MATTHEW Handy (Low marks, Readers' Letters, August 26) may be happier knowing the GCSE maths paper in which students can get a C grade with only 14 per cent is the "higher" paper, taken by only the high fliers.
In most schools, less than a quarter of students take this paper, because it is so much more difficult than the ordinary "intermediate" exam.
To make the pass rate of 14 per cent needs a good level of numeracy and mathematical knowledge. Any less, and students won't just get a D, they will fail and not get any grade at all, so schools don't dare to enter all pupils for this paper in the hope that they might scrape through with a C.
To get 45 per cent in the "higher" paper, enough to get an A, shows a very good level of mathematical understanding - in particular a much more detailed understanding of statistics than "more questions wrong than right means they haven't done well".
Stephen Down, Buller Street, Selby.
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