Too fast and inaccurate!

[mystery]

Which area are you in and what is your 11plus test? What sort of level do you have to be to pass? Why do you think your DD has no chance?

[ginx]

Hi,

I don't know if you're asking me but I'm in Warwickshire, everybody seems very hush hush about practice apart from girls having tutors (we're not at a private school and tutors are expensive!)

We thought our dd had a chance until we realised everybody thinks they have a chance, and her average score is only about 50%, and I've read you need about 80% to pass. Sometimes her NVR is 90-100% right (Bond), her VR is ok, apart from comprehension.

I think there is a lot of competition this year, and she simply isn't good enough. She is fast and can be accurate - I hope she might do better in the exam than practice - I think she is bored of practising - not that we do a lot.

I think she is just not quite there (could be wrong!) and there is a lot of competition (as I've read on more than one forum) and no amount of practice is going to change that. Unless she has a lucky day!

[mystery]

Hi yes Ginx I was asking you. Which papers does your child have to do, for which schools, what sort of standardised score do you have to get to get in, and which board sets the papers? e.g. here in Kent we have GL assessment papers in NVR, VR and maths. You need a standardised score on each paper of around 117 -120 each year to pass, which corresponds to around a raw score of about 50%. Approx the top 25-30% of the population passes the 11plus here. It's harder for the "superselectives" but they do vary.

So I'm not sure whether the 80% you quote is right for the schools / area you are going for, how anybody know that is right for your school/ area, and hwether the practice papers equate to the real thing or not .... in our area they don't so there's no foolproof way of knowing from even GL assessment practice papers whether you are going to pass or not. There are a lot of 11plus myths, even on here.

[Okanagan]

I don't think it's quite as high as 80% for Warwickshire.....

The automatic qualifying scores for all the Warks grammar schools for Sept 2012 entry were:-

KE Vi Stratford - 338 (2011 - 335)
Stratford Girls - 330 (2011 - 335)
Alcester Grammar - 327 (2011 - 329)
Lawrence Sherriff - 311 (2011 - 303/out of area 339)
Rugby High - 311 (2011 - 303/out of area 327)
Ashlawn Selective - 301 (2011 - 301/out of area 322)

Those are out of a maximum standardised score of 465 (roughly 1/3 each for NVR, Maths, Data Processing and VR (which for Warwickshire means comprehension/cloze)

Expect the qulifying score to be lower for most this year as all except KE Vi Stratford have extra places this year. So 70% should be enough for any of the Warwickshire grammars except KE Vi.

[ginx]

Hi, Mystery (another great name)

Your comment (and that of Okanagan) are very inspiring. My dd continues to get 50%+ consistently, slight improvements and occasional flashes of brilliance and never less than 50% in all subjects. This is in Bond and GL and Letts papers.

I think it is comments on this forum that have made me doubt my dd!

Before I read this website, I thought she had a better chance. This is a very helpful site, with wonderfully positive mums and dads, and lots of encouragement, but it leaves me feeling you need a child genius who is excellent at everything to even have a chance!

Let me stress though, how helpful this site is. I have just realised again, we need to do more comprehension and cloze.

Thank you for your positive comments, Mystery.