11 Plus Exams Forum

Hang on. Wondering why nobody has posted in this section for almost two years until I did?

A lovely region with no grammar related stress, I suppose.

In my experience... The education system is better across NI than much of the mainland. There is a Grammar system, but the offerings at the comps are generally good. Students tend to outperform English kids (even though socio-economic data suggests they wouldn't necessarily). Interestingly, terms are shorter, teachers are better paid (and having had experience of both) higher regarded.

In the areas I'm familiar with, the exam entrance papers aren't sweated over. They're just something that is done, if you choose, to see if you go to the grammar. I don't know any children who are tutored, or even familiarised, beyond what happens in primary schools.

This may all have nothing to do with the quietness on the NI section of the forum, but it might do. M

If this sample paper http://www.thetransfertest.com/sites/de ... sample.pdf is anything to go by, though, the papers are a bit easier than the ones in our area (CSSE)...

Quite. Far more places/11 year old means competition is less fierce. And typically, GSs are only over subscribed by 20-50 places, not 10 applicants for every place. This means that the test is really very low key for most students.

And as typically the 16+ exam results show, the ability is certainly no lower at the end of schooling. M