Exam - is it true

[jabba7]

Hi

Is it true that OOC children sit the same paper weeks later, it seems so unfair that they may hear what the difficult vocab is and have the chance to learn it. The paper should be different as things will leak, I have heard of a tutor of a friend who has asked her children to let her know of any difficult words they can remember from the paper, it might not be to pass on but still feels like we need to be very careful in discussing the paper.

This is a crazy system.

Sorry rant over

[scary mum]

I know, it annoys me every time I think of it, but it is true. Just one hint about a vocab question could make all the difference for a borderline child. Last year there was a problem where one of the partner svhools let the children take the papers home with them, so the paper was changed for the last few I think.

[Sally-Anne]

It is true, and there will be some unscrupulous tutors who try to exploit it. However I have always felt that there is very, very little about the paper that can really be passed on beyond an occasional word, and even then the word may not be critical to success. Beyond that the children's reports are universally different and unreliable!

P.S. Scary, the escaped paper incident was two years ago.

[scary mum]

P.S. Scary, the escaped paper incident was two years ago.

Gosh doesn't time fly when you are having fun?! Of course it was - it was when DS1 was doing it.

[patricia]

My children are able tell me [between them] at least a dozen or so words, not necessarily the word that forms part of the answer, and a fair amount of compound words. I use these words for vocabulary work with my future children.

They rarely remember maths or codes. [just the difficulty of them]The Zs they can remember parts of the question but not enough to form an answer.

Yes there is a problem with some [not all] out of county children getting wind of the vocabulary used via some tutors and tuition agencies. For this reason we have a strict policy on the forum of not identifying information in addition we must not reveal which types of questions appeared in the 1st test.

I cannot offer an immediate solution.

Patricia

[Kiwimum]

If fairness is the issue here, out of county children are also at a disadvantage because they have to sit the exam in unfamilar surroundings with strangers. While also giving up two days of their half term and not even knowing which two days it will be until around 10 days before they are due to sit the first test.
And they may do all that and not even get a place if they pass because of the distance criteria.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining merely pointing out on balance I think the fairness weighs out about the same.
Anyway, I don't know anyone else sitting the 11+ in Bucks, nor do we have a tutor or anyone else with inside knowledge - thankfully we have this informative site and I know my DD would not want to sit a test with anything other than her own knowledge and hard work being assessed.

[crunchie]

Out of county children should have different papers. If not, the tests should all be sat on the same day. My DD came back to me last week with quite a lot of words that appeared on the practice papers so I am sure they would in the real thing. All very unfair! We don't know any OCC so it is not an issue and even if we did I would not reveal anything as this can put our children at a disadvantage. I am amazed that this happens.

[jabba7]

I am angry with Bucks CCas it is the system that is wrong. I work in education and exams have to be fair to ensure that those who should pass do, it is the governing authority role to ensure that cheating cannot happen and it sounds as if the rules for the Bucks cc 11+ are too lapse to even allow anything to leak.

All exams should be on the same day. I am sure the CC could make this happen if they wanted to or set a separate paper for those sitting on a different date. It is so important to get this right so the right children get into the grammar system and it should not be dealt with so haphazardly.

Hi, Kiwimum, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but you don't have to take the 11+, we live in a place where we are too far to even consider an OOC school so we have the system as it is.

[Kiwimum]

Hi jabba7
Wouldn't take that the wrong way - we all only want what's best for our kids.
The distance criteria is there to protect the Bucks children from the OOC kids who want grammar school places and I respect that.
Really if you are in catchment and your child passes it doesn't matter how many OOC children pass because your child will have a place first.
You are right, my DD doesn't have to take the 11+ but despite knowing that she may not get a place she has given her prep 100% and if things fall in her favour she will deserve her place at GS.

BTW, if OOC did sit a different paper how long before someone claimed the paper was easier than the one the Bucks children sit or vice versa?

[mad?]

BTW, if OOC did sit a different paper how long before someone claimed the paper was easier than the one the Bucks children sit or vice versa?

Hi, I'm not from this area and my DC are 'done' but this really sums up the issue doesn't it? Really not sure what the solution is. Even if you tested OOC on the same day in a pre-booked 'facility' it could be argued that it is not fair because either DC are not comfortable and familiar with the facility OR not fair becasue OOC got to sit in a special facility which made them focus because it was not their usual surroundings.