Sept 2012 Exam Content

[vza]

J.P.wrote: "As for the Warwickshire CEM standarisation, the 7 point difference (458 to 465) is only on the basis of a 100% raw score in each of the 3 categories"

The difference in SD score, due to age-standardisation process, is very much dependent on the actual raw score, and significantly deceases for very high scores. For a very able child (a raw score of 85% or more) the age difference will make little difference, at most +/- 1%. However, for average or above average ability child (raw score 50 to 75%) it could be +/- 3%. 7-point difference (1%) for a child with a very high raw score is probably correct.

However, approximately only 1 child in 1000 will get SD score of >140 (raw score of >85%), 1 in 100 will get SD score of >132 (>79%) but 1 in 5 will get SD score of >112 (>60%). Practically all children who are offered a grammar school place are in the third category (raw score >60%) and for them +/-3% in SD score makes a significant difference (e.g. - SD score from 109 to 115 for raw score of 60%).

VZA

[sky111]

It appears that sitting the exam on reserve day is more advantageous. There is only one way to check what JP has stated and that is by putting in a FOI request to both Birmingham and Warwickshire LEA after 1st March allocation day, to check how many children 'succeed' in obtaining a grammar place from reserve sittings, the name of the grammar school allocated and the dates of these sittings. Possibly this is something that KenR Moderator should diary as I have no vested interest in 11+ for a few years.

What I will say is that in 2011, at both Birmingham and Warwickshire sittings, the invigilators did not check the photo of the children sitting the exams. Even in Warwickshire the exam paper was on the table when children and parents went into the exam room in the morning and they could even browse the paper before the exam

[sss]

At Camp Hill, last week, there was a case where one of the invigilators did a random check & found that a different child (& presumably older child) sat the exam for someone else (they went by the photo id). Naturally they were disqualified. The checks aren't done for every child.

[J.P.]

Sky,

This will not show much. If a child sat the exam during Feb in Warwickshire, the child would not be allocated a place on offer day. (S)he would be placed on the waiting list. One would have to wait until Sep 1st to see how many offers were made from the waiting lists or appeal. The waiting lists can move soon after offer day and there are various appeals as well. Obviously this strategy is only worthwhile in Warwickshire for "out of area" children - Warwickshire has catchment areas for 1st March offers).

Asking on 1st March would produce zero places for later sitters (i.e. those sitting after this Tuesday). Late sitters do not get offers on March 1st.

Update: Warwickshire have another exam date on October 18th, 2012, counted as an on-time test for some people.
Eg: Those who provided evidence they could not sit: 8th, 15th and 28th Sept.

Of course by then these lucky people will know the type of NVR questions, the major subject area in maths, comprehension subject and some VR words that came up and an extra month to prepare.

By posting B'ham and Walsall questions they will know which past CEM questions will not appear. Lucky people!