Watford Grammar for Boys / Parmiters consortium tests...

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Stig

Watford Grammar for Boys / Parmiters consortium tests...

Post by Stig »

Can anyone answer any of the following questions:

1. What is the format of the tests (I believe they are Standard Format which may include some multiple choice)?

2. How many questions and how long is given for the Maths test?

3. How many questions and how long is given for the Verbal Resoning test?

4. Which practice papers are closest to the real thing (Athey, NFER, IPS etc)?

5. How high the child is expected to score to be reasonably comfortable (I know there is no 'pass' mark)?

Thanks.
Herts Angel

Post by Herts Angel »

Hi Stig,

Last year there were 2 exams in the consortium:

1. Maths - 50 questions and 50 minutes mutiple choice but answers inside booklet

2. Verbal Reasoning 100 questions and 45 minutes multiple choice but answers inside booklet

Practice Papers recommended:

Verbal Reasoning (VR)

NFER VR multiple choice or to make it harder standard
Bond VR standard or multiple choice
The Tutors CD Volume 1 sections 1 to 15 (no harm in doing all)
The Learning Together CD Volume 2
Athey VR multiple choice or standard packs 1, 2 & 3

Maths

NFER Maths multiple choice or to make it harder standard
Athey Maths Pack 5 & 8
Bond Maths Standard

Good luck
Stig

Thanks...

Post by Stig »

Thanks for the info...

WB admissions secretary said that the tests were 'Standard Format' - does that mean anserws in the booklets but with some multiple choice (ring or underline the answer etc)?
Herts Angel

Post by Herts Angel »

Hi Stig,

UNLESS the exams have actually changed from last year - first hand information is that the exam was to all intents and purposes multiple choice but written in a booklet and not in the typical answer sheet usually found in the familiarisation packs.

Perhaps another parent from last year can shed some light on this.
HP
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:06 pm

Post by HP »

Hi Stig & Herts Angel,

The exams for the Herts Consortium ARE NOT MULTIPLE CHOICE. They are STANDARD FORMAT. This has been raised so many times, firstly by me last year as I was initially confused by people on this forum referring to them as multiple chice.

This kids come out and say they were multiple choice, but if you look at the NFER practise papers then you will see that the children have different options to select, which the kids relate to as multiple choice. This is not to be confused with multiple choice where the children have to mark their answer on a different sheet.

Standard Format usually have multiple chioce options - but not always - and the answer is marked in the booklet which is taken in afterwards which is why there are no previous papers for us parents to glean information from. Also, the standard format asks you to mark your answer in different ways - circle your answer, underline your answer, put a tick by your answer etc. Your child needs to get used to this rather than marking a box.

As you have already rung the admissions officer at WB who have confirmed Standard Format for this year too, make sure you practise on the correct format papers. I imagine that it could seriously "throw" your child if they are expecting a separate sheet to mark and don't find one.

HP
HP
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:06 pm

Post by HP »

Thought you might like to see some of my earlier posts on this :D

HP wrote:Hi Trevor,

This is an earlier post of mine.
HP wrote:To Propsective Watford Dad,

My daughter sat last Nov. When she came out she told me that most of the verbal reasoning questions were multiple choice, however this doesn't mean that they have a seperate sheet of A-E options to select just that there are various answer options given for each question.

Can also confirm

1. Watford Grammar and Parmiters do have the same test
2. They are Verbal Reasoning and Maths

Format changed recently - last year VR was 80 Q's in 50 mins, when my daughter sat last Nov it was 100 Q's in 45 mins :shock:

HP
Last year we were told it was Standard Format too and as far as I'm aware, the consortium (WGG, WGB, Parmiters, Rickmansworth, Queens etc) have always used Standard Format. This simply means that although there are multiple choice options you mark your answers on the question sheet and not on a separate sheet. If you look at a NFER standard format practise paper, you will see that you are given a choice of answers and have to select by underlining/putting a tick next to/circling one of the options a, b, c, d, e.

Hope this helps, and GOOD LUCK

HP


HP
Stig

Post by Stig »

Thanks HP - I think I'm clear on this now!

From reading various posts on this forum seems like the NFER-Nelson standard format practise papers are the ones to use.
watfordparent

what happens next

Post by watfordparent »

Thank God its over! My kid found it pretty tough to finish in the time - particulalry the VR paper. Even maths he just finished and usually he gets through it pretty quick.

The letter re tests says that the results are confidential to the schools applied - does that mean we never know what score our kids got? Do we really just have to wait till March to get an email to hear whether our child has got in?

If so preumably if you get in under one of other criteria (eg distance from Home) you never find out how your child did? What would they lose by telling us!

Wp.
HP
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:06 pm

Post by HP »

Hi Watford Parent

Sound as though your son did OK if he finished both papers. My daughter left 6 questions on last year's VR and did get a place at her 1st placed school - accuracy counts for a lot.

Yes you do have to wait until 1 March for the results, or 2nd March if you didn't apply online. You should receive a letter from your allocated school on 2nd March (as well as from County) in which you are told under which criterion your place has been awarded.

Scores are not given out if your child attains a place at one of the consortium schools, only if you are on the waiting list.

It is a long wait, we found last year that with Christmas in the middle it did come around pretty fast.

Don't forget to post if your son is successful.

HP
Stig

over at last

Post by Stig »

My son was quite bullish when he came out. He usually doesn't finish either VR or Maths in time but yesterday he did and he said he had time to check his work. He also found the codes quite straightforward (not his favourite type of question) and said the papers were easier than the ones we'd been doing in practice (NFER standard format).

As someone said earlier accuracy counts for alot and I know he'll have made daft mistakes. But also knowing he finished the papers is great because he'll get most right.

For the record he says it was:

NFER Nelsom
Math: 50 questions in 50 minutes
VR: 100 questions in 45 minutes.

He said the familiarisation was some practice VR questions to try which the testers then showed them how to do.

Thanks to every one who posted advice on this forum. Its all been very useful especially to be able to warn him to expect 100 VR questions.
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