11 Plus Exams Forum

If a child gets the numerical value of a question correct, but fails to put in a £, cm or litre value in their answer would they lose the entire mark? I will always mark that as incorrect and give a 0 mark. This is something we still have a major issue with after lots and lots of focus. The closest type of exam to the one we will do for maths is GL Assesment. I know that there is no definitive answer, but what do people generally think?

I would think it would be marked wrong. Not that I know if that's the actual case but from remembering how it was at school, from a very young age it was drummed in that the answer was wrong without the units and no allowances were made.

We've been having the same problem bel but after DD saw that a couple of her answers were wrong in the 11plusmock simply because of the units she's been much more careful. Maybe you could let your son mark some of his work, so that he'll see for himself how close he got?

School are still very hot on units so I think it does matter. DD was remembering past teachers the other day and the one that particularly stuck out was the one who used to really go on about answers without units - on the lines of "1 what - 1 elephant, 1 cupcake?"

Reading Mum wrote:School are still very hot on units so I think it does matter. DD was remembering past teachers the other day and the one that particularly stuck out was the one who used to really go on about answers without units - on the lines of "1 what - 1 elephant, 1 cupcake?"

Ha ha-that made me laugh! I'm a teacher and say that a lot-'one what? One banana?'

I would guess they will have a very strict marking policy stating exactly what is and isn't allowed for each mark-zero tolerance!

Reading Mum wrote:"1 what - 1 elephant, 1 cupcake?"

My exact words to DS over the last however long we have been doing papers etc. I also get him to mark his papers. Sometimes he puts them in but often he doesn't. It is so frustrating as he is just throwing marks away. That and his inability to remember Imperial and Metric conversions, plus he is still making basic arithmatic errors. It is driving me and subsequently DS to distraction. His school report said he was an accomplished mathematician and his sats score was high but it all seems to be falling apart

Bel, why not make up some questions where the answer is to put in the correct unit of measurement? If you give him sheets to do every morning before breakfast and tell him this will continue until he stops losing marks over it that should concentrate the mind wonderfully. I had the same issue with my dds and timetables so I made up papers and they did timetables over and over again until they stopped losing the marks. Moray VR often has sections of ten questions where if you get the data wrong for the first question then you will get all ten questions wrong and that will cost you the place at your desired school. Those questions tend to be timetables, which houses or some other item has what, ie red door black windows, which town has what temperature etc. These are the questions to focus on in these last few weeks as these are the ones which will secure you the most marks. DG

Moray VR often has sections of ten questions where if you get the data wrong for the first question then you will get all ten questions wrong and that will cost you the place at your desired school. Those questions tend to be timetables, which houses or some other item has what, ie red door black windows, which town has what temperature etc.

Generally DS's VR is strong. Are there any papers that replicate this kind of question as I haven't seen anywhere such a high number of questions are based on one set of data where getting one wrong can affect the other answers of so many other questions.

The suggestion to give questions every morning on the problem topics until they are resolved is genius for my son. It is the kind of think that will stimulate him. Why didn't I think of that! Thanks.

Reading Mum wrote:School are still very hot on units so I think it does matter. DD was remembering past teachers the other day and the one that particularly stuck out was the one who used to really go on about answers without units - on the lines of "1 what - 1 elephant, 1 cupcake?"

That's me! Absolutely..

"1 what - 1 elephant, 1 cupcake?"

Oh well, our DC do face the same language then. this is sooo me. You are right there bel it is really frustrating to see marks thrown away just because of an unspecified unit. I keep on reminding my DD how important each and every mark is.

And I would definitely try your idea Daogroupie. I think it is a brilliant suggestion.

It's not going to be a problem in a multiple-choice 11plus exam though is it?

I wouldn't think that in SATs you would lose all the marks just because you missed the units off; that would be extremely bad marking. What does the OP question actually mean - i.e. whose marking for what purpose?