Breaking news SW Herts has gone CEM for VR!

[Daogroupie]

The application form is up on the SWHerts website and it has CEM plastered all over it. The Maths remains the same.

It is likely that DAO will do the same. We will know in seven days time. It is just VR and not Numerical reasoning and the examples are very VR specific so I expect I will get over it in about ten years time!

Wonder who will be the first to rush out a new VR CEM mock. Wonder if those who booked the Moray House ones will get their money back!

I have recovered a little from the shock now and studying the examples the paper is much closer to existing VR than it is to CEM. The three examples are antonyms, cloze (missing word) and missing letters. So it really is more focus on English and goodbye to codes and alphabetical sequencing hurray!

The only thing that I will miss is the ability to return to sections to do questions that have been missed. Also they have said it will take an hour but have not said how many questions which is going to make timed mocks a bit of a punt!

My advice would be to keep using the Athey and the Walsh but focus on the English sections and not the Maths ones. Unfortunately we will not know until after the exam if it is really just going to be the examples used.

DAO have moved their VR to be on Saturday 5th September so hopefully students can sit once and results will be shared. I think it is very likely to be the same exam so we have our very own Herts version of CEM Saturday! DG

[whoisfk]

Thanks for alerting everyone Daogroupie !

my DD finished last year but just wanted to appreciate your efforts for researching and informing everyone.

here is the link to familiarisation papers

http://www.swhertsschools.org.uk/wp-con ... -Final.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[roselyn]

Many thanks DG and whoisfk

I am still in SHOCK...not sure if its for good or bad... (my DD gets good mark in the Moray house style VR papers)

Shouldnt they inform about the format/examiner much earlier than just 4 months before ?
People would have spent the time in doing some vocabulary activities ..rather than alphabet codes and sequencing ....!

so, this old style VR is going away completely?
Is there any other school still sticks with old VR ?

HABS girls (indie) does VR, isnt it? Is it old VR or CEM VR style?

Thanks

[Daogroupie]

No private school in this area has yet moved to CEM. St Albans girls uses Moray House and Habs uses their own. But it is tempting for them as CEM will deliver the papers, mark them and deliver back ranked results. As numbers rise at Habs it will be harder and harder for them to mark all the papers.

I very much hope that St Albans will abandon Moray House this year and go to GL or CEM.

CEM VR is very English based and I think has good questions but my issue is the timed sections and not being able to go back and use your time in a different section.

I also have a big issue with the back up day paper being the same as it is so easy for students to remember the passages and the words.

They must have known about this for a long time ago so could have easily have put the sample paper on their website months ago.

But now we know but there will be those who will not and will carry on with the old VR. DG

[roselyn]

Yes, you are right...timed sections is the big issue !

Isnt it St Albans High - a part of North London Girls Consortium Group 1 and tests only English and Maths ?

Couldnt find any sample papers for HABS VR...Are they close to CEM type or old VR, any idea anyone?

[Daogroupie]

St Albans High adds a VR paper to the English and Maths. The Habs VR is old VR, just like Athey and Walsh. I don't think they will change just yet but maybe if their numbers hit one thousand as DAO's did. They are on about 600 at the moment. Habs girls does not have any sample papers at all on their website but their format is close enough to DAO that I don't know of any girl who got DAO who did not also get Habs. The way to prepare for Habs used to be to prepare for DAO. Now the VR will be different. DG

[roselyn]

Thanks DG

But I am still confused…
Assume if one is applying for both - St Helens and St Albans - both in Group 1 and the child is sitting in St Helens for the consortium exam.
Will they give separate (VR) paper (apart from Maths and English) for the children who applied for St Albans?

[Ally]

Thanks DG

But I am still confused…
Assume if one is applying for both - St Helens and St Albans - both in Group 1 and the child is sitting in St Helens for the consortium exam.
Will they give separate (VR) paper (apart from Maths and English) for the children who applied for St Albans?

The South West consortium is the following schools:-

Bushey Meads
Rickmansworth
St Clement Danes
Parmiter’s
Queens’
Watford Grammar School for Boys
Watford Grammar School for Girls

[Disappointeddad]

Thanks DG

But I am still confused…
Assume if one is applying for both - St Helens and St Albans - both in Group 1 and the child is sitting in St Helens for the consortium exam.
Will they give separate (VR) paper (apart from Maths and English) for the children who applied for St Albans?

Roselyn,
Notwithstanding your DD taking Group 1 consortium exam at St Helens and applying for both St Albans and St Helens, should she be successful, she will need to sit the VR test when she goes to St Albans for an interview. I would suggest that your DD sit the Group 1 exam at St Albans.

[Daogroupie]

Exactly. You need to sit at St Albans so you can do the VR at the time otherwise you will need to do it at St Albans when you go for the interview. DG