st. olaves test this saturday

loubielou · Post by **loubielou** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:02 pm

the parking was ridiculous - but that was irresponsible parents... My son found it Ok / easy didnt seem at all phased by it. I was concerned as he had been up all night coughing..but hey ho what will be will be.

long and winding road · Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:03 am

We had the 9.30 exam start time and used the Park lane entrance - it was fine - busy but not impossible - It sounds like the earlier slot was manic!
Does anyone know what happens next? Do we get scores before the offer letters come out/what are they out of/what score is needed to be in with a chance etc. If my maths is correct and there were 800 applicants with 116 places up for grabs - to get in, the boys to be in the top 14.5 % of scores.
No easy task! DS also found the last few Q's on the maths paper hard and although he finished, was really pushed for time at the end as the q's needed more thinking time. He said he had to guess some but "they were educated guesses mom" BLESS!! - On the whole though, he said it was more enjoyable than doing the Kent test.
Well done to all of you - children and parents alike for enduring and surviving - fingers crossed for the next phase!!!!

when the process will end · Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:36 pm

The result will only be known in March on the allotment day. St Olaves does not give out any marks but do send out a letter after the date of allotment. They are very secretive about the cut off mark or the last rank offered a place in the school.

I know a few people who have written the exams but St Olaves is more of a mock test for them and/or lower in the preference order.

My guess is that if the child is in the top 150-175 (more like top 20%) he will be offered a place at St Olaves. The odds are however still difficult because a select few appear for the exam.

herewegoagain149 · Post by **herewegoagain149** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:15 pm

My son got into St. Olaves last year and once the allocation day has passed you can ring the school for your son's score. The school also told me the cut off. I think that if the scores are tied they take the higher maths score as the decider.

long and winding road · Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:09 pm

WWTPE - Sorry if I sound stupid but if there are only 116 places how could someone get in if they're in the top 150 - 175? Is it because a lot are offered places and don't take them up. I would have thought most of those offered a place would certainly take them?
I wonder why they are so secretive - any ideas?

Gercha · Post by **Gercha** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:02 pm

Hi Long and Winding Road

My eldest ds is at St Olaves and my middle ds missed last year by 3 marks (but was ranked 175 with 12 boys on the same score as him). The cut off last year was 149 but they went down to 148 on the waiting list. Only about 8 boys didn't take up their offers last year as opposed to about 26 two years before. A lot of private school children take the test but stay at their private schools but obviously not last year!!!

Good luck to all boys who took the test.

twix · Post by **twix** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:16 pm

my ds and his class were asked at the end of the exam to put up their hands who had any private tutoring towards the exam. then asked to put up their hands if they had not. very strange. do not know why this was asked, and would be interested to know if any other groups had been asked this question. also two pupils were allowed to come into the class 5 and 10 minutes late. this was distracting for everyone. surely this should not have been allowed. i will be ringing the school tomorrow with my concerns, and let you know what they say!!!

long and winding road · Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:12 pm

thanks for the info Gercha - the odds aren't good!
Does anyone know what the score is out of (148 out of 200? ) or does the school keep this secret too?
With the Kent test you sort of know what overall % to be aiming for eg 75 - 80% pretty much guarantees a SS.

when the process will end · Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:24 pm

Hi Long and Winding Road

Gercha has more or less confirmed what I suspected and intended to convey. You are right that once offered a place at St Olaves, there are a very few who do not take up their place. Only a few go to private school and a few to their higher preference school when the waiting list moves (say for example at Judd, Wilsons etc).

The chance for a 150 rank to get an offer is there because not everybody who appears and passes the exam puts St Olaves as their first preference. There are children from Shirley, Croydon who will appear for Wilsons in January and sometimes take the St Olaves exam as mock test. There are some who are borderline cases for Judd, Skinner based on their score in Kent test and therefore take the St Olaves exam.

when the process will end · Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:31 pm

Hi Long and Winding Road

I believe that St Olaves gives the actual score in the test. Therefore 148 was the cutoff out of 200 (100 for English and 100 for Maths). It was 74%, similar to what is required for a top score in Kent and an admission to a SS.

St Olaves is also a SS and therefore 75-80% in the exam is normally required to stand a good chance.