Alternative exam dates

[11plusfrency]

Hi
Not too sure what the alternative exam dates mean. Have checked previous posts that say children who took the exam on the alternative date had more passing percentage. Is that true???? I do not think so children can have same paper or an easy paper? How is comparison of ranks done in this case

My daughter took the exam this morning and I saw so many children. and I am wondering how many more...

[Daogroupie]

The alternative dates are supposed to be for students who are ill on the exam day and so are unable to take the exam on the scheduled day. Last year they were also available for students who had clashes between exams. However this year those who had clashes between Tiffin and HBS and Latymer and Watford were refused the option to take the backup date so it would appear that only those who were sick will be attending the dates. DG

[Highamsmum]

You could also register for an alternative date for Redbridge if you moved into catchment after registration had closed. As I understand it, that exam is not until next year. I don't know whether it will be the same paper - with so many schools sharing the same paper on 13th September, you would think there would would be plenty of opportunity to discover the content if the children were sitting the same paper early next year.

[Daogroupie]

The Latymer back up date was this morning and it was the same paper. I have had the same details about the words and the comprehension from this morning and Saturday. With almost four thousand sitting on Saturday I find it hard to believe that they could be so naive. DG

[HotCrossBun]

Surely, they need only compare the pass-rates between the two populations to see that there is an advantage to taking the test later. Having done that, they should be able to deduce why.

[11plusfrency]

It is true that children who were ill or who couldn't take the exam for religious reasons are allowed to take the exam on an alternate date. This year the alternate date is on 24th Sep, Wed. I know it because one of other child's mum said her friend's child wanted to take the exam in Kent on 13th Sep and Kent refused to give an alternate date to them (though the Kent had an exam on 10th Sep for their inside borough children).

My friend immediately called Redbridge council and asked if the children will be given the same paper as on 13th and the answer was YES. They added saying it is difficult for children to memorise the CEM type questions. WHY NOT? My daughter can remember up to 6 difficult synonyms she had in the paper. Leave 6, but if the child who is taking the exam on 24th Aug can even get to know one synonym which came in the papers on 13th, is it not an advantage? No one may possibly try and get the questions, but casually people do tend to mention that there was this word which was difficult, can that not happen?

Especially in an over subscribed borough like Redbridge, where for every single mark you have number of children passing with only 120 seats, we are clearly disadvantaged over the children who are going to be taking the exam on 24th. Is anyone from Redbridge council listening to all these and at least trying to see if they can arrange for a different paper?

[Shapla]

I have voiced my concerns regarding the same paper,on the back up date, to my friend who works for Redbridge council. He had already reported this and has added that if any parent wishes to write to the council, they can email him and he will make sure it reaches a very senior level. He is acquainted with the admissions dept. Rather than put his email on this forum, can any parents pm me and I will forward the email address..

[Icepop]

My DD sat the Redbridge exam at woodford county school also, and she remembers all the number of questions and timings to each section, also many of the synonyms/antonyms and maths questions given, even finding out the types of non-verbal types coming up is sufficient for those who are sitting on the 24th sept.

I totally disagree also with how Redbridge council is allowing the same paper, totally unfair to the children who sat on the 13th sept.

Does anyone know how many boys/girls are sitting Redbridge on the 24th September?

I read somewhere that Latymer had 30 children on their second sitting.

[Zyka]

I have voiced my concerns regarding the same paper,on the back up date, to my friend who works for Redbridge council. He had already reported this and has added that if any parent wishes to write to the council, they can email him and he will make sure it reaches a very senior level. He is acquainted with the admissions dept. Rather than put his email on this forum, can any parents pm me and I will forward the email address..

We should all write a compliant letter to Redbridge admissions, if enough parents do this then they are bound to take it seriously. My DD sat the exam at Woodford as well, she said they were warned not to reveal the exam content to anyone and threatened with legal action if found out. Maybe the council thought that will keep them quiet.

[Daogroupie]

I was able to find out that it was the same paper by simply asking a student from each date what the comprehension was about. They both told me exactly the same thing and then reeled off a whole list of words which were of course the same. If I can find that out in seconds imagine what someone can do in eleven days! It will be interesting to compare the ratio of who gets in between the two dates. How hard can it be to organise a different paper from another area of the country to be used as the backup date? How many schools sat this same paper on Sept 13th that is now going to be used on Sept 24th? Schools must be mad to agree to this travesty. Hundreds of playgrounds in many different locations all talking about words and questions from a paper that others have yet to sit? Nobody would dream of allowing that for GCSE's and A levels where resits are possible so why is ok for the 11 plus where there is no second chance? DG