Chelmsford County High changing admissions tests for 2014

[tiffinboys]

Perhaps some one has already mentioned this before, Henrietta Barnett School switched to CEM tests this year. Their information for tests and familiarization material is on their website. No NVR, but English/VR and Maths/Extended Maths/

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As Okanagan pointed out earlier, lot of information about CEM tests, including comprehension passages - one said to have appeared in HBS test this year, in on Birmingham & Warwickshire sticky posts.

[Okanagan]

HBS was half CEM, and half something else - so it's only the 1st part of each which you need to be concerned about, not the extended maths and or the writing tasks. ds reported that the maths in the test was a lot harder than in the sample materials - and involved lots of more textual, multipart questions compared to the sample. In the Warwickshire test this year the average mark on the numerical reasoning was around 23%. And that's in an area where the tests are opt-in so you don't get those who would be expecting low scores taking it, which should give you some idea of what standard to expect. They're also quite time pressured - they don't actually expect many to finish all the questions in the time - so whatever you're practicing, as you get closer to the date, knock quite a lot off the time allowed.

[purplegirl]

So, Chelmsford girls is changing to a different exam! AGHH!
Older daughter is already at CCHS.
Second DD sat exam this year (hoping for CCHS). I thought it was difficult having the exam early, and found the guidance in interpreting the results a little confusing, but now those changes seem insignificant compared to what is now planned.
Even though I have a DD at CCHS, I had no advance knowledge of the proposed changes until a few days ago. I hope KEGGS/ Colchester/ Southend schools will remain with the CSSE for the present. Imagine the chaos if they all have different exams! Any one have any ideas if they have plans to abandon the CSSE too???
Really not sure whats going to happen for my youngest. I now feel parents have to tutor for two very different exams rather than just one! And I'm not sure how long it will take tutors will be up to speed for the new exam! AGHHHH!!!

[Minesatea]

Since it is supposed to not be possible to tutor for the new exam, there is in theory nothing for the tutors to get "up to speed with"!

If you look on the Birmingham area shop there are no resources available for this exam, just some generic maths books.

[Araucana girl]

So, Chelmsford girls is changing to a different exam! AGHH!
Older daughter is already at CCHS.
Second DD sat exam this year (hoping for CCHS). I thought it was difficult having the exam early, and found the guidance in interpreting the results a little confusing, but now those changes seem insignificant compared to what is now planned.
Even though I have a DD at CCHS, I had no advance knowledge of the proposed changes until a few days ago. I hope KEGGS/ Colchester/ Southend schools will remain with the CSSE for the present. Imagine the chaos if they all have different exams! Any one have any ideas if they have plans to abandon the CSSE too???
Really not sure whats going to happen for my youngest. I now feel parents have to tutor for two very different exams rather than just one! And I'm not sure how long it will take tutors will be up to speed for the new exam! AGHHHH!!!

Talking to my dd's tutor about it tomorrow. His attitude over email was that we will have to get her top notch in English and maths and start throwing some NVR into the mix. Not even sure if she is CCHS material yet but absolutely love the school from what I have seen. Aaaagh!

[coolmum2011]

CCHS exam on September 14th 2013 .
CCSE exam on 21st September 2013

[moved]

Two bites at the cherry! At least everyone will be in the same boat, still 10 months to find out as much as possible too.

[bold]

with this new exam proposed by CCHS, will they still admit our DC based on catchment or on merit? Am wondering if they've realised their error in allowing majority catchment only.!!!!

[ahap]

As I understand they brought in the catchment because of various reasons that affected them by not having a catchment.
They still have a very large Catchment area and also a percentage for non catchment. This will take them back to how they were prior to 2009. The exam and other extra curricular results that they are getting at the moment are mostly by those who entered prior to 2009 who are in the proposed catchment and non catchment with a similar percentage to the changes that they made last year. 80% IC and 20% OOC.
But if people say that ChCHS made a mistake by having a catchment, I think we all have to wait and see the all round results of the children who entered prior to 2009 and then from 2010-2012 and from 2013 and then compare I suppose.

[Araucana girl]

with this new exam proposed by CCHS, will they still admit our DC based on catchment or on merit? Am wondering if they've realised their error in allowing majority catchment only.!!!!

I think this was always on the cards - when we went to the Parents open evening in June before the October exams Mrs Chapman hinted quite strongly about children being over tutored for the exam - looking back on that I can quite believe they were looking then at ways around the current system of testing! I don't think it is a case of them realising their mistakes just that they couldn't do this last year.