Tenth grade

Tenth grade or Sohpomore is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten (or pre-school). Students are usually 15 to 16 years of age. The meaning of "10th grade" varies, depending on each nation, as described below.

Australia

Tenth grade, for most Australian states is in the middle of a student's high school education. However, in the Northern Territory, it is the first year of senior school, after high school. For more information on Australia's education system, see: Education in Australia.

France

The tenth year of schooling in France is known as the Seconde, so called because it is the second last in secondary education.

India

The tenth grade, known as Standard X (Std. X) is very important in India. After the completion of class 10, the student is required to sit for national board exams or state board exams, wherein question papers are prepared and answer sheets are checked by a central institution to which the school is affiliated. The percentage scored in Class X decides what a student can opt for in Class XI (Science/ Commerce/ Arts). The Grade gains even more importance as in many parts of India the number of seats for Class XI is generally lower than the number of students who pass out Standard X.

Upon completion of class 12, students are then required to sit for the entrance examinations for their chosen course of study and university (see Twelfth Grade, India) or to the prestigious universities through the IIT-JEE, AIEEE, etc.

In a controversial move, the Union Government abolished the Std X examinations from 2011 onwards.

Ireland

In Ireland, it is the 3rd year of Secondary School, in which students take the Junior Certificate Examination.

Israel

In Israel, the tenth grade is the first year of the high school, which lasts three years (high school is called Tichon), except in some cities (such as Ramat Gan and Giv'atayim), where elementary school ends at 8th Grade and High School starts at 9th Grade.

Mexico

In Mexico, the tenth grade is the beginning of the high school, which lasts only three years. Similar to Israel's education system. Tenth graders are normally aged 15-16.

Spain

In Spain, the tenth grade is the fourth year of ESO (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria - Obligatory Secondary Education), which has been in force since the promulgation of LOGSE in the middle of 1990s. Fourth ESO is also the last year of Obligatory Education.

Sweden

In Sweden, the tenth grade is the first year of high school.

United Kingdom

For education in England and Wales, this is known as Year 11, which is the final year of compulsory education there. For education in Northern Ireland, this is called Year 12. In Scotland, pupils may choose to leave at the age of fifteen years and six months, provided they have a place at college or another institute - although they will still be regarded as in full-time education and will still do the same hours as other pupils. They may leave at this age if they have a secured apprenticeship. A general education certificate will be awarded if the pupils sit the end of year examinations - GCSEs for pupils in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and Standard Grades in Scotland. In Year 11, students take their GCSEs in as many as fifteen subjects. With grades ranging from A* (generally 80%) to U (ungraded), these exams are vital for getting employment or university places. GCSEs are taken in May and June.

Pupils may go on to sit 'A' Levels or Highers in state schools. Scottish students then may wish to do advanced highers (which are the equivalent to the first year of university), or may choose to enter a Further Education course in state or private institutions.

North America

The tenth grade is the tenth school year after kindergarten (or pre-school) and is called Grade 10, in some regions, for education in the United States and education in Canada. Grade 10 is a part of secondary school, and in some parts of the USA, it is the first year of high school, with 10th then 11th and 12th grade. People who do not complete the grade, for the required coursework, have been re-entered into 10th grade during the next school year, although summer school is often taken to complete the prior courses. The equivalent in England/Wales is Year 11. Usually, this is when children would leave compulsory education.

The term high school is often used to mean senior high school and distinguished from junior high school. Starting in ninth grade and ending in twelfth grade, grades are used in determining a students GPA (in the U.S.), and become part of a student's official transcript. Therefore, students obtain much more control of their education and often may even choose their core classes.

In the U.S. curriculum for mathematics, tenth graders are usually taught Algebra II or Geometry. Occasionally, Precalculus, or higher classes, are offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in later years of high school. In the U.S. curriculum for literature, students have already begun to familiarize themselves with notable authors such as Shakespeare, while some Advanced Placement programs emphasize the work of author J.D. Salinger, for example, and his Catcher in the Rye, putting a major emphasis on literary terms and getting to know themes such as alienation.

In the U.S. curriculum for social studies, tenth grade students are taught recent US History from the Colonization Era and to the Early 20th Century. In some districts, Advanced Placement coursework, such as geography, European history, or World Studies, is first made available to students in this grade.

This grade is normally followed by eleventh grade, although some U.S. colleges will accept excelling students out of this grade as part of an early college entrance program. Alternatively, some students may choose to graduate early through standardized testing or advanced credits.

Sophomore

In the U.S., tenth grade is also known as sophomore year. The word sophomore is ultimately from the Greek word "sophia", meaning wisdom or knowledge. It is listed as a North American English term by the Oxford English Dictionary [1] and it means little to the majority of English speakers outside the U.S.A.

See also

• Ninth grade
• Eleventh grade
• Twelfth grade