11+ Change in Test Format?

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mad scientist
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:42 pm

11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by mad scientist »

I visited Burnham Grammar yesterday and was informed that the 11+ will be changing for 2014 entry and that it will no longer be verbal reasoning but an IQ based test that you can't tutor to instead. My DS is due to take the 11+ october 1013 for 2014 entry and I was going to start tutoring but if they are changing the exam I am wondering if it will be a waste of time and if the tutors are up to speed for the new test for 2014?

Does anyone know anything about this?

Many thanks
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by MrsChubbs »

If u go to the bucks forum and look on page 2 u will find lots of info on this. Unless things have changed since then, and I don't think that any announcement is due until Jan 2013, then no-one knows what the format will be. I believe the advice is that if u want to do anything work on vocabulary and maths as it can only benefit ur child. No much help I know.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi mad scientist, and welcome!

As MrsChubbs says, we don't yet know what the format of the new test will be. It may simply be two tests in VR/NVR, but it might be more extensive.

The most wide-ranging test for the 11+ is the "Durham CEM", an allegedly "tutor-proof test" used in Birmingham and a few other areas. There is quite a lot of information about past test content for that here: http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/school ... er-content" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you take a look at the topics covered by that, and add in some standard GL-type VR/NVR, you should at least be able to make a worthwhile start.

Sally-Anne
mad scientist
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:42 pm

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by mad scientist »

Many thanks!

It seems that all I can do is hang on, work on maths and english, have a look at the Birmingham test and see what happens!

It does seem a little unfair on the children facing the new exam that we won't know what it is until January!

Fingers crossed
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by Guest55 »

It's the same for everyone though ...
SB888
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:20 pm

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by SB888 »

Guest55 has pipped me at the post -it'll be the same situation for all of that cohort of children sitting the test, my DS2 being one of them. At this point I'm not particularly worried about the changes - surely if one has a child of 'GS ability' (and I use this term with a degree of trepidation) this will be reflected in their aptitude in whatever format the test will take.
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by drummer »

I had an odd (to me at least) conversation at the school gate on Friday. A couple of mums were discussing the upcoming changes. They were not happy with not knowing what the test might be (rumours of maths etc). "Don't worry I said and pointed out that everyone would be in the same boat for the first year or two and so for once the test might actually be fair and not reliant on a child having rich and/or 'in the know' parents. Everyone could relax.

Well, you know when you realise that you have said something that people find unpalatable and out of order? When it goes very, uncomfortably quiet? They did not like this at all and it was clear that they wanted to be able to tutor their children to near death in order to 'pass' this test.

I really don't understand this as I would love for it to just be a test that nobody knows anything about or when it's going to happen so that nobody can prepare for it so that we don't have all this pressure!
scary mum
Posts: 8842
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: 11+ Change in Test Format?

Post by scary mum »

I suppose people don't like change and are used to the tutoring going on, so feel it is in some way unfair to their DCs if they can't do the same. Personally I agree with you - when I took my 11 plus, we just went along and did it with no practice. It's easy for me to say, with three DCs at GS, but I do think it will be fairer for all next year. Of course after that...
scary mum
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