test papers

[BLANCA]

Does anyone know if herts will be using moray house papers this year? and are they available to buy. I have looked but never noticed them, but have heard they are widely available to the point that st michaels had to re-test as children had seen the paper before.

thanks for your help

[Stig]

I don't think anyone really knows except the schools. They can change the papers each year without telling anyone. I guess you can assume that they are the same type as last years but it is worth practicing with different types just in case.

The schools will send out example questions when they invite your child for the test. When my son sat this a couple of years ago these arrived about a week or so before the test and contained only a few questions - so were pretty useless.

I think that if you phone the schools admissions offices they will confirm whether the test is multiple choice or standard format. (I assume it will be the latter for this years test as that has been the format for preceding years.)

[WP]

I don't think anyone really knows except the schools. They can change the papers each year without telling anyone. I guess you can assume that they are the same type as last years but it is worth practicing with different types just in case.

If I were them, I'd want to switch the VR from Moray House after the fiasco at St Michael's last year; they can hardly afford a mess like that in the current climate. It would indeed be prudent to practise with a range of publishers.

Blanca, you could try asking all the schools, even the ones you haven't applied to, since they share the tests, but they might say that secrecy is necessary for fairness. They might suggest certain practice materials, but that may not mean that the actual tests are from the same publishers. Do let us know if they tell you anything, though.

[Stig]

I wasn't involved in last year's secondary transfers - but I remember from the year before that there was anecdotes about DAO using the same VR paper as the consortium but a week earlier. This meant that those kids that had sat the DAO test had an advantage.

[40]

thanks for your answers,

I will contact the schools next week and will post any info I can squeeze out of them!

blanca/40 new user name

[toony]

I brought up the DAO/St Michael's fiasco at our appeal for Parmiters. Mr Coulshed was adamant that there was no problem and that this was all rumour.

I saw the completed paper my children did and I believe that many of the larger tutoring centres/older tutors may well have access to these papers.

[40]

Thats scary, lets hope things are better this year. how did you get on at appeal?

[WP]

I brought up the DAO/St Michael's fiasco at our appeal for Parmiters. Mr Coulshed was adamant that there was no problem and that this was all rumour.

Well the DAO one was the previous year, but I hope he doesn't really believe what he said. There are bound to be tutors who prepare for both St Michael's and the consortium (and DAO), and they will know the score by now.

[toony]

We lost the Parmiter's appeal - along with the other 60+ parents who also appealed.



I'm sure the Head did not believe half of his defence at the appeal but he certainly did a good job of persuading the panel they really had no room for any more children!

[tense]

I brought up the DAO/St Michael's fiasco at our appeal for Parmiters. Mr Coulshed was adamant that there was no problem and that this was all rumour.

I saw the completed paper my children did and I believe that many of the larger tutoring centres/older tutors may well have access to these papers.

Blimey Toony - that sounds a brave strategy! Surely you didn't really suggest that some of the children who got academic places had perhaps "cheated" in some way?!! Wish I could have seen the look on Mr Coulshed's face....!

T x