CEM past papers - Durham University
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Re: CEM past papers - Durham University
Yes acceptable it may never be 100%, even if "all staff and candidates are to sign the Official Secrets Act " but surely the authorities have got to make it as tight as possible. Not allowing partner school testing will reduce a fair amount of it.
What are your views on my original point - Should schools be allowed to purchase similar style papers from CEM - Durham, when general public is not?
What are your views on my original point - Should schools be allowed to purchase similar style papers from CEM - Durham, when general public is not?
Re: CEM past papers - Durham University
I think it is an unfair advantage. The whole point of changing to cem is to make the test tutor proof (to some degree). If certain people have access then this is not a level playing field. They should either make example tests available to purchase or ensure that they are not made available to schools/others in the teaching profession.
Re: CEM past papers - Durham University
If the info in your opening post is correct, it shows it all up as a bit of advertising puff from a supposedly non-commercial outfit. They need to satisfy their customers just like any other and this will always result in some conflicts of interest etc.
Perhaps you should contact the national press education correspondents who run their singularly confusing pieces on 11plus change quite often.
Perhaps you should contact the national press education correspondents who run their singularly confusing pieces on 11plus change quite often.
Re: CEM past papers - Durham University
Do you have any evidence for this, or is it just your interpretation of the wording in the FAQ?hobbit wrote:“CEM will not publish any practice material for purchase by parents”
This does not mean “by anybody”………………..
CEM will not release any sample papers for access by ‘general public’. However these or similar tests will be made available for School Heads, particularly for Independent Schools, (as has been the case for the previous GL Assessment NFER tests).
Re: CEM past papers - Durham University
Yes, that is why I put the word "if" in. Is there a catalogue or website showing these things on sale and the categories of people permitted to buy them - as with psychometric tests which can only be purchased if you are a practising psychologist, or standardised spelling tests which can only be purchased by a registered school etc etc. You can see everything GL Assessment sells online, for example, but if you try and purchase things for which you are not in the right category of purchaser your order gets cancelled. There are other organisations though who sometimes seem to obtain their materials and sell them with slightly less caution either at home or abroad. And some people break the copyright and photocopy.
It is not possible ever to control someone's integrity. It has to be accepted that over time the sort of things that an 11plus test might test will become public knowledge - but of course the exact papers themselves should not have been seen by any individual candidate ... as with GCSE and A level papers that should be relatively easy to control. It is however costly to do it properly as there needs to be the fear that a truly external person might check the seal on the envelope before the test day itself, or appear in the exam room on the day and check nothing untoward has happened with the set of scripts. Also, it requires all exams to take place at the same time with no child allowed out early.
The biggest advantage an independent school confers is probably a quiet place to sit and do the test itself, with good lighting, no bad smells, a moderate temperature, and a decent chair and desk. The more I look at my children's primary school the sorrier I feel for them having to sit anything under test conditions anywhere in the current school building!
It is not possible ever to control someone's integrity. It has to be accepted that over time the sort of things that an 11plus test might test will become public knowledge - but of course the exact papers themselves should not have been seen by any individual candidate ... as with GCSE and A level papers that should be relatively easy to control. It is however costly to do it properly as there needs to be the fear that a truly external person might check the seal on the envelope before the test day itself, or appear in the exam room on the day and check nothing untoward has happened with the set of scripts. Also, it requires all exams to take place at the same time with no child allowed out early.
The biggest advantage an independent school confers is probably a quiet place to sit and do the test itself, with good lighting, no bad smells, a moderate temperature, and a decent chair and desk. The more I look at my children's primary school the sorrier I feel for them having to sit anything under test conditions anywhere in the current school building!