Bucks 11+ test 2015

[Daffy]

I understood from my DD that the test was comfortable for her but after talking to her again today about it she said 'It was hard but possible'. She did finish and checked some sections so I just took that to mean she found it relatively easy - not the case. More nail biting till October! How on earth are we supposed to cope until the 16th October!!! We will have no nails left lol

[gowest]

Hi Numair!
Yes, sounds similar. Few words which DD didn`t know but tried to work out. But then again you can`t know everything, can you?
Doesn`t it start looking suspiciously like old good GL, in the sense that you needed to get about 90% (?) questions right in order to pass, I wonder?

[Bob1892]

Hi Numair!
Yes, sounds similar. Few words which DD didn`t know but tried to work out. But then again you can`t know everything, can you?
Doesn`t it start looking suspiciously like old good GL, in the sense that you needed to get about 90% (?) questions right in order to pass, I wonder?

Usually need 60-65% to gain a gs place in a cem test historically.
If everyone continues saying that it was an easy test then one may need around the 70% mark to now gain a gs place.

[gowest]

Historically CEM (format) in Bucks was for a couple of years. And the rumour mill was saying you need to answer around 2/3 of the questions correctly. But then the feedback from last year's exam was quite different from this year's feedback.
Anyway, all of this is speculation.
Bottom line - I wish success to DCs.

[Numair]

Stressful times! How many extra points do you think would be needed because of age standardisation? My daughter turns 11 this month.

[Bob1892]

Stressful times! How many extra points do you think would be needed because of age standardisation? My daughter turns 11 this month.

It's been quoted previously for a cem test that a September-born child needs around an extra 6% raw score than a August-born child.

[Numair]

Thanks

[southbucks3]

Let's just hope they will standardise to create a lot more very high scorers and a lot more passes, rather than making it so you need a higher score to pass. The flexibility to standardise right up to 200/200 means it all lies in the hands of the administration now.
After last year, when Aylesbury vale had less than 20%of their children pass prior to reviews, making it harder still for local kids to achieve a pass mark would be political annihilation for local councillors and MPs. Can they really justify extending more and more uppers to accommodate local kids whilst the grammars are full of extremely bright commuters, a balance must be struck somewhere.
We shall see? I hope for the children's sakes there are a lot more smiles than tears this year, particularly for those who found it easy, not passing could damage their confidence in future tests, that would be such a shame.
Good luck to all the children.

[Numair]

I agree. I think last years intake from Aylesbury Vale was just slightly over the 20% mark which is obviously disappointing. If that number falls further this year then there is serious shortfall between what is being taught at year 4/5 level and what the 11 plus test demands.

[Lillie]

Let's just hope they will standardise to create a lot more very high scorers and a lot more passes, rather than making it so you need a higher score to pass. The flexibility to standardise right up to 200/200 means it all lies in the hands of the administration now.

I totally agree with your sentiments, SB3. Not sure what you mean by creating "a lot more high scorers and a lot more passes"? The standardisation will only select the top c.30%. Do you mean to standardise the very high scorers separately?

It has to be an improvement if the kids are coming out of the exam and at least feeling it was something they had the chance of answering properly. It seems that the first two years of the CEM in Bucks were very hard and very pressurised for time.

Ooops, the quote is from Southbucks3.