Standaradised Scores and Pass Mark
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G
Standaradised Scores and Pass Mark
Hello - I wonder if someone could clarify a couple of things for me.
Firstly - does Essex standardise scores according to age? I've read/been told conflicting things and would like to know one way or the other.
Another thing, when we visited Southend school last week they were talking about the pass mark you would need to get in, ie the minimum score needed - I think it was something like 105. I'm assuming this is out of 180, the raw score of all 3 papers added together, but is this correct? Another thing talking of raw scores, 50% of the final score is VR and 25% each Maths & English, but the maths paper is out of 40 and the English out of 50, so they adjust the scores on these so both of them are 25%? Or is English worth more than Maths?
Would appreciate your advice just so I know I've got my facts right. Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
Firstly - does Essex standardise scores according to age? I've read/been told conflicting things and would like to know one way or the other.
Another thing, when we visited Southend school last week they were talking about the pass mark you would need to get in, ie the minimum score needed - I think it was something like 105. I'm assuming this is out of 180, the raw score of all 3 papers added together, but is this correct? Another thing talking of raw scores, 50% of the final score is VR and 25% each Maths & English, but the maths paper is out of 40 and the English out of 50, so they adjust the scores on these so both of them are 25%? Or is English worth more than Maths?
Would appreciate your advice just so I know I've got my facts right. Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
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G
Ok another question - hopefully this one will make more sense!
My son failed to get into Westcliff Boys last year - we are out of catchment and because we felt it necessary to put 3 comps down on our selection form we only had space for one Grammar. He was consistently getting high scores in his practice papers, well over 90% for VR and close to that on maths & english. His scores were English 22/50, Maths 18/40, VR 75/90. Overall, standardised, wieghted score was 310.23. Total applicants for the school 689 - his position (about 200), Applicants on your ranked list 341.
We had thought this was terrible since he had been scoring so high. But was it really that bad? Was his position of 200-ish purely out of the 689 candidates, or out of the 341 out of catchment? I have read some messages below which suggests children got into grammars with some raw scores less than 50% so maybe he didn't do so bad after all, I've always felt his VR score was probably good enough. The big question is .... would he have got a place at Southend if we'd put that down instead of Westcliff?
Its just a post-mortem really, I doubt there's anything I can do to get my son into a grammar now, but I do have another child sitting the 11+ this year and want to go into the whole thing fully clued up! Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
My son failed to get into Westcliff Boys last year - we are out of catchment and because we felt it necessary to put 3 comps down on our selection form we only had space for one Grammar. He was consistently getting high scores in his practice papers, well over 90% for VR and close to that on maths & english. His scores were English 22/50, Maths 18/40, VR 75/90. Overall, standardised, wieghted score was 310.23. Total applicants for the school 689 - his position (about 200), Applicants on your ranked list 341.
We had thought this was terrible since he had been scoring so high. But was it really that bad? Was his position of 200-ish purely out of the 689 candidates, or out of the 341 out of catchment? I have read some messages below which suggests children got into grammars with some raw scores less than 50% so maybe he didn't do so bad after all, I've always felt his VR score was probably good enough. The big question is .... would he have got a place at Southend if we'd put that down instead of Westcliff?
Its just a post-mortem really, I doubt there's anything I can do to get my son into a grammar now, but I do have another child sitting the 11+ this year and want to go into the whole thing fully clued up! Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
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Guest
Did you check where he was on the waiting list for Westcliff? His position I think was out of the 689 that applied which is why I am asking if you checked his position as they take 150 and he would have been pretty close. Yes, I do think he would have gotten into Southend with that position. He could always do the 12+. In terms of schools for your next child, you should put Westcliff and Southend and then the comps.G wrote:Ok another question - hopefully this one will make more sense!
