When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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susanass
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:27 pm

When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by susanass »

Hi, does anyone know when KCC will let us know what mark is required to pass the test? I know once we are told on the 14th we can ask for a breakdown, but how will we know what they needed to get for a pass? Thanks
Twinkle
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 10:26 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by Twinkle »

If I recall correctly we had a letter from the school with the breakdown of the results which also explained what score was required to pass. The pass mark was not contained in either the email or the letter from KCC
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by mystery »

Yes, it's faded ever so fast from my memory too although less than a year ago! Did they also put it onto the KCC website? For a long time there was a notice on there saying that they weren't deciding whether there would be one overall passmark or some individual ones for different "subjects" until after it was all marked - so maybe they put this detail up on the website ... sorry can't remember without looking at old threads and no chance of finding the letters!

Our school told everyone their breakdown of scores but they kept us waiting a bit - but they told everyone, not just those who had asked. I also e-mailed the council for it as the score mattered to us and I didn't like just having had it read out over the phone by a "middleman" in case there was some error had been made along the way. that's all I can remember really.
susanass
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by susanass »

Thank you both for your replies. No one seems to know exactly, hopefully they won't make us wait too long. Good luck to anyone sitting tests tomorrow!!
FortyNinePence
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:06 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by FortyNinePence »

From memory, the information about this trickled through slowly last year. I heard about the 106 pass mark about a week before any forums mentioned it. I had it "confirmed" on this forum and the other 11+ one for our area.

We got the email from KCC just saying yes or no, and I think the minimum score for each paper was confirmed the day before on the KCC website? We were then emailed scores by the school at midday the following day.
FortyNinePence
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:06 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by FortyNinePence »

Actually I've just looked back on the other forum and the 106 pass mark per paper was posted on 8th Oct, a week before results.
susanass
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by susanass »

Thanks for replies. I am quite confused by the pass mark though, if someone can explain I would be grateful. So last year, as the overall scores were low, the pass mark was around the 50% mark for maths and around 65% for english (I think!) Does this mean if lots achieve a higher pass mark this year, it could increase it to higher than say 65%? Or is this not the way it works? Sorry, but I just don't quite understand why it's 50% for one and 65% for the other? And I also thought it was always around the 50% mark. I know there is probably an easy explanation to this, but I can't find it anywhere! :?
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by mystery »

I can't remember the exact raw score percentages required to pass last year, but off the top of my head it as lower than typical for Kent in the maths, around about the same in the reasoning, and higher than typical in the English.

It's because the maths was "harder" than usual (faster pace needed to complete all the quesitons in the time given), the reasoning as about the same,, and the English was relatively easy. Maybe also because it's hard to set papers of only 25 mins or so and get it right. It doesn't conform to the test design that GL has used for many years --- approx 50 mins of questions in any one subject- and in Bucks when they only tested Verbal Reasoning, there were two reasoning papers and the marks were taken for the best one?
susanass
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by susanass »

Thanks Mystery. But do you think that, if lots of children do answer over 50% of questions correctly this year, that this could push the pass rate higher, up to maybe 65% to 75%? As opposed to 50% (which is what it has been in the last few years) Or is this not how it works? Not sure if I am explaining myself correctly, but hopefully you understand what I mean? :?
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: When will we know what pass mark is required to pass?

Post by mystery »

Yes I think so. I guess that this is why the raw pass percentage varies between the three paper in any one year and slightly within the same subject from year to ear. It is why it was higher for English than the other subjects lasst year - because most children found it relatively easier than the other two papers.

I thought that in the paper testing beforehand that gl tried to make it that pass raw score was around 50% for a county like Kent with places for the top 25% or so of the population - but the raw score to pass in Bucks used to be very high and last year's English in Kent seemed high - particularly for a test where the overall score is used to disriminate between high and low scorers for superselectives.

I don't think anyone particularly cares though - it just looks scientific so they live with it.

For your children who take the test in the future, the raw score pass does not matter- they just have to be prepared for anything - for a really tough paper where they may be short of time, struggle with some questions, have to guess and move on, or for a paper where it seems really easy and with spare time and they will have to doublecheck and make sure they are being accurate. I think it's only likely to be the English element which is like this.
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