NVR out of county testing at Judd 19th Sept

noma · Post by **noma** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:48 am

My DD and her friend said they were given 1 minute for the 2 practice questions and then 6 minutes for the 18 questions, so I am sure they are not confused.

Twinkle · Post by **Twinkle** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:54 am

I would hope that invigilators are required to make a contemporaneous record of the time each test,or in the case of NVR,each section starts and each test /section finishes.

If any of the complaints are upheld I cannot see how KCC is going to resolve the position satisfactorily without retesting all children ( using a new test) - both in county and out of county.

Tracy · Post by **Tracy** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:24 pm

If the timing rumours are proved to be true, then how KCC deals with this will be a challenge. However, I can't see how all the children will possibly be retested.

Firstly, there would be thousands of children affected and the timeline for secondary school applications would go out of the window under the co-ordinated scheme.

Secondly, it would be unfair on all those who have done their correctly administered exams, successful or not.

If anything has gone wrong at this centre, or any others that we know nothing about, and this will need to be proved first, I feel that the cases will be looked at on an individual basis. If extra time was given wrongly, this will addressed. Because of the sheer numbers involved something must go wrong every year but we are none the wiser.

We are hearing a lot about the kids who ran out of time or felt that the test was too hard etc, what about the kids who did well in this test and had time to spare? They are out there. My dd finished the test, and had regularly scored highly in time, however until the results come in I won't even presume to guess that she is anywhere near the passmark as anything could have happened on the day. Our concern is the maths!

medwaymum · Post by **medwaymum** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:34 pm

Can I ask Noma, Starina and Reluctant Traveller if they managed to speak to anybody in Admissions today to find out whether the invigilator gave the correct time or not?

kentsussexborder · Post by **kentsussexborder** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:14 pm

My DS sat the OOC exams on Saturday at TOGGs. He was allowed 9 minutes for each 18 questions, with four sections to complete (i.e. 72 questions in total). Like most of the children he found the test difficult and was unable to complete all the questions in the allotted time.

In response to Jimmymack - we live in Kent, but sat the OOC examination because we attend a Sussex school, due primarily to the selection policies of the KCC in our area. The school we attend is less than 800m from the County border, allows no preparation for KCC tests and no assistance whatsoever for children who wish to sit the tests. I would think that puts us at somewhat of a disadvantage to start with, without having to sit the entire (5 hour) 11+ process in one day, in an unfamiliar environment.

Our closest schools are in Tunbridge Wells, then Tonbridge - following that it would be Crowborough or even as far as Uckfield. I would like to ask if you are seriously suggesting that we be denied the opportunity to give our children the chance to attend the closest schools because they attend an out of county primary.

guest_99 · Post by **guest_99** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:44 pm

But you're not 'out of county' if you live in Kent....

kentsussexborder · Post by **kentsussexborder** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:51 pm

You are classified as OOC if you child attends a school outside of Kent, otherwise why else would you be sitting an exam as an OOC candidate?

kentsussexborder · Post by **kentsussexborder** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:00 pm

And my initial post is in response to the sitting of OOC examinations and how children in OOC schools (even if they live in Kent) sit the exams. If all children, regardless of the county in which their school is situated, sat their exams under the same conditions it would be a more level playing field. However that is off topic slightly and I will now depart, revert to lurking and wait for the results (and whatever outcome there is from the apparent discrepancies at Judd).

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:21 pm

kentsussexborder wrote: However that is off topic slightly

It is indeed, and it would be helpful if this thread could stay on topic - the discussion about any possible discrepancies in timing in the NVR tests.

Kentsussexborder - you did not take the thread off topic in the first place, so you are not at fault. Please continue to lurk - and post - if you need to.

Sally-Anne

Reluctant Traveller · Post by **Reluctant Traveller** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:33 pm

medwaymum wrote:Can I ask Noma, Starina and Reluctant Traveller if they managed to speak to anybody in Admissions today to find out whether the invigilator gave the correct time or not?

I haven't been able to get through on the phone - they seem to be quite busy!

NVR out of county testing at Judd 19th Sept

NVR at Judd