpose of these exams? Do they determine your course grade? Why are you allowed to select which exams to take? How many subjects would you normally study in a year? 8-12 or ~5. What are O-levels and when did they disapear.

[TCO]

What is the format and length of the exams?

[Immortal Wombat]

--GCSEs

What is the purpose of these exams?

God knows
er... GCSEs are the first official qualifications that students can get. Passing them is a good way of showing that you have a brain, and allows potential employers and universities to discriminate against the stupid.

Do they determine your course grade?

Yes.

Why are you allowed to select which exams to take?

You mean the lower/higher tiering?
You choose so that you get maximum chance of getting the grade that you have the ability to get. By separating them, I think the percentages work out better for someone getting a D, so that they only compete with 1/2 (or less) of the population taking it.

How many subjects would you normally study in a year?

8-12 over a two year course

What are O-levels and when did they disapear.

O-levels, (also known as GCEs) as anyone who took them will tell you ( ) were like GCSEs, but harder. They were sat at the same time as GCSEs, but had deeper content to the syllabus or something. They were merged with CSEs to form GCSEs, but I don't know when, I think about 15 years ago ?

The format and length of exams very much depends on the subject. Almost all consist of two written exams, and a folder of coursework done over the course.
Some, but few (like latin) have no coursework, but sometimes an extra written paper to sit.
The coursework/exam weighting also varies greatly from subject to subject. IT for instance has 60% of mark gained by coursework, Maths has 25% (I think).

The length of time for the total written exams for a subject can be between 4 and a half hours (english ) and 2 and a half hours (science exams).

Modern language exams consist of 4 parts:
Writing (coursework)
Reading (written comprehension paper, 50 minutes)
Listening (written comprehension paper, 40 minutes)
Speaking (15 minute oral exam)

All coursework, and marks given is moderated internally by the school, then the examining board is sent three examples marked from each teacher to do an external moderation of the marking.

[Jaguar]

Official Apolyton Petition:

Free SG 3!! Split the SGs into seperate logins, (SG 1, SG 2, and SG 3) Keep their registration dates, but give SG 1 40% of their posts, give SG 2 40%, and SG 3 20%.

FREE SG! FREE SG! WE WILL MARCH ON THE APOLYTON COMMUNITY FORUM UNTIL SG3 IS FREED!