selection tests
Introduction
You have probably already heard a lot about the
selection tests
tests that you can take for entry to selective schools. With more and more
parents deciding that a grammar school education will provide the best
opportunities for their child in an environment in which the pursuit of
scholarship is paramount, competition is steadily rising for these coveted
selective places.
LEAs and schools have to compromise between extensive testing and the demand this would make of pupils, plus time-tabling, logistic and budgetary considerations. Consequently, pupils usually take two or three tests, plus one or more practice papers in some LEAs.
Each area may have a different selection process to another as there is no
real national standard exam, however, the
selection tests
exam typically covers up to 4 areas:
Where to Start
Don’t panic! Although the whole process can seem like a test for the parents,
not the children, it can be straightforward. Firstly, do your homework!
Your local educational authority will be able to give you a list of selective
schools in your area for
selection tests
. Request prospectuses, make visits (schools hold impressive open days but
personal visits can sometimes give you a better insight to the true day to day
running), talk to both teachers, pupils and other parents and you should get a
‘gut’ feeling for a school that might suit the individual needs of your child.
Areas to focus on are: support and guidance for pupils' welfare, quality of
teaching, attitudes and behaviour, leadership, staffing and resources,
attainment and progress, links with the wider community, activities beyond the
school day, etc. Information can be found about league table positions on BBC
websites and standards from OFSTED reports. Backgound information on
selection tests
testing can be found here.
The standardisation treats boys and girls in exactly the same way. It used to be the case in educational testing some years ago that separate standardisations were conducted for boys and girls, but this has not been the case for a number of years under equal opportunities legislation.
Taking the Selective Route
Once you have decided to take the selective route, you may wish to find a
local tutor (see our growing list of recommended tutors
– if you find a good one, let us know). Do not assume that the national
curriculum will automatically cover all learning required for the
selection tests
exam, it probably won’t. Above all start early! Experience tells us that pupils
should start to study as soon possible prior to sitting the exam – the earlier
the better – but its never too late for some last minute practice. Obtaining
old exam papers can be a minefield, with schools constantly changing their
formats, and every day spent looking for
selection tests
resources is another day lost.
The
selection tests
Advantage
This website will give your child an advantage and confidence when sitting the
selection tests
exam. Your child can actually take the tests interactively online – a great fun
incentive for the type of child who enjoys computers or needs that extra
motivation to study. This interactive practice is tracked so that the child can
see the progress made and of course doesn’t require hours of marking by the
parents!
In many cases, there is a pre-determined number of selective places, and these are largely filled from an order of merit. Your location relative to the school can also play a part. If your child is out of the immediate catchment area you may find it harder to obtain a place.
selection tests
Club Membership
To get the best from the website you will need to join our
selection tests
club. Membership is available at 3 levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold with a
duration ranging from 3 to 12 months. Each level of membership allows you to
download the papers for viewing and printing with the option of taking the
test online. All
selection tests
papers taken online are in multiple choice format. The questions are the
same irrespective of format. Papers can be downloaded in the following
formats:
-
Maths - Multiple Choice & Standard
-
English - Multiple Choice
-
Verbal Reasoning - Multiple Choice & Standard
-
Non Verbal Reasoning - Multiple Choice
Eleven plus test scores are published by the school or education authority in the form of standardised scores. If more than one test is administered, the scores may be given for each test separately, or it may be that only a composite score is given. If a composite is given, it will be either the total standardised score or the average (mean) of the standardised scores.
selection tests
Bronze
Two papers available in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal
Reasoning - a total of 8 test papers.
selection tests
Silver
Four papers available in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non Verbal
Reasoning - a total of 16 test papers.
selection tests
Gold
Five papers available in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non Verbal
Reasoning - a total of 20 test papers.
Parents notes, comprehensive hints and tips.
For a step by step approach to getting started click here.
Why not sign up today! Full membership pricing can be
found here.
Online Testing
Downloads
Because standardised scores depend upon a pupil's raw score and age, a standardisation table is called a ‘two-way entry table’. In a column at the left-hand side of the table are the raw scores. Along the top of the table are the different ages - for example, 10:11 means 10 years and 11 months. As an illustration, a pupil aged 10:07 with a raw score of 23 will have a standardised score of 106 on this example test.