11 Plus Exams Forum

I've read that CEM papers are averaged - is that the case? Being thick, but does that mean that the results of each paper in the child's exam are added together and the percentage worked out from there? Hope so as ds has weaknesses on some aspects of maths, but averaged out over the four papers, he is doing OK. Cheers.

Yes, that's it, added together but also standardised, so if your child is older in the year they will be standardised against those with the same birthdays and if younger standardised against younger children. I don't really understand what it involves, but I do know the marking process is a bit complicated and it's not just a matter of pass and fail. The paper covers 50% English 50% maths & non VR so that it is not weighted against those stronger in one subject more than another. Generally girls are a bit better in English and boys a bit better in maths, so the weighting means it isn't gender specific.

Okidoke Sunshine thanks for explaining it in my sort of language. Ds's birthday is end of August so standardisation should help a tiny bit. He's bucking the trend as the only thing he is weak on at the moment is maths (just like me!). He got 61% in his mock (not age standardised) which I doubt very much is a pass. Ho hum.

Stressed?Moi? wrote:Okidoke Sunshine thanks for explaining it in my sort of language. Ds's birthday is end of August so standardisation should help a tiny bit. He's bucking the trend as the only thing he is weak on at the moment is maths (just like me!). He got 61% in his mock (not age standardised) which I doubt very much is a pass. Ho hum.

So in the old system being an August would add 11 marks. So if he's bright for his age, that's fab !

Sunshine 11 wrote:

Stressed?Moi? wrote:Okidoke Sunshine thanks for explaining it in my sort of language. Ds's birthday is end of August so standardisation should help a tiny bit. He's bucking the trend as the only thing he is weak on at the moment is maths (just like me!). He got 61% in his mock (not age standardised) which I doubt very much is a pass. Ho hum.

So in the old system being an August would add 11 marks. So if he's bright for his age, that's fab !

It's not as easy as that Sunshine, sadly

The way my luck is going they will abandon it all together and it not apply any more!

Age standardisation means younger children need a slightly lower raw score to get the same points as older children.e.g. late August needs approx 2/3 less raw score than early September to get the same points score. It changes from exam to exam but that's a good approximation.

Thanks for that RB. We could do with everybody else being born in September then

Yes indeed. Be warned some parents think late August children get given a large number of extra points. I know from experience!! By the way in Birmingham each paper is standardised and the two scores added together. You are given the seperate scores and the total. Means a very good score can balance a weaker score. My dc scored very well in VR and pretty average in maths and NVR. Put together he did enough to get the school he wanted. Not sure about your system but worth knowing. Good luck.