Did so much better in mocks.

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Just looking
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:55 pm

Did so much better in mocks.

Post by Just looking »

Did anybody else find their C did so much better in mocks?

Our D was getting 360/370 in mocks, but only 303.919 on the 'big day'.

Thank god we're in catchment for WHSG!!!
toolate
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by toolate »

Yes, I am totally gutted. I just can't see how we can have done SO many VR papers with scores consistently 86-92% (including the tough ones sold on this site) and he got 71% on the day. I think he must have just totally lost it at some point. I know he was running out of time, and probably got panicky. He was consistently top in his tutor group for VR and got 57 on the day.

His maths also dipped strongly, but within the realms of probability as he got 78% vs 85% normally - so I would have guessed that, although he said he thought the maths paper was easy.

Completely ironically, his English was a very respectable 56% which was about the highest he ever got in mocks.

I really sympathise with anyone out there whose DS', for whatever reason, just completely under-performed their potential. It is quite heart-breaking.
Just looking
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:55 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by Just looking »

I completely understand how you feel.

So disappointing when you know they're capable of
so much more.
longtimelurker
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:36 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by longtimelurker »

My DD didn't do mocks, just past papers. Her scores were always fine. We had high hopes.
worri3d_mum
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by worri3d_mum »

I think a lot of kids did better in mocks than on the day, my DS also dropped 15-20% on his mocks scores.

I think sometimes we underestimate the effect of the BIG EXAM and the stresses that go with it - our DC know that mocks are just that - mocks, and therefore, not as much pressure. Just the knowlegde that "this is it" can make a huge difference to how many DC perform on the day...
aang
Posts: 158
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:41 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by aang »

It is usual that many children score lower in the actual 11+ compared to practice for three main reasons:
1. Unfamiliar exam environment with distracting noises and unfamiliar room setting

2. Loss in concentration - children usually get up early for day of exam, sit a rough English paper, not much time before a Maths paper, and then a rapid verbal reasoning paper

3. Pressure of being the actual exam and for many children in Essex, their only entrance exam..

In fact, there are far fewer such comments in this forum this year compared to last year.

I would also be cautious about what tutors/teachers may tell you beforehand (nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news or doubt). Don't forget, we never get to see the verbal reasoning paper so it is impossible to estimate any complete score based on a relevant mock. Looking at the scores from a statistical perspective, the 2011 VR paper was tough, but 2012 VR paper seems to have been relatively easy. For any future candidates out there, my tip would be to keep aside either the 2011 and 2012 maths and english paper and use this as a practice paper a few weeks before the actual exam. Then you can compare the scores against the ones posted in these forums to get a more accurate gauge - the VR paper can be approximated by taking a full VR paper and deducting 10-20% from the score..
bravado
Posts: 468
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:28 am

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by bravado »

aang wrote: Looking at the scores from a statistical perspective, the 2011 VR paper was tough, but 2012 VR paper seems to have been relatively easy.
I would suggest that it may be very difficult to assess the difficulty or otherwise, of the exams that were were taken in 2012, versus the exams taken in 2011, using only the evidence on the boards or perhaps even the opinion of the candidates, post-exam. Would you be so kind as to tell us what your data source was for your suggestion?

You see the thing is, when a declaration/suggestion/theory is postulated, that an exam is easy or easier normal, it can diminish the achievement of those who scored highly and rub salt in the wound of those who didn't do as well as they might have hoped. However, I know there's winners and losers and we all have to learn to cope with either result.

One might cautiously suggest that results/statistics/theories derived from data on here may be seriously skewed. We don't know if what's posted is true or accurate, or more importantly, genuinely representative of what the actual results show. Only CSSE holds this information at the moment. :wink: A lot of people lurk and read these boards without ever posting - many of them use this board as an invaluable and for the most part, accurate source of advice and information. I think we all need to be careful when citing statistics without quoting our source or database.

I make a huge apology for banging this "evidence" drum again but my academic training is too deeply ingrained lol! :lol:
aang
Posts: 158
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:41 pm

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by aang »

Bravado,

Look at my post in
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 15&t=28558" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have no vested interest in this year's exam or last year's. The fact that there were so many candidates able to score 90%+ in this year's VR paper compared to last year strongly suggests this year's VR paper was much easier..
Dazel
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2012 8:37 am

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by Dazel »

My son dropped easily 50% from his mock scores......
bravado
Posts: 468
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:28 am

Re: Did so much better in mocks.

Post by bravado »

aang wrote:Bravado,

Look at my post in
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 15&t=28558" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have no vested interest in this year's exam or last year's. The fact that there were so many candidates able to score 90%+ in this year's VR paper compared to last year strongly suggests this year's VR paper was much easier..
Thanks aang - I saw your admirable stats' post the other day and note your comment

"1. The results posted in these forums are not a representative picture of the overall results as these forums contain an over-representation of higher scores, 2013 even more so than 2012"

So...as long as everyone bears the bold highlighted bit in mind, when reading about theories on the level of difficulty of this year's test, that may enable them to make their own assessment :D

So in essence, at the moment, any theories about how the exams can be rated, as far as levels of difficulty are concerned, must be regarded as not entirely representative of the true and whole picture. One may therefore possibly suggest that it's not a statistical representation of the results but a statistical analysis of this site's posted results. :D

If only we could get CSSE to have some input for the true picture regarding statistics...
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