Reply from Wallington Boys on Exam 11/10 2014 on Maths Error

[Catlady]

The Gold room - am cohort also had question 4 but by all accounts only part of it - which was why they were told to disregard it. if Lilac am group had the question - the complete and correct question - which they attempted to answer - then that would have been less of a problem because it was there and correct. Like one of the other responders today, I asked in an earlier related posting - had anyone's DS actually finished the paper?

I too am of the opinion that it would be better and more fair to scrap the maths paper and start again - two likes are not being compared - 'tis all a muddle!

[Wingman100]

I cannot see any practical way that the school could arrange for a resit of the paper in question. There just isn't enough time to organise a new paper and a new date and I think that it would lead to further complications and appeals. What would happen when someone who had performed well on the original paper then performed badly on the resit? Or what about the people who just cannot make the new exam date announced at short notice due to pre-existing commitments? Any resit would also lead to the results being issued after the CAF deadline of October 31st.

From what I have read it appears that the only group who were left to attempt "question 4" were the morning Lilac group? Assuming equal size of Lilac and Gold (?) that means that 3/4's of the entrants are unaffected and 1/4 would be placed in a separate sub-group for standardising the results?

Far from ideal but it seems like the school's proposal is the most practical and fair solution....although it would have been good if they could have proof-read the paper before issuing it to 900+ already stressed boys!

[panicattack]

I'm not clear if Gold had started the question but were then told to stop which would make it very hard on them. And yes- very interested if anyone finished the paper? There may be a couple of boys who already have their GCSEs

[chilledsonnervousdad]

The solution proposed by the school is not perfect but so is the world.




My DS might run away from the house if I suggest he re-write a 11+ exam.

[YoungSuccess]

The solution proposed by the school is not perfect but so is the world.

My DS might run away from the house if I suggest he re-write a 11+ exam.

Mine will probably demand a bribe, some very expensive Xmas presents!!

[chilledsonnervousdad]

And yes- very interested if anyone finished the paper? There may be a couple of boys who already have their GCSEs

Rehashing my story.

Here is the conversation with my DS after he came out of the Wallington test. ‘Dad, please tell me what did you ever see in me to bring me to this test? Do you know how the maths paper was?’

So I said, ‘Listen son, when anyone else asks you about it, say that it was boring. Spin a story of you having finished it in half the time and then going over it and still had lots of time to spare so went over it again! That will do the trick.’ He replied, ‘How does it sound if we add to this story that after revising for the second time and with more time to spare, I erased some of the answers for a few of them just to do them again for fun. It is just then that the bell rang and that is why the blanks.’ ‘Fine,’ I said.

And that is my story of how simple the paper was!




P.S.: My DS is not too bad. He has fabulous scores at QE and Bexley.

[ShrimpStation]

I'm still not happy with this. My DS spent (in his words) about 10 minutes on that one question before abandoning it. That's a quarter of his time. There's no consideration given to this. Although he will be standardised against others who also attempted this question, how do they take into account the fact that so much time has been spent on it. He may well be standardised against others who attempted it, but what if some only spent two minutes on it.

[Ladymuck]

Deleted by user.

[YoungSuccess]

I'm still not happy with this. My DS spent (in his words) about 10 minutes on that one question before abandoning it. That's a quarter of his time. There's no consideration given to this. Although he will be standardised against others who also attempted this question, how do they take into account the fact that so much time has been spent on it. He may well be standardised against others who attempted it, but what if some only spent two minutes on it.

Was he Lilac am group?

[YoungSuccess]

That's what the letter misses out: whether the group who attempted the questions will be given credit for the parts that they answered correctly. The letter does acknowledge that merely ignoring the question would not give a fair result but doesn't go on to say what will happen to the marks for that specific question for the group who attempted it.

Yes LM, my DS ( Lilac am ) said he spent quite a bit of time attempting that question and consequently did not finish the last few questions.