11+ Equating Test

[Guest]

The school my son attends have apparently been selected to do a 3rd VR test. They are calling it an "equating test" in order for them to compare performance of children this year to last year (why can't they use the papers they've just sat?). We are assured it has no bearing on their real 11+ result.

Just when the kids thought they had seen the back of 11+, along comes another. As you can imagine he's not very happy about it.

Seems a bit odd to me or is it standard practise each year that a school gets selected to do this ?

[Sally-Anne]

Hi Guest

The "equating test" is when a selected school is asked to get their 11+ cohort to sit one of last year's actual papers (2006). Different schools are selected each year on a rotation basis.

It is used to judge the difficulty of the two tests when compared "like for like", and thus the performance of the children this year versus last year. It helps to ensure that the test remains rigorous from year to year and probably yields a myriad of statistics.

Although I can understand your son being a bit fed up about it, his personal score is not important in this test. It is however an essential part of the process in Bucks so perhaps you can suggest to him that he might think of it as an honour to have been selected?

Sally-Anne

[Guest]

Thanks Sally-Anne for that quick and concise reply. It makes perfect sense now that you've explained they sit last years paper.

Cheers

I'll tell him

[patricia]

Dear Guest

See following link, Section B part 14.

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/schools/docum ... r_2008.pdf

Patricia

[Sally-Anne]

Well done Patricia - I thought about posting the link, but if I had I would have missed Jonny's drop goal, and that would never have done.

[Guest]

thanks Patricia, an interesting document.