11 plus test GL assessment

[Brighteyes27]

Just looking through some 11 plus practice papers with our DS and to be in with a good chance of securing a place we believe based on previous years he needs to score 300 or above in the test. The test is GL assessment. Just wondering if anyone knows when going through the practice papers roughly how many our DS should be getting right roughly on average per section I.e. 50 %, 70 %, 80 % etc.

Our son is a bright lad (but often lacks motivation). He has chosen to go for this school and do the test. We have purchased the practice papers to give him a heads up on the style of questions but we don't believe in intensive tutoring him especially not to the point of artificially inflating his test results otherwise if he gets in he'd really struggle which we don't want.

Many thanks

[Grittzio]

Bump

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

A score of 300? I don't understand, sorry. In some areas candidates take two tests, the scores are standardised (with 100 being average) then added together, giving an average score of 200. The pass mark for some schools is then 210, but they still take those with the highest scores who apply, giving a variable cut off each year, sometime 220 or so.

So what does your score of 300 come from? If the total of 3 papers after standardisation, 300 would be an average score, the middle of the distribution?

[Brighteyes27]

Hi Grittzio
Have you any advice/anything to add or are you interested in the same?
Thanks

[Brighteyes27]

Children's test scores vary year on year but usually children are admitted with a score of say between 270 odd and say 330 or similar (but sometimes children could get in with only 250 odd). So if DS got say 269 we may not put it as our first choice for fear he'd struggle on a daily basis whereas if he got over 290 or above we would put this as first choice (providing he is still keen)?

[Grittzio]

Hi Brighteyes, sorry should have explained, interested in your question as my son regularly does GL assessment papers and has got scores up to 86%, I'm wondering if this is enough as he is considered a bright boy. He does practise papers every week but I don't want to put him under too much pressure this summer for the GS test if this is enough.

[Brighteyes27]

Hi Grittzio, I'm no expert but that sounds like a very good score. We are late comers and have only started with papers this weekend so we haven't even got that far yet and are just at the practising questions stage without focusing on speed. Did you buy a book first or just start practising questions? Our DS is a perfectionist and wants to get every one right (we've not timed him yet but fear he would most probably run out of time).
Good luck

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Sorry, still don't understand where your score comes from. Is it a standardised score? What area are you in? Are these VR papers only?

My DS took two GL assessment VR papers for the 11+ last year and got a standardised score of 110 for one and 112 for the other. These were totalled to give a score of 222. This was sufficient to get him into grammar in my area. He had been getting an average of 85% on the eight GL VR practice papers.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

In your area what papers are taken? Verbal reasoning only or a mix of VR, maths, English, Non verbal reasoning?

[Brighteyes27]

Hi Ellen, Lancs & Cumbria. The GL practice papers and the test covers in NVR, VR, Mathematics and English.

[steppemum]

there is a very good site called 11plusexams forum. It has detailed information about every region and the different test etc.

It also has a question forum.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

I see, brighteyes. You can only really compare, then, with those doing the same mix of papers. I second the elevenplusexams forum. The local sections are very, very useful. I'll fink a link for you.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=20&sid=9836edfa829c2b4bf913115693e15a0e

Link to Lancs and Cumbria page.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Fink a link?

[steppemum]

quite like fink a link, may have to adopt it!

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

[queenofthemountain]

The 11+ cut off mark (pass mark) does not relate to how many questions they got right, it is to do with where they lie on the bell curve of standardised scores ie what proportion of other candidates they beat.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Standardised scores between 270 and 330 equalling a pass seem a bit strange. I'm used to standardised scores of around 100 being average, like IQ.

If it's 3 standardised scores added together, 270 sounds rather low to get a grammar school place, below average? So it must be something else.

[Brighteyes27]

Thank you all and thanks for the link.

[teddygirlonce]

Also not to rain on your parade but one parent's 'very bright child' doesn't necessarily transfer to doing well in 11+ exams or beyond! It's so subjective!

[Toapointlordcopper]

We are in Kent and feedom of info act was used to find out about scores.

In Kent the levels varied slightly by paper but a result of around 80% in a paper automatically got top marks (140 in Kent's case). The mark dropped 6 % for those who were summer born, so that appx 74% got top marks (which are conversely given as 120)

So, if you got 80% as an autumn child you got top marks 140 which is considered exactly equal to a summer born child getting 74% and a standardised score therefore of 120.

So, getting more than 80% in test papers seems to be what to aim for for top marks, and there should be a cushion underneath that whereby they will still pass, but not with top score. I imagine that might be similar I. Other areas.

Them's the facts for this areas as far as I can ascertain. Just don't ask me to apply any logic to them...

[Mumski45]

You will find the 11+ system works differently in different areas. Lancs and Cumbria are very different to a full grammar school area like Kent. I am from Lancs and have got 2 boys into a Lancs grammar school so if you are willing to say which school you are looking at I may be able to give more specific advice.

[Mumski45]

Oops just realised this is an old thread