Does *anyone* know how they mark the test in Medway?

[rubyhettybetty]

I am stressing out now. DD2 just done a maths test (Bond) and has scored 48% She is getting 75-85% on VR - these are raw scores. We don't practise English at home as dunno how to mark it.

She is a June baby. How do these scores translate to the real score?

[Brora]

My DD did the test last year and at the time I googled all sorts of information about how the raw scores translate into real marks, but I am afraid I do not remember it now - not sure I really understood it at the time! One thing I do remember is that my DD is a July baby, and I think I am right in saying that a rough guide is that a child is given two extra points for each month after september that they are born. IE in my DD case it was an extra 20 points. I know this annoyed friends of mine whose children were born in the winter, but it is very fair I think - when they took the test last year my DD was only ten years and 7 weeks or so, but her best friend had turned 11 the day before the test. She did pass and is really happy at Fort Pitt. She is my youngest - so v relieved we are not going through the whole thing again!

[Brora]

ps - best of luck to your DD

[sherry_d]

Ruby if I remember right unlike Kent, Medway doesn't provide raw scores so its difficult to know what score to work towards.

There have been rumours that in some years 35% in Maths got in but these are just that rumours because they combine all the scores. How is her VR? As you know Medway puts all the marks together so if she is strong in one area she can still pull it through. I can't remember exactly but English and Maths seem to get more weighing (or is it VR and Maths that gets more weighing???)

For English if you search previous posts in Medway section there have been discussions on the type of things they test for and just familiarise your DD with that. I don't think there is anything much you can do to improve English overnight.

How is DD1 doing at FP?, I couldn't imagine going through it again so soon. Good luck to DD2.

[Brora]

My DD went to a tutor from xmas up to the summer holidays last year, I asked her how it all worked and she sent this by email (should delete it now, but I keep it to remind myself what stress really felt like!!)

She said the multiple choice tests are computer marked whilst the creative writing is handmarked. The scores are standardised, according to age, so the youngest are not at a disadvantage. Once the standardised scores of the individual tests are known, the Maths and English marks are doubled and then the Verbal Reasoning mark is added. 350 is the minimum weighted score and the maximum is 700. ( i.e. English: 2 x 140 = 280, Maths: 2 x 140 = 280, Verbal Reasoning: 1 x 140 = 140. So 280 + 280 + 140 = 700)

The pass mark varies from year to year and is determined by the scores the children achieve. Around 25% of children are selected for grammar schools and this is worked backwards from the top weighted score until the required 25% line is reached. This then becomes the pass mark. The pass mark in previous years has ranged from just over 500 to 526. Last years pass mark (2009) was 521.

I think the passmark last year was 508, my DD got 530 I think.

The thing I could never get my head round was whether it is 25% of all the year 6 children in Medway, or 25% of the children who took the test. I think it is the former.

Best of luck for tomorrow. I can't believe it was a year ago! I hope your DD1 is enjoying FP as much as mine is.

[LtBrick]

It has been 23% of the cohort (children going to year 7) regardless of them
actually taking the test the past 2 years.

Good luck to all.

[rubyhettybetty]

She said the multiple choice tests are computer marked whilst the creative writing is handmarked. The scores are standardised, according to age, so the youngest are not at a disadvantage. Once the standardised scores of the individual tests are known, the Maths and English marks are doubled and then the Verbal Reasoning mark is added. 350 is the minimum weighted score and the maximum is 700. ( i.e. English: 2 x 140 = 280, Maths: 2 x 140 = 280, Verbal Reasoning: 1 x 140 = 140. So 280 + 280 + 140 = 700)


Yeah, I knew about the marks out of 700 thing in multiples of 140, but I didn't know how they get a paper of 50 maths questions to add up to 140!!! I guess it is just fingers crossed, for a few more days


Best of luck for tomorrow. I can't believe it was a year ago! I hope your DD1 is enjoying FP as much as mine is.[/quote]

Thanks - she is!!! Grown up very quickly in a few weeks - she's a bit disorganised though so getting her out of the house is a challenge each morning x

[Belinda]

.