when entrance exams clash...

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coolmum123
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:18 pm

when entrance exams clash...

Post by coolmum123 »

Hello all,

I wonder if anyone has been in a situation where 2 different schools have held their entrance exams on the same day. If so then what usually happens in these cases - is there a process by which one exam is sat over the other?

As it seems to me that most of the Independent schools seem to have their exams in Jan and also QE second round is held then as well!!

Thanks and regards
NotionPotion
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:52 pm

Post by NotionPotion »

Not sure with your area/school but this year on the Wirral both Birkenhead High school for Girls and Birkenhead School (which now admits Girls-both Independents) had there exams on the same Saturday but Birkenhead Boys allowed girls to take their entrance exam on the following Monday morning.
I guess you're probably best getting in touch with the individual schools and asking them as I'm sure it is something they should have considered.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

This is quite common with competitor schools and we will be in the position where we will have to choose the school before the exam. What school do you prefer? If its the grammar then sit for that because independent schools often have places even after the exam, and I expect this may probably happen more so this year as most will opt to sit the grammar school test above the inependent. I suppose we can't really blame the schools for doing this as it must be frustrating for independent schools to be continually used as a back-up plan. When looking into choristerships nearly all of them were held on the same day, which was very frustrating.
KenR
Posts: 1506
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by KenR »

Just about all schools have a reserve exam date for those that can't make the original exam for a variety of reasons. (illness etc).

Some grammars even arrange further alternative dates even beyond the reserve date for parents moving to the area from other parts of the country or from overseas.

Interestingly, the exam papers are usually identical with the orginal papers. In B/Ham it's rumoured some parents deliberately make sure their child is ill for orginal exam to make sure they can use the reserve date! What they forget however is that if the reserve date is some weeks later then their child will be older on the exam date and therefore the standardised score might be fractionally lower (by say 1 point)

Regards
coolmum123
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:18 pm

Post by coolmum123 »

Hi everyone,

thanks for the replies everyone. T.I.P.S.Y I found your comment about more people opting to sit Grammar school exams over the independent ones, particularly this year. Can I ask why that is please? If the answers an obvious - apologies in advance for my dimness!! :)

REgards
Coolmum
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

coolmum123 wrote:Hi everyone,

thanks for the replies everyone. T.I.P.S.Y I found your comment about more people opting to sit Grammar school exams over the independent ones, particularly this year. Can I ask why that is please? If the answers an obvious - apologies in advance for my dimness!! :)

REgards
Coolmum
By the way my username is irritating so you can miss out the full stops! :D

I assume that if the GS and independent school have their tests on the same day then most people will try out for the GS because often people only sit the independent school exam as a back-up plan incase their child isn't accepted for the GS. I may be wong but I would have thought that there will be more sitting for a grammar school place than a private school place due to most not being able to afford the private school fees. If I had to choose I'd rather sit for the GS school so that we would have the choice whether to pay or not. Of course this may not be the case, but maybe if your child is through to the second test then this does not apply.
vas
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:28 am
Location: Middlesex

Post by vas »

Hi Coolmum

Last year there were very few clashes. None of the inds within the same consortium (ie habs, mts, latymer etc) will clash. Last year QE 2nd was on the same day as UCS and Mill Hill 2nd was on the same day as John Lyons. Check on the schools websites. Habs already has a date I think. They tend to have the same pattern each year. Jan 1st week Friday Habs, Monday QE, Tuesday MTS and so on.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

I'm sure KenR must be right about reserve dates. My son sat an entrance exam for an independent on the official exam date. When we went for his interview a few weeks later, about half a dozen children were collected from the waiting room to sit the entrance exam, having presumably missed it first time round for various reasons.
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