Boys and Girls cut offs

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FNHM
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:47 am

Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by FNHM »

Hi all,

Does anyone know why the girls and boys cut offs are so different? My son has 324.737, so if he were a girl would be almost guaranteed Southend and a good chance for Westcliffe and even Colchester. As a boy, he'll be lucky to get Southend Boys on a really good day (we are out of catchment).

Why is there such discrepancy? Are the scores standardised together and boys outperform girls as a whole or is there more to it?

Thanks!
SchoolMum3G
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 10:16 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by SchoolMum3G »

I don't think they are standardised separately - as one school is mixed it wouldn't make sense. Though that's literally just me thinking.

I was thinking it might be because Chelmsford girls don't use the same scoring system - so more boys might sit the exam than girls? For example if you're a boy in Chelmsford only wanting Kegs you sit the 11+. But a girl that only wants Chelmsford wouldn't sit the CSSE exam.

You can make a freedom of information request to CsSE to ask how many boys and girls sat the exam this year. That would give you more to go on. Though there are so many variables.
SchoolMum3G
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 10:16 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by SchoolMum3G »

Direct from CSSE: A total of 5383 candidates took the test this year. 2482 were girls and 2901 were boys.

Found this on another thread (not my info) looks like it's because more boys sit the exam.
FNHM
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:47 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by FNHM »

Thank you!

Wow. So 2901 boys sat the exam.
300 is the central point in the standardisation meaning that 50% are above and 50% below, right? And 303 is the pass mark so a little under half of the boys will have passed so say 1425. And they are all hoping to get the 660 or so boys grammar places available. So there will be a lot of disappointed boys this year! Around 765 of them! :(
petjam
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:53 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by petjam »

Is that right that 50% of the boys passed? That sounds wrong, surely the pass mark would be raised in years like this? Isn’t that why we are seeing girls with the same raw score as a boy getting a much higher standardised mark?

I saw on a previous thread that the headmaster at WHSB yesterday said that if you passed in catchment and you put both WHSB and SHSB down you are pretty much guaranteed a place.

Now I know we don't know how the split of IC and OOC of those that passed but if we use your statement of 50% passed then the Westcliff Head's comment doesn't hold water.
Last edited by petjam on Thu Oct 19, 2017 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SchoolMum3G
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 10:16 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by SchoolMum3G »

petjam wrote:Is that right that 50% of the boys passed?
No 50% don't get 303 (which is the lower mark for I think all of the schools?)

50% got more than 300 and 50% less.
SchoolMum3G
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 10:16 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by SchoolMum3G »

FNHM wrote:Thank you!

Wow. So 2901 boys sat the exam.
300 is the central point in the standardisation meaning that 50% are above and 50% below, right? And 303 is the pass mark so a little under half of the boys will have passed so say 1425. And they are all hoping to get the 660 or so boys grammar places available. So there will be a lot of disappointed boys this year! Around 765 of them! :(
So many sit it don't they! Quite a few will be bunched close to the 300 - so between 300-303 there would be quite a few. Possibly more than you've suggested :-)
petjam
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:53 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by petjam »

SchoolMum3G wrote:
petjam wrote:Is that right that 50% of the boys passed?
No 50% don't get 303 (which is the lower mark for I think all of the schools?)

50% got more than 300 and 50% less.
Sorry that confuses me. You are saying 50% got more than 303?
FNHM
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:47 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by FNHM »

SchoolMum3G wrote:
petjam wrote:Is that right that 50% of the boys passed?
No 50% don't get 303 (which is the lower mark for I think all of the schools?)

50% got more than 300 and 50% less.

Yes- that's how I understand it too- the mark of 300 is the mid point and 50% are above and 50% are below. So then the pass mark is set higher meaning that a little under 50% pass and achieve the 303. So that equates to the approx 1425 number achieving minimum of 303?

I'm no expert though so don't take my word for it!! :lol:
SchoolMum3G
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 10:16 am

Re: Boys and Girls cut offs

Post by SchoolMum3G »

petjam wrote:
SchoolMum3G wrote:
petjam wrote:Is that right that 50% of the boys passed?
No 50% don't get 303 (which is the lower mark for I think all of the schools?)

50% got more than 300 and 50% less.
Sorry that confuses me. You are saying 50% got more than 303?
No
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