11 Plus Exams Forum

Is it true that there are going to be a high number of high scores this year (420) so success in getting into a super-selective school like Judd isn't guarenteed.Please help

The general consensus seems to be that the high scorers should not be much different to last year or the year before. There are more children taking the 11+ this year but theoretically these extra children who took it with a ‘why not have a go’ attitude are not likely to pass with full marks so should only make a difference to the border line passers.

My daughter passed with 420 and although nothing is official until the letter is in my hand, I have been led to believe from both my daughter’s school and the admissions people at TOGS that she should not have a problem getting in, despite living in another education authority.

Let’s hope they are right.......roll on the 3rd March!

It's a standardised score. If you plotted the numbers of people getting each score on a graph, it would form a normal distribution curve - bit like the sort of bell curve you would see for IQ; the numbers peak around the average score with the highest number of people scoring the average (not sure what the average score is) and the number of people achieving each point score above that getting less and less.

The percentage of people scoring 420 or more each year will be the same as it is a large group taking the test. It will only be a low percentage that score 420 or more (and they don't tell you if you got more than 420 - a score of 420 means you got 420 or more). And getting 420 does not mean that you answered all the questions correctly.

It has to be an "urban myth" that there are masses more people than usual scoring 420 or more; it is not statistically possible.

Thank-you,thank-you,thank-you-intelligent answers..it is so easy to let the school-gate experts wind you up, is it true that schools are going to look closer at the timed essay in the Sept.09 candidates,because of the 'so called' increase in high scores (is this an urban myth too?),I was under the impression that these are 'binned' following marking except in the case of borderline scores.

Yes, I was told the essay is only taken into account if the child is 'borderline' and the school has appealed. As far as I'm aware the schools themselves don't see any of the 11+ material.

The essays are only used on the borderline of pass/fail of the 11+, not for determining entry into oversubscribed "super-selective" schools. But they aren't binned immediately even for those who pass comfortably, since you can view them if you visit Maidstone (with an appointment).

Yep you can view at Maidstone. In fact the writing piece is the only item you are allowed to have a copy of. We came home with a photocopy of my DS written piece! Fasinating because he missed by one point but got in on HT appeal so this piece was vital!

Back to topic...anyone heard any 'information' about cut off scores?!! I heard it was quite a high score for Judd this year....so that will have an affect on Skinners?

Please don't say that.

Any indication as to what Judd cut off was?

Do you mean higher than their highest cut off in recent years (415) or just high?