Alternative exam dates

[Daogroupie]

Well now! Bet their council are collectively holding their breath hoping news does not spread! It will all come down to how many of those 47 at Redbridge and 30 at Latymer pass compared to the pass rates on the actual test day. Wonder how many sat on the Chelmsford backup day? DG

[pof4]

Hi - isn't their back up date tomorrow? correct me if I'm wrong

[Daogroupie]

Good Grief! Really! SEVENTEEN days after the original exam? DG

[leanmeamum]

It gets worse and worse - does Durham University really think children are not capable of remembering any questions?

They must think that all the intelligence of the children taking the exams is limited to doing the paper and all those children have such bad memories that they will instantly forget the exam details as they walk out through the exam hall doors?

Having back-up dates with the same exam paper is mad enough and to top it all, they allow so many days for late sitters to gather details of the exam as well.

[2Girlsmum]

So the paper was given on four different dates to 4000+ children? Maybe if enough fuss is made all three groups of late sitters could be gathered together and given a different paper at one venue on one day? Some years ago St M's gave a VR paper which was Moray House and a tutor has given to a number children just before the test. They made everyone re-sit VR after parents complained.

[Daogroupie]

The key will be the percentage success for the students sitting the backup dates, (four so far and counting!) compared to those who sat on September 13th. That will be the data that will hopefully prove that our dear friends in Durham know very little about ten year olds and their parents and should perhaps stick to students of University age! How long will it take to get that information from a FOI request? DG

[JamesDean]

We've had this debate over in Warks, when our ol' mate Gideon posted the stats on how many passed from the first sitting vs the back up date the following weekend last year ...

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 37&t=37898" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JD

[HotCrossBun]

Hi JamesDean, I read the thread you linked to.

I think the two groups of sitters are big enough (1700/270) that it is wildly unlikely that the means would vary so much randomly. There is an underlying difference between the two groups.

That underlying difference could be cheating. Or it could be more practice time. Or a spurious variable that means more capable applicants tend to take the alternate test date for some reason. With the incomplete information you have there is no way to know.

Given how strongly people feel and how "hot" the issue is, I would think that the LEAs need to bottom out the riddle in order to maintain confidence among parents and schools.

[11plusfrency]

I was informed that this issue was published in the Ilford Recorder yesterday and also in Evening Standard few days before that.

I have not checked it myself but not too sure if any of these will create enough reasons for LEA to arrange another exam for children who appeared on the alternative date.

[bridgeford]

I wonder how many of you have chanced upon this thread on how the late test dates are being abused.

Seems that this was a raging concern last year. In previous years, few late test takers (mainly helped by unethical tutors & parents) have used 8-10 days gap to ferret out the CEM question paper details to gain unfair advantage.

FYI for 2016, Redbridge Admissions (as well as Chelmsford CHS) again used the same question paper on 21st Sep (late date) as they did on 12th Sep. Director, Redbridge Admissions, has confirmed this fact in writing to a group of concerned parents (who raised this issue in private last month). Either the Admissions Office is totally deluded to think that late test takers can't cheat the system or it just don't want to be bothered.

In past years, the late test takers have enjoyed more than double the success rate compared to original test date applicants. Significant number take test on later date (using various excuses) and almost 1/3rd of these manage to get offer. It will indeed be a travesty of justice if several genuine children (with borderline chance to get offer) are deprived by these cheats.