QE Boys exams Sep 18

[ale21279]

This year the exams will be held over two days - Thu 20 & Fri 21 Sep

"Thank you for submitting your son’s entrance test request form which has been received at the school.

Please be aware that the number of requests received has exceeded the total which can be accommodated for testing in a single day, and that tests will therefore be held on both Thursday 20th and Friday 21st September. Each candidate will be invited for one of these two days, and emails giving details of the arrangements for the entrance tests will be sent out approximately one week before the test dates. Please ensure that your son is available to sit the test on either 20th or 21st September, as the number of candidates involved makes it impossible for preferences to be accommodated.

We look forward to seeing your son at the school in September."

[Daogroupie]

This day has been a long time coming.

With numbers going up every year they had to move to two days but obviously were not expecting it to be this year.

I hope they have allocated these slots by schools as it will be the same English and Maths papers each day and those who sit on the first day are going to have to keep quiet otherwise they will endanger their own chance of a place at the school. DG

[hjhj]

Suddenly QE seems to be darling of evryone.Mr Enright must be doing something 'Great'!......
I always thought , with its ups and downs , it is one of the best GCSE school in the country.

[ToadMum]

Suddenly QE seems to be darling of evryone.Mr Enright must be doing something 'Great'!......
I always thought , with its ups and downs , it is one of the best GCSE school in the country.

And A level?

[thisisnuts]

Suddenly QE seems to be darling of evryone

Certainly receives universal adoration from everyone on this forum

[piggys]

I'm surprised this hasn't happened already. I wonder how many candidates applied? what's your estimate DG?

The other thing is that if they do use the same exam on both days then we can fully expect parents whose dc sat on the first day to complain that dc taking the exam on the second day have an unfair advantage - which technically speaking is true, if all the legends about tutors spilling the beans and so on are to be believed. Would it be so difficult to expect a different exam on each day?

[ToadMum]

I'm surprised this hasn't happened already. I wonder how many candidates applied? what's your estimate DG?

The other thing is that if they do use the same exam on both days then we can fully expect parents whose dc sat on the first day to complain that dc taking the exam on the second day have an unfair advantage - which technically speaking is true, if all the legends about tutors spilling the beans and so on are to be believed. Would it be so difficult to expect a different exam on each day?

But tutors only have information to pass on if a) they get sight of the actual papers somehow or b) they grill children who have just taken the tests AND believe that said children have actually remembered correctly and are stupid enough to tell them what was actually on the papers.

So if your DS is sitting the exam on the Thursday and you suspect that the last two apply, keep him away from his tutor until after the Friday sitting, perhaps?

[piggys]

Yes yes, I know it's all far fetched and silly but you can bet some of the more...er...(searches for euphemism)...concerned parents will take massive issue with it and turn it into A Thing. Watch this space

[Guest55]

They could hire somewhere large enough for the day and prevent this 'issue' surely?

[thisisnuts]

The other thing is that if they do use the same exam on both days then we can fully expect parents whose dc sat on the first day to complain that dc taking the exam on the second day have an unfair advantage

All the grammar schools already have a backup day (theoretically, strictly for children who were ill on the main day) when the same paper is used. This is usually in the week after the 1st sitting, so much more time for students to damage their own chances by leaking the exam contents!

They could hire somewhere large enough for the day and prevent this 'issue' surely?

Last year, approx 2,400 students sat the exam. If we assume at least 2,000 of those were on the first day, that's a big venue to hire - and not a great use of the school's funds.


So if they've felt the need to go into a second day, I'd guess the number of applicants is well over 2,500 this year.