making marks on test paper

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DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

making marks on test paper

Post by DC17C »

Having just read through Patricia's tips for helping with timing -I just wanted to check if any marks can be made on the Gloucestershire test paper at all? such as circling missed questions to go back to etc or using the printed alphabet . I know there is rough paper given to write on but writing out the alphabet takes time and seems silly when a printed one is supplied.
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by capers123 »

No marks should be made on it. There is a chance (and it has happened) that the child would be made to rub out any marks they made actually during the test - thus loose time and is likely to panic / freak out your child. One of the papers gets re-used a few years later.

Far better to get into the habit of only writing on scrap paper now.

Your child will be able to see which ones haven't been answered from the blank spaces on the multiple choice answer sheet. I think it's a lot easier to spot missing answers there than shuffling through the pages of the question book.

Incedentally, I've not seen the question papers myself - us panel members (and parents) only get to see the marked answer sheet at an appeal. Personally speaking, I'd love to have a go at one :-)
Capers
stroudydad
Posts: 2246
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by stroudydad »

Presumably if an appeal is lodged the papers are remarked??
cairo
Posts: 276
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:09 pm

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by cairo »

This is an issue which has been debated lots over the years.

In Gloucestershire, the children are given three separate sheets of paper to use: a question paper, an answer sheet and rough paper for workings. DCs have always been told NOT to write on the question paper, but to do all their workings on the rough paper. There has been much debate about this. People often feel it is not in the child's best interests - most children can work quicker by making light pencil marks/notes on the question paper, rather than having to transfer codes etc onto rough paper.

People wonder why they are being asked to do this? There only seem to be two possible answers. Firstly, that it is absolutely imperative that the children do not make any extra marks on the answer sheet (as it is read by computer) so perhaps they give this instruction so that it is really clear to the DCs that any workings should be entirely separate. But much more likely the reason is simply so that the schools can re-use the question papers in the years to follow. :roll:

However...... when DS2 was practising for the exam last year, he found it virtually impossible to manage 3 sheets of paper (as he has a vision problem) and no matter how many times I reminded him to use the rough paper, he simply wrote his notes on the question paper. With a couple of weeks to go before the exam I was in a bit of a panic about this, so emailed the school where he was sitting the test asking whether any penalty is applied if a DC forgets to do their workings on the rough paper and writes notes on the question paper instead? I did not make any reference to his vision problems. The answer I received was that marks are not deducted if DCs write on the question paper. I will probably be slated for saying this - but I consequently advised him he could ignore any instruction to use rough paper, if he wanted to. :oops:

I am sure he will have done all his workings on the question paper and he scored very highly so was clearly not penalised in any way.

So - my advice would be: if your DC prefers to do workings on the question paper, check with the school where your DC is sitting the test, whether this will be a problem!

Also, there was some feeling last year that perhaps the schools had used new question papers this time round. Now that they are all academies I wonder if they will use new papers every year? In which case, perhaps they won't give the instruction not to write on the question papers in future...
DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by DC17C »

cairo wrote:This is an issue which has been debated lots over the years.

In Gloucestershire, the children are given three separate sheets of paper to use: a question paper, an answer sheet and rough paper for workings. DCs have always been told NOT to write on the question paper, but to do all their workings on the rough paper. There has been much debate about this. People often feel it is not in the child's best interests - most children can work quicker by making light pencil marks/notes on the question paper, rather than having to transfer codes etc onto rough paper.

People wonder why they are being asked to do this? There only seem to be two possible answers. Firstly, that it is absolutely imperative that the children do not make any extra marks on the answer sheet (as it is read by computer) so perhaps they give this instruction so that it is really clear to the DCs that any workings should be entirely separate. But much more likely the reason is simply so that the schools can re-use the question papers in the years to follow. :roll:

However...... when DS2 was practising for the exam last year, he found it virtually impossible to manage 3 sheets of paper (as he has a vision problem) and no matter how many times I reminded him to use the rough paper, he simply wrote his notes on the question paper. With a couple of weeks to go before the exam I was in a bit of a panic about this, so emailed the school where he was sitting the test asking whether any penalty is applied if a DC forgets to do their workings on the rough paper and writes notes on the question paper instead? I did not make any reference to his vision problems. The answer I received was that marks are not deducted if DCs write on the question paper. I will probably be slated for saying this - but I consequently advised him he could ignore any instruction to use rough paper, if he wanted to. :oops:

I am sure he will have done all his workings on the question paper and he scored very highly so was clearly not penalised in any way.

So - my advice would be: if your DC prefers to do workings on the question paper, check with the school where your DC is sitting the test, whether this will be a problem!

Also, there was some feeling last year that perhaps the schools had used new question papers this time round. Now that they are all academies I wonder if they will use new papers every year? In which case, perhaps they won't give the instruction not to write on the question papers in future...
Thanks Cairo I will see how things go -DS has writing difficulties ( it very much his one weak area) and seems to see things on the paper and get them right but and then if he needs to copy things down he gets in a muddle.
bristolmum
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:48 pm

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by bristolmum »

In Glos. the children are not allowed to write on the test paper. They are provided with scrap paper. This is my main concern too.

Cannot write on question papers is also my main concern. My DS is not very keen on copying questions onto scrap paper and then do his working on the rough paper, especially need to re-write A-Z again. It's silly to re-write A-Z on the scrap paper, even though it's on the question papers already. Not only it takes time, he also needs to double check just in case he makes any copying mistakes.

However, he gots to obey the rule.

Any good advise or quicker techniques he can use?

Bristolmum
Bm
Orson
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:18 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by Orson »

IMHO it's wrong that children can't write on the test paper but that's the rule so there's no use wasting time debating the issue.

The best thing you can do is practise answering questions that require use of the alphabet without writing on it (but rather use scrap paper if necessary). An alphabet is printed on the question paper for those who can utilise it without marking it.
I would take a pen into the test (if that's possible) and write an alphabet on my rough paper before it begins. That way marks can be erased and the alphabet won't need to be written out again.

I really don't see why questions need to be rewritten anywhere. This is an awful waste of time when it's already hard enough to complete the test in 45/50 mins.
There are various techniques one can employ to avoid this; too numerous and detailed to go into here.

First rule - Practise, practise and practise!
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: making marks on test paper

Post by capers123 »

stroudydad wrote:Presumably if an appeal is lodged the papers are remarked??
Remarked by a person, not a machine, before the appeal hearing. I have known one occassion where the appeal has been withdrawn as the school found an error in the marking (a very feint pencil mark I would imagine) that wasn't picked up by the computer; the child was immediately offered a place, as it took their adjusted score into the intake zone. That is just one in hundreds of appeals, so don't get too hopeful!
Capers
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