11 Plus Exams Forum

Henrietta Barnett this year, Chelmsford and Bexley next year - soon everyone will be doing CEM tests!
Some new sample questions on the Bexley site for those of you preparing for 2013.

I certainly hope not. Does it include any creative writing? I don't think my dd's school would want an exam without seeing how the applicant can write. DG

It doesn't - and I didn't mean it literally!

CEM use to set only the Birmingham test. Then they started doing the Warwickshire one in 2009. Then the Wolverhampton/Walsall/Shropshire schools switch to CEM last year. And HBS which was the first one away from the Midlands. For 2013 we already know about CGGS and now the Bexley area. And some of the others which are reviewing arrangements (eg Kent, which is a big one) keep trotting out the phrase "tutor proof" which for those familiar with CEM rings bells and suggests that they're in there pitching for that too.

At least one Bucks school is trialling it for the 12plus this year, so it may be a taste of things to come in Buckinghamshire.

But HBS did their own creative writing paper alongside the CEM tests. Are others doing that as well? DG

I don't think any test can be tutor-proof; eventually the format is revealed through various sources and the preparation is geared towards that. They will need to change the format and subjects tested every year - which would still not work as children would have to learn more to cover the range.

Children would still need to know their Maths and English - possibly to a higher level to cover all eventualities. This could be DIY or through private tutors.

The tutoring style might change but I think tutoring is here to stay, whether we like it or not. I'm from a country where tutoring is heavily used at all levels of education and the tutors just keep evolving to suit the market.

Kent (the largest 11 plus area in the country) are looking at changing their tests to make them more tutor-proof. I think with the use of the words "tutor-proof" we can have a strong suspicion that the CEM tests will be introduced.

In Warwickshire at least, is any test "tutor-proof".

What about are tutors who say "success guaranteed" - and often are?

Where do they get the questions from? I suppose some dc come out of the exam remembering clearly what was in it; my dd remembered some but not clearly enough to be of any use.

I've said before, some dc in her class passed, imho, only because they had been tutored. It doesn't seem fair. Not everyone can afford tutoring. Furthermore, I think most had tutoring - paid tutoring. Maybe I'm just jealous although dd seems to have passed, we obviously won't know till 1 March.

The practice papers are difficult.

ginx wrote: What about are tutors who say "success guaranteed" - and often are?.

So what does that mean, exactly? "Child passes or your money back?" Easy! Just pre-test the children and only accept the stronger ones, charge a bit more than the going rate for "the guarantee" and chalk the occasional refunds up to marketing costs.

dave g,

bit of poetic licence.

I think Miss **** tests the interested dc (sorry, interested dp!) first, then advertises as "95% pass rate". Quote unquote from an advert in the local paper. She also does KS2 work.

But not KS3/GCSE - perhaps that's too difficult for her!