Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

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Jamais Arrière
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:39 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Jamais Arrière »

easy tiger

Any chance we could keep it cordial on the St Michael’s threads?

x
Jamais Arrière
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:39 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Jamais Arrière »

Wapping8 wrote: Hoping that some of you can help me with some info for one a girl sitting the test in September 2018.
Welcome Wapping8,

even I think that this is a very late start indeed.

The St M’s test is, on the whole, GL, but the girls do have to produce a substantial piece of writing before they tackle the test papers proper.

As for the mocks scores - my DD sat a couple of mocks on the 20th August last year. She got 60% in NVR, and only 40% in VR, so we evidently covered a fair bit of ground between then and the test day. I think 70% would indicate that, although it is not inconceivable that she will gain a place, it is certainly time to crack on.

Jams
Wapping8
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:43 am

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Wapping8 »

Jamais Arrière wrote:
Wapping8 wrote: Hoping that some of you can help me with some info for one a girl sitting the test in September 2018.
Welcome Wapping8,

even I think that this is a very late start indeed.

The St M’s test is, on the whole, GL, but the girls do have to produce a substantial piece of writing before they tackle the test papers proper.

As for the mocks scores - my DD sat a couple of mocks on the 20th August last year. She got 60% in NVR, and only 40% in VR, so we evidently covered a fair bit of ground between then and the test day. I think 70% would indicate that, although it is not inconceivable that she will gain a place, it is certainly time to crack on.

Jams


Hi Jams (& everybody else)

I really appreciate your reply. But..... what is this about a 'substantial piece of writing'? I didn't know anything about that! The St M website says test in English, Maths, VR & NVR and I had some information else where that they use GL tests - which are all multiple choice.

Does anybody have any guidance about the writing? Is it 'free style' creative writing - although to a given title, or completing a story line from a text?

I'm now feeling panic striken, this poor girl has been told she's grammar school calibre and she's been to visit St M, but she's not getting any help with prep, apart from me & maths tutor.

Thanks for any guidance.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by ToadMum »

Wapping8 wrote:
Jamais Arrière wrote:
Wapping8 wrote: Hoping that some of you can help me with some info for one a girl sitting the test in September 2018.
Welcome Wapping8,

even I think that this is a very late start indeed.

The St M’s test is, on the whole, GL, but the girls do have to produce a substantial piece of writing before they tackle the test papers proper.

As for the mocks scores - my DD sat a couple of mocks on the 20th August last year. She got 60% in NVR, and only 40% in VR, so we evidently covered a fair bit of ground between then and the test day. I think 70% would indicate that, although it is not inconceivable that she will gain a place, it is certainly time to crack on.

Jams


Hi Jams (& everybody else)

I really appreciate your reply. But..... what is this about a 'substantial piece of writing'? I didn't know anything about that! The St M website says test in English, Maths, VR & NVR and I had some information else where that they use GL tests - which are all multiple choice.

Does anybody have any guidance about the writing? Is it 'free style' creative writing - although to a given title, or completing a story line from a text?

I'm now feeling panic striken, this poor girl has been told she's grammar school calibre and she's been to visit St M, but she's not getting any help with prep, apart from me & maths tutor.

Thanks for any guidance.
There's this from 2015:

https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... ie#p523650

both agree that the English exam was about 80 minutes in length, with the extra time allocated to the creative writing part. They mix it up a bit. With DD1 she was told to either continue the story given in the comprehension or write a short story based on one of three titles 
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
llhj
Posts: 206
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:47 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by llhj »

The comprehension is not multiple choice, it is written and quite challenging. St M are very secretive about the test content and there are no published example materials. The NVR was very brief compared to the other three tests. The English is long as it incorporates a written piece, last year was a story but there have been non-fiction tasks too. The whole day requires massive stamina compared to other selectives. I know my dd found coming back after lunch for the VR really tough. They also are in the exam room for the whole day and that is tiring too. So you need to work on that. I did a mock day at home to prep up. Good luck to her.
Jamais Arrière
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:39 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Jamais Arrière »

Great link ToadMum.

I checked with DD this morning and that’s just how she described the English component – mixed up. Although the creative writing bit is incorporated into the English paper, apparently they give them a verbal indication of when they ought to be starting this. DD’s task was to write a short story, for teenagers, about something that was lost and then found. I think there’s a fairly good chance the task will be different in nature this year.

We hardly practiced creative writing at all. We didn’t really have time, although it was her favourite task.

We tended to prioritise VR and NVR prep. She did find the NVR paper really tough. 40 questions in 20 minutes, according to her. Staggering how mentally agile they are required to be.
Wapping8
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:43 am

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Wapping8 »

Thank you for all the help about the English test. I've re-planned our prep over the summer hols. I'm almost scared to ask.... Any guidance about the Maths? The Maths tutor is working on the basis of a GL multiple choice paper, but I don't think she is hooked into these forums.
CestMoi
Posts: 221
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by CestMoi »

The maths is GL so you are covered there.

Don't worry about starting late. You've still got a fair 2 months to go. I know this goes against general advice on this site but little and often would be the way to go over the summer.
WaitingStM4077
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 6:20 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by WaitingStM4077 »

piggys wrote:
WaitingStM4077 wrote: I will be honest and say I'm was not that impressed.
quote]


And yet
WaitingStM4077 wrote: Really enjoyed and glad my DD felt welcomed
That's what you call a volte face. :lol:

I don't know if you were were expecting Mr Zippo's circus or Cirque de Soleil but the state sector is starved of money. :!: Perhaps you could take this on board. It wasn't an event for younger children was it? :!:

I think what I said is being taken out of context and some responses harsher than is nescessary.
It was a lovely event for myself, husband and older daughter just not my younger DD.
I had been informed by some Yr8 and current Yr7 parents that the event was going to have a bouncy castle etc and had advised me that it was suitable for all the family, so I bought a family ticket not realising that they didn't mean that young. It wasn't explained.
StM4077
Demetra2018
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2018 7:05 pm

Re: Any thoughts on St Michael's test results date?

Post by Demetra2018 »

Ladies
For reference to next year journey we were called by SM yesterday . I believe the school arrived to 138 this year. Good luck to all the girls and mums who tried this year. Be strong and tenacious... patience will be paid off.

Good luck!

Ps do you know a very good math tutor to recommend for secondary school? Can you write me privately? Thank you xx
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