GL Assessment VR - where it is won and lost

Advice on 11 Plus VR papers and problems

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Sally-Anne
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

GL Assessment VR - where it is won and lost

Post by Sally-Anne »

Note: This thread was originally on the Bucks section, but the test there is no longer GL Assessment, so this has been moved to the VR section because the information may still be of use to those preparing for the GL Assessment paper.

The remark and analysis service offered by Bucks CC may not be available elsewhere.

Sally-Anne - December 2012

+++++++


This year, for the first time, I have seen 12 "Remark and Analysis" documents, sent to me by parents whose children who were near misses for the 11+.

I have now totalled them up to see where the 11+ was won and lost for these children. I have excluded one remark for a child who was exceptionally weak on Codes, for unusual reasons.

These are the percentages of errors by question type:

Code: Select all

Codes (C, L, N & U)	10%
Word Codes (O & R)     4%
Maths (G, I K, P) 	 16%
Logic (Z) 	          4%
Vocab (See below)	  66%
Although Patricia and I have always said that the 11+ is won or lost on vocabulary, the figure of 66% is still staggering. The errors on maths questions were all on Types K & P, as would be expected because they require good technique as well as plain old mathematical ability.

The errors by Vocabulary question type were as follows:

Code: Select all

M	Analogies	        	1%
E	Hidden word   	   	3%
A	Insert a Letter	  	4%
D	Closest Meaning	  	6%
F	Missing Word	     	8%
J	Move a Letter	   	11%
B	Two odd ones out		13%
Q	Compound Words  		15%
H	Opposite meaning		18%
S	Same Meaning	    	21%
I think one can conclude that the 11+ is virtually won or lost on the Same Meaning/Opposite Meaning questions. Not a particular surprise, but what does surprise me is that so many children faltered on Compound Words.

The message to any parents doing DIY tutoring is that all three of those question types cannot be rushed because there are too many tricks and traps. Every option must be checked, rather than the child just leaping to their first, instinctive answer.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by Guest55 »

That's really interesting Sally-Anne.

I'm sure this will be really helpful to DIYers.
faitaccompli
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Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by faitaccompli »

Gosh - that is really interesting. Do we ever get a chance to see the actual paper?

Mine was convinced that paper 1 was FAR easier than paper 2.
Not born out by his 116 on paper 1 and 123 on paper 2 ...

So there must have been a fair few "trick" questions (along the lines of the poplar/popular one I have seen before)

Is this spread over both papers? Was paper 1 harder for vocab than paper 2 perhaps?
Sally-Anne
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by Sally-Anne »

faitaccompli wrote:Do we ever get a chance to see the actual paper?
No, because the questions on the papers are drawn from a "question bank" and could reappear in future.
Mine was convinced that paper 1 was FAR easier than paper 2.
Not born out by his 116 on paper 1 and 123 on paper 2 ...
The second half of Paper 2 was very challenging in terms of the question types in it and the length of time it takes to solve them. Any child who was only half way through the paper after 25 minutes would have struggled to finish in time.
So there must have been a fair few "trick" questions (along the lines of the poplar/popular one I have seen before)
Almost certainly!
Is this spread over both papers? Was paper 1 harder for vocab than paper 2 perhaps?
The balance of the vocabulary question types was very even between the two papers, but the children made 25% more errors on vocab on Paper 2, so I assume the actual questions may have been harder on that paper.
Marylou
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by Marylou »

Thanks SA - this is really useful! I'll bear this in mind with my current tutees. I always suspected that vocabulary was the real bugbear in this test and this confirms it.

DD3 has just acquired a Kindle (from saved-up present money!) and what I didn't realise is that it's got a really useful feature that lets you look up the meaning of a word just by highlighting it! I'm encouraging her to use this as much as possible before we start the formal preparation next year. :)
Marylou
scary mum
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Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by scary mum »

Very interesting - I knew that my DS would pass or not on the compound words and two words different meaning questions. Interestingly (S-A may remember my anxiety) DS finished the second paper very quickly. He scored one point different between the two papers.
scary mum
faitaccompli
Posts: 357
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by faitaccompli »

Talking to my son, he finished the first test with 25 minutes to spare (for checking time) and 20 minutes to spare on the second test.

He sat with two other children (who were cousins). One of them finished both tests more quickly than him, the other only just finished in time (the other two children go to the same school).

He did not think there were any words he did not know, but clearly that was not quite the truth!
Marylou
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by Marylou »

faitaccompli wrote:
He did not think there were any words he did not know, but clearly that was not quite the truth!
I always find it's the words they think they know that cause the most problems!
Marylou
heartmum
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Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by heartmum »

Again this comes down to the age old debate of an 11+ test leaning more to children who have a stronger verbal reasoning than mathematical. :roll:

Yes there are children who are good in both areas, but in general children tend to be stronger either verbally or mathematically and due to the nature of the Bucks 11+ test may miss out on a grammar place, even though they would excel in that environment, because of the style of test offered! :roll: :?
Heartmum x x x
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Where the Bucks 11+ is won and lost

Post by Guest55 »

Yes - you would expect that errors would be spread between types but these results are strongly statistically significant that this is NOT so.

Thanks to all those who paid for this analysis and were prepared to share the information as well, of couse, as Sally-Anne.
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