why help saturday candidates

nkm · Post by **nkm** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:53 pm

I now know if my child sits this Saturday, ( as the majority expected to pass willl do) how many questions to number of minutes for NVR. I know that the Maths is easier and the NVR and VR difficult. I really think Kent parents should NOT post on this forum until after all children have taken the tests.

Obsessive - I know I am!

Nb - I feel for all of you. Not an easy time. I felt ill for two months till the letter came through.

Maybe that comment not much help!

Mum007 · Post by **Mum007** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:06 pm

nkm, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "as the majority expected to pass will do" referring to Saturday's candidates. ????????

No questions have been displayed as far as I can see. It's not too much of an advantage to know how many questions to minutes for the NVR. It also doesn't matter what others say about how easy the papers are. It's not a large enough sample to tell you anything. There are very few posts compared to the number of kids taking the 11+.

I'm glad we only have to wait just over the month - nothing longer!

Belinda · Post by **Belinda** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:08 pm

nkm · Post by **nkm** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:20 pm

kent info will tell you that more pupils usually pass from the saturday candidates. i am not commenting on this year - just facts!
Yes I am obsessive, just annoys me that SOME - yes I agree just a few but it matters - children from out of catchment know so much before going into the exam.

tonbridgemum · Post by **tonbridgemum** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:28 pm

Hmm.I kind of take your point nkm, but i dont think any parent would be doing there child any favours by telling them 'oh, the NVR will be really hard...' and 'dont worry about the maths , its fine!!'
My son found the Maths fairly tough and didnt finish, so you cant assume anything on 6 or 7 posters opinion.

Belinda · Post by **Belinda** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:28 pm

dadofkent · Post by **dadofkent** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:07 pm

Hello, nkm. The point you raise is valid, and I can appreciate your concerns. However, from what I have seen so far nothing significant has been divulged. I have not really any vested interest in the 11+ this year, I had a DS take the test in Jan, and have a DD taking the test in 2009. But last year there was a problem when after the weekday tests there were posts about particular VR question types, and an unexpected question type cropping up in the test. This initiated questions from, it seemed, parents still to "take" the test. However, after this was flagged up by myself and others, if I recall correctly, the relevant thread was moderated, or locked, or at least a warning was given. I sure there would be a similar response this year if a similar situation arose.

2stressed · Post by **2stressed** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:26 pm

My DS took the test in Jan and came out after the maths and said that that was the hardest test he had ever done and didn't think he would pass. He got 140 and a raw score of 94%. I really think you have to take what they say with a pinch of salt. Quite often by the time you speak to them they have forgotten how they personally found it and their opinion is mixed with the discussions they have had with their friends on the playground.

My DD1 sat the test this time and the reaction between her and friends has been mixed. Some saying yesterday was hard, others that today was hard. Who knows?

twellsmum · Post by **twellsmum** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:06 am

Bit confused here - is it true that out of county candidates (who I assume are hte ones sitting it on Saturday) end up with more passes than all the children in Kent schools who have sat the exam over the last two days? Maybe it is just that the out of county children have to pass extremely well to get into the grammars so they are the very brightest as opposed to *just* the brightest 25%

Anyway like Belinda says it may just be that our children are well prepared and very good at maths. Or it could be that they thought that the exam was "pips" and whizzed through it and got most of it wrong (noooooo!).

I can't see that knowing the format of one of the papers has changed slightly can give anyone enough of an advantage to make the difference between a pass and a fail and if they are that borderline, then as I understand, this is where the English paper comes into play and no one has said anything about that and that is not the kind of thing one can cram for anyway!

shuff · Post by **shuff** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 6:54 am

Being out of county, taking it today, there has been nothing significant said by anyone on this site that has given any clues as to what the test will be like. In any case, what an irresponsible mother I would be reporting any of the hearsay of whether the tests were hard or not back to my son. Sure, if the questions were posted up then it would be somewhat different, but that would never happen.