Cats 110 - should I?
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Worried Mum
- Posts: 850
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- Location: Kent
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
Good evening, well it's been nearly 4 years since I last visited, and here I am, ready to go through it all again. Reading your comments with interest as I'm in a similar situation, my son is in year 5, always been top set for all 3 subjects and came out of year 4 with all level 4's which I thought was good, he has gone up a bit more and is now on 5C for reading & comprehension, 4A for writing and 4B for maths, but I found out last week that his CAT scores only averaged 110 - I'm thinking like you chocolateymum, should I? It seems that he is more than capable with maths but lacks confidence.
My elder son who is now year 10 in grammar school, did well with his CATs and put him in top 10% of his year group, but he still failed the maths paper by 2 marks, fortunately the 140 on his NVR paper won the appeal.
My elder son who is now year 10 in grammar school, did well with his CATs and put him in top 10% of his year group, but he still failed the maths paper by 2 marks, fortunately the 140 on his NVR paper won the appeal.
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
worth a try!
You can always do some VR and NVR practice, working on techniques
You can always do some VR and NVR practice, working on techniques
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Chocolatey Mum
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:49 pm
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
The answer is Most Definately YES.
Just found out she passed.
Still shaking and keep re- reading the e-mail.
Never give up hope!
Just found out she passed.
Still shaking and keep re- reading the e-mail.
Never give up hope!
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hermanmunster
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- Location: The Seaside
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
Excellent news Chocolateymum!!! Have a lovely celebration 
Can see we will be quoting this thread (and you) for sometime ahead...!!
Can see we will be quoting this thread (and you) for sometime ahead...!!-
Chocolatey Mum
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:49 pm
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
Yet another update.
DD scores are in and she went from
Cat score in May
NVR 107
VR 116
Maths 112
To.... 11+ result
NVR 125
VR 140
Maths 126
Gob smacked
Never give up hope.
DD scores are in and she went from
Cat score in May
NVR 107
VR 116
Maths 112
To.... 11+ result
NVR 125
VR 140
Maths 126
Gob smacked
Never give up hope.
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
We have just got CAT results today
VR 114
Maths 119
NVR 112
I felt a bit down for my son he thought he had passed. He thought the score was 110.
I don't know if I should work with him and practice or lay off and see what happens.
VR 114
Maths 119
NVR 112
I felt a bit down for my son he thought he had passed. He thought the score was 110.
I don't know if I should work with him and practice or lay off and see what happens.
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
DS's NFER (which I think are supposed to be a more reliable prediction of the 11+ than CATs)
Year 3: 97 and 97 (teacher said he wasn't even looking at the paper half the time)
Year 4: well I can't remember actually, I think something like 104, 105 - definitely way below 120 anyway.
Year 5: 120(English) and 136(maths).
This was all down to me and my hard work with practice books. Not sure I'm allowed to say which ones am I? (Begin with B and end with D) But I did work him hard especially in the maths. I decided as he didn't seem to care at school it was easier to just do it at home.
Anyway 11+ he got VR 140, NVR 131 and Maths 131. Yay!
Modesty forbids - but this was all down to my hard work and nagging! So it's definitely do-able but you may need hair dye and a lot of stiff drinks.
I don't think any child could be more reluctant than he was either!!
My inspiration was a friend whose son was in special help maths group all through primary school but with a lot of practice papers and tutoring he got full marks in the 11+.
Luckily in our area I think so many other kids are tutored like mad that he wasn't out of his depth when he got to grammar school - but I think you know your own DC, do they just need a bit of focus or are they trying but just not getting it?
I'd say have a week off and then go for it! You'll always wonder what if otherwise.
Year 3: 97 and 97 (teacher said he wasn't even looking at the paper half the time)
Year 4: well I can't remember actually, I think something like 104, 105 - definitely way below 120 anyway.
Year 5: 120(English) and 136(maths).
This was all down to me and my hard work with practice books. Not sure I'm allowed to say which ones am I? (Begin with B and end with D) But I did work him hard especially in the maths. I decided as he didn't seem to care at school it was easier to just do it at home.
Anyway 11+ he got VR 140, NVR 131 and Maths 131. Yay!
Modesty forbids - but this was all down to my hard work and nagging! So it's definitely do-able but you may need hair dye and a lot of stiff drinks.
I don't think any child could be more reluctant than he was either!!
My inspiration was a friend whose son was in special help maths group all through primary school but with a lot of practice papers and tutoring he got full marks in the 11+.
Luckily in our area I think so many other kids are tutored like mad that he wasn't out of his depth when he got to grammar school - but I think you know your own DC, do they just need a bit of focus or are they trying but just not getting it?
I'd say have a week off and then go for it! You'll always wonder what if otherwise.
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
I would say go for it and that is even after our horrendous experience with ds !!! Dd will take the test this September and I know that the school will not support us. If you opt not to take the test you automatically rule your dc out of some of the best schools in your area.
Tigger
Tigger
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
Whenever I read these threads about CAT scores I think that no-one has looked at how the standardisation of CAT scores works, schools included. You can't "average" them - is this what the school does? Adds them up and divides by 3? If that's what they do, their maths ability is 000!!!
Have you looked at any of the GL assessment documents (search on the web) to see where the individual scores your children have place you in centiles e.g. top 10% of population, top 20% of population etc. I think you will see that lower CAT scores than you think are actually pretty good.
Also, take into account that CAT and 11+ do not test the same thing. A lot of primary schools talk complete rubbish when the try to interpret CAT scores themselves to decide whether a child is going to pass the 11+ or not. My step-son's primary school could not have been more wrong; I'm sure they did not understand the CAT results.
Have you looked at any of the GL assessment documents (search on the web) to see where the individual scores your children have place you in centiles e.g. top 10% of population, top 20% of population etc. I think you will see that lower CAT scores than you think are actually pretty good.
Also, take into account that CAT and 11+ do not test the same thing. A lot of primary schools talk complete rubbish when the try to interpret CAT scores themselves to decide whether a child is going to pass the 11+ or not. My step-son's primary school could not have been more wrong; I'm sure they did not understand the CAT results.
Re: Cats 110 - should I?
When I went on training about CATs we were told that they were NOT to be used for individuals as they were not reliable enough. The main use to a school they (the publishers!) said was to compare cohorts not individuals.