My son failed to get into Westcliff Boys last year - we are out of catchment and because we felt it necessary to put 3 comps down on our selection form we only had space for one Grammar. He was consistently getting high scores in his practice papers, well over 90% for VR and close to that on maths & english. His scores were English 22/50, Maths 18/40, VR 75/90. Overall, standardised, wieghted score was 310.23. Total applicants for the school 689 - his position (about 200), Applicants on your ranked list 341.
We had thought this was terrible since he had been scoring so high. But was it really that bad? Was his position of 200-ish purely out of the 689 candidates, or out of the 341 out of catchment? I have read some messages below which suggests children got into grammars with some raw scores less than 50% so maybe he didn't do so bad after all, I've always felt his VR score was probably good enough. The big question is .... would he have got a place at Southend if we'd put that down instead of Westcliff?
Its just a post-mortem really, I doubt there's anything I can do to get my son into a grammar now, but I do have another child sitting the 11+ this year and want to go into the whole thing fully clued up! Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
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Guest
Re: Standaradised Scores and Pass Mark
G wrote:Hello - I wonder if someone could clarify a couple of things for me.
Firstly - does Essex standardise scores according to age? I've read/been told conflicting things and would like to know one way or the other.
Another thing, when we visited Southend school last week they were talking about the pass mark you would need to get in, ie the minimum score needed - I think it was something like 105. I'm assuming this is out of 180, the raw score of all 3 papers added together, but is this correct? Another thing talking of raw scores, 50% of the final score is VR and 25% each Maths & English, but the maths paper is out of 40 and the English out of 50, so they adjust the scores on these so both of them are 25%? Or is English worth more than Maths?
Essex do not standardise scores for age. English and Maths are worth the same - VR is the key paper as it is 50%.
Would appreciate your advice just so I know I've got my facts right. Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
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Guest
Re: Standaradised Scores and Pass Mark
Anonymous wrote:G wrote:Hello - I wonder if someone could clarify a couple of things for me.
Firstly - does Essex standardise scores according to age? I've read/been told conflicting things and would like to know one way or the other.
Another thing, when we visited Southend school last week they were talking about the pass mark you would need to get in, ie the minimum score needed - I think it was something like 105. I'm assuming this is out of 180, the raw score of all 3 papers added together, but is this correct? Another thing talking of raw scores, 50% of the final score is VR and 25% each Maths & English, but the maths paper is out of 40 and the English out of 50, so they adjust the scores on these so both of them are 25%? Or is English worth more than Maths?
Essex do not standardise scores for age. English and Maths are worth the same - VR is the key paper as it is 50%.
Would appreciate your advice just so I know I've got my facts right. Thanks to anyone who answers.
G.
Essex do not standardise scores for age. English and Maths are worth the same - VR is the key paper as it is 50%.
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Guest
As the previous poster said, you do not get any allowance for age in Essex.
However, the papers are standardised. They're weighted depending on how easy or difficult they were in relation to each other. The average marks for the papers are looked at. If a child scores 60% in Maths and English and VR but the English paper average for that year is lower than the other 2 papers, then the 60% scored in the English will have a higher weighting than that scored in VR or Maths. A mathematician is brought in to standardise the results after the 11+ and the formula used is too complicated for the consortium to explain.
However, the papers are standardised. They're weighted depending on how easy or difficult they were in relation to each other. The average marks for the papers are looked at. If a child scores 60% in Maths and English and VR but the English paper average for that year is lower than the other 2 papers, then the 60% scored in the English will have a higher weighting than that scored in VR or Maths. A mathematician is brought in to standardise the results after the 11+ and the formula used is too complicated for the consortium to explain.
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G
Thanks Guests for all your answers. All is now clear(er). I'll stop trying to work out how the scores are calculated and just encourage my daughter to do her best!
Thanks also for clarifying over my son's position, it does make a lot more sense that he only just missed out, rather than being a long way out, its just those low raw scores suggested otherwise!
Thanks also for clarifying over my son's position, it does make a lot more sense that he only just missed out, rather than being a long way out, its just those low raw scores suggested otherwise!
