QEHS today. Advice please!

Eleven Plus (11+) in Lincolnshire (Lincs)

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Doncaster11
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:40 pm

QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Doncaster11 »

Just returned from todays Verbal Test. We live in Doncaster and wish I had found this forum before today. We have been given our daughter various tests to practise with, all with 85 questions. Had we known there would be 100 questions in the actual test we would have practised differently. Anyway, she thinks she has done ok with about 80 questions answered out of the 100. Looking at her practise scores and deducting a few for nervs I think she will be around 72-75 out of the 100. From what I understand the Verbal and non Verbal test scores are combined to give her a total score. Is that correct anyone? I suppose what I am looking for is that there are no pass or fail rates on the individual tests but a combined total?

I am now trying to find out exactly what to expect next saturday. I just want to avoid nasty surprises on an already stressfull day. Can anyone help?

Many thanks
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Alex »

Yes, it is the combined standardised scores which make up the final result.

Non verbal consists of 65 questions in 5 separately timed sections of 16 questions each with one extra in one of the sections (don't ask why!)

Good luck for next week.

It would be unusual to get a place from as far away as Doncaster. This year's entry profile was very uncommon.
Blueberrypie
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 9:29 am

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Blueberrypie »

Hi there,
yes i know what you mean this forum is great! 2 years ago i went through the 11+ process with my eldest and this sight was a great help, pretty much any question you might have has already been asked on here.
My youngest also took the 11+ yesterday at QEHS and if its any comfort to you she told me she left out 20-30 questions. When she told me this my stomach hit the floor (although i had a huge supportive 'thats ok' smile plastered to my face), as all the practise papers we've done she'd answered every question and got only a few wrong. I tried not to ask loads of questions as i didn't want to freak her out but throughout the day she did say she thought the test was the hardest she had come across, much harder than the practise test, she understood all the questions they were just extremely hard. This of course is no proof that this was a hard test, the questions just may have not suited my daughter but i also bumped into a fellow parent last night whose child has been heavily tutored for this test and her child had also said they hadn't managed to finish the test leaving the last 10 questions (although its probably more like double that when you deduct the 'smoooth over factor'). I guess all i'm trying to do is offer reasurrence that other kids (that i would consider quite able) are in the same situation as you.

As for the pass rate, yes they use a combined total of the two tests, so it is possible to score relatively low on one test and pull the average up with a high score on the other. There is no assigned percentage pass mark as it varies each year, depending on that cohort, so if everyone does poorly in that year the pass rate is lower and vice versa. The pass mark for QEHS is a standardised score of 220 for the combined 2 tests. Standardising is very complicated but it allows for age (some students are nearly a year older than others and it takes this into account) also it allows both tests to be weighted equally so that even though the tests have different amounts of questions each test can provide the same amount of points. Sorry if i have confused matters, i am sure if you google standardised scoring you will find a better explanation than mine. I have been to a few talks from the head and he has said before that a score of 75-80% on the tests (combined) usually has a pretty good chance of being enough although it can go lower, again depending on cohort.

Yes, verbal reasoning next week, and as alex says this is slightly different, breaking the paper down into timed slots (better for those who struggle with time management). Did your daughter attend the practise tests in July, if she did it will be exactly the same.

Just to touch on one other point that alex mentioned, yes last years catchment was large and certainly did buck the trend but on the pactise test day the head whilst addressing the parents mentioned that they are expecting the same for this year. He went on to say that if anyone knew any parents who perhaps weren't putting their children in for the 11+ based on the shrinking catchment to let them know they were expecting another large intake area this year also so not to be put off. That was in July so couldn't say if things have changed since then but thought i should pass that on.

Good luck to you and everyone else for next Saturday, i really do think this is much worse for us parents than the kids!!!

***
Stocky
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:12 pm

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Stocky »

There aren't many verbal practice papers out there with 100 questions in fairness, AFN and SD graded papers do, IPS have 50, Letts/Bond/SD 4 pack have 80 or 85, so don't worry. Just to echo everything that has been said regarding pass rates, standardisation etc and to clarify on the non verbal for this week. Its 4 sections in total 3 with 16 questions 1 with 17 questions (65 in total) and 8 minutes per section are allowed. I also had a conversation with the head and he said he wasn't expecting quite as freak a year this year, but still felt it would be a lot further out than in recent years. My DD in year 9 said she heard that around 450 had entered this year. Good luck to your DC for Saturday Sx
Doncaster11
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:40 pm

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Doncaster11 »

Thanks for your help! Yesterdays test was exactly as described above. She came out with a smile, said she did all the questions and did better than good. Hope she is right! Good luck to the rest of you.
Doncaster11
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:40 pm

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Doncaster11 »

She passed. Now we just have to hope we are close enough!
d4funky1
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:29 pm

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by d4funky1 »

Congrats - i heard that the distance had been increased to 25 miles this year so fingers crossed.

What score did she achieve? I hear one child scored the maximum 282 - WOW!
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: QEHS today. Advice please!

Post by Alex »

Congratulations Doncaster and all the other successful people.

The actual distance won't be known until March though the school may be able to make a fair guess before then. Remember there may be late takers who move into county and some successful at the 11+ who rapidly move closer to the school to ensure a place......
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