TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

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Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by Daogroupie »

It would be interesting to compare the GCSE English Lit results from HBS for the same year. I would expect a much larger percentage of A*s for such a core subject. Perhaps TGS felt that this was an area where they could target. By introducing a Comprehension and Creative Writing exam they can make sure they maximise their opportunity to secure the most able English applicants. DG
Peridot
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by Peridot »

Hi TiffinGirls - I got the impression (hearsay only mind you) that it is the current lower school where some girls are needing mentoring in English - so they haven't reached GCSE or A levels yet. I think, like so many other grammars, TGS are trying to find an "untutorable" test. Whether they've achieved that is hard to say!

Hi Daogroupie, there are no past papers and I suspect they will change the exact format of the second stage tests each year to be "untutorable". Like your pupil, my DD found the comprehension relatively easy but she did not score highly - 33/60 scaled to 22.09/30. She went on to be the only child in her year (of 60) to get a level 6 in reading - which is what makes me think the TGS reading must either have been much harder than the girls realised, or subject to a very tough marking scheme (or my DD just didn't do well on the day of course! although she did much better in the writing and Maths). The stage 2 tests were marked by staff.
tabasco
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by tabasco »

Peridot wrote:Hi TiffinGirls - I got the impression (hearsay only mind you) that it is the current lower school where some girls are needing mentoring in English - so they haven't reached GCSE or A levels yet. I think, like so many other grammars, TGS are trying to find an "untutorable" test. Whether they've achieved that is hard to say!

Hi Daogroupie, there are no past papers and I suspect they will change the exact format of the second stage tests each year to be "untutorable". Like your pupil, my DD found the comprehension relatively easy but she did not score highly - 33/60 scaled to 22.09/30. She went on to be the only child in her year (of 60) to get a level 6 in reading - which is what makes me think the TGS reading must either have been much harder than the girls realised, or subject to a very tough marking scheme (or my DD just didn't do well on the day of course! although she did much better in the writing and Maths). The stage 2 tests were marked by staff.
My DD's got 40/60 (28.24/30) for reading at TGS but didn't get level 6 for reading for her SAT. She got level 6 for Maths and SPAG. There are always slight variation from one exam to the other. I agree with you that the school might alter the format/questions of stage 2 from year to year to make it less predictable which I think is a good idea. As for marking scheme I don't think this matter at all as this will affect every candidates to the same extent!
SunlampVexesEel
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by SunlampVexesEel »

Peridot wrote:I have also heard (can't remember where!) that some candidates who scored extremely highly in the VR/NVR first round did not make it through the second stage.
I don't think that is possible. Isn't the 2nd stage purely based on reaching a cut-off?
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tiffinboys
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by tiffinboys »

SunlampVexesEel wrote:
Peridot wrote:I have also heard (can't remember where!) that some candidates who scored extremely highly in the VR/NVR first round did not make it through the second stage.
I don't think that is possible. Isn't the 2nd stage purely based on reaching a cut-off?
It is quite possible, though difficult to see how it would happen. It may mean a very poor performance on the day.

Stage 1 tests are VR/NVR. Some one may score 150/160 giving a scaled score of around 24.

We know that cut off was 49.72 initially. So if the child did poorly in English & Maths and got scaled score in these subjects 25/70 or lower, they will miss the cut. The lowest marks in E-R was 9 (scaled to 1), E-W was 4 and Maths was 16. Get lowest marks in any of these, and one is doomed.

Reading from the posts here, I could see only one child who scored standardized score around cut-off (219) in stage 1 and still made it through Stage 2. She must have done brilliantly in stage 2 tests, scoring atleast 48/70.

Those who did well in all the papers got over 86. Brilliant.
(but we still don't know if she joined TGS :wink: )
Last edited by tiffinboys on Mon Aug 05, 2013 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Snowdaddy
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by Snowdaddy »

SunlampVexesEel wrote:
Peridot wrote:I have also heard (can't remember where!) that some candidates who scored extremely highly in the VR/NVR first round did not make it through the second stage.
I don't think that is possible. Isn't the 2nd stage purely based on reaching a cut-off?
I think this might be a misinterpretation, Peridot probably means didn't get offered a place after second round as combined (weighted) mark was below 49.

A candidate could be good at VR/NVR and score reasonable marks, but even if they had a perfect score (unlikely) they would only have 30%, more likely was about 15-20 out of 30 (as the lowest to enter round 2 was about 123 out of 160. If they are weak at English and Maths getting under 30 out of 70 (which is 41%) in these subjects is possible.

My hunch is TGS are trying to get the candidates with best aptitude, not those who have been taught to pass a specific test. Changing the test everytime makes it harder to be tutored. I suspect they would be happy to dispense with VR/NVR if they could find an alternative that could be computer marked. The first round is just a way of cutting numbers to 450-500 so that expensive / time consuming hand marking of nearly 2000 papers isn't required.
tiffinboys
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Location: Surrey

Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by tiffinboys »

Snowdaddy wrote: Changing the test everytime makes it harder to be tutored.
Very true; but is TGS changing tests again? There is no indication in the current DAA.
aram
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 1:29 pm

Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by aram »

hello

my daughter target tiffingirls . she get one mock last week maths 32 out 35 eng 24/35 n.v 44/50 ver 38/50 creative writting 39/50 .PLEASE ANY BODY ADVICE me what about theese score if she any possible to get place. there. she is my 1st child .some body scared to me they told tiffin test are very difficult get a place are very hard. i don`t know . and also someone told us this year more possibe to get place because now some area only.
thanks
Ladymuck
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Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by Ladymuck »

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Last edited by Ladymuck on Sat Mar 21, 2015 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: TGS Stage 2 Tests - were they of any effect?

Post by Daogroupie »

Yes, focus on your VR and English, those are the areas where you can pick up more marks. Do some more English and VR mocks. DG
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