Entrance exam today, what were your DC’s opinions?

[Positivenancy]

Hi all,

So the secondary school entrance exam was today, hope everyone got on well. What did your DC’s think of it? My DD (11, will be 12 in March) said it was easy enough, a few hard questions but she didn’t seem phased by it. She’s fairly average in primary School never really gets above average, but she is a bright girl all the same. I’m not worried she’s very sporty and very sociable. But just wondered what other peoples DC thought of it. Thank you.

Is that a new thing? None of my now elderly kids had to do an exam!

I did one and I’m 40…but I did English, Irish and maths exams, now it’s an aptitude test

Where is this ? It doesn't happen where i am. Secondary school offers will come out in early February as we use a common application system.

Is this for one specific school?

It's craicnet, op and I are in Ireland. Well I assume op is!

Is this for a private school? Is her place dependent on passing the exam or is it used to place children that have been offered a place into specific classes?

I don’t know if it’s a new thing. I didn’t do one, but my DC in secondary did do CAT4 and English and Irish tests around this time of the year. They were in 6th but had already been accepted by the school for anyone wondering, so it was nothing to do with admissions. Just to see where they were academically I think. They weren’t streamed on the results either, and the results were never given out, though I suppose you could ask for them (I didn’t). They were also shown round the school on the day. Not a fee-paying school.

The other school in town also does the assessments but waits until they’ve started in 1st year to do them.

Selection on the basis of academic ability isn’t allowed in school admissions in Ireland (ROI) @MILLYmo0se.

Yes they are still in 6th, accepted into the school already so just do the CAT4 test to stream them into the right classes I suppose. Sorry to the other PP’s- I’m in Ireland and not feeling paying schools, this is just the process for entering secondary here.

Yes this it is just to gauge their ability so they can be put in the right classes.

Yep 👋

All schools do it as far as I know

@eggandonion

Definitely not a new thing. I'm 44 and did one. I remember it so clearly. We had to do the exam in our chosen secondary school on a Saturday morning.

Mine weren’t streamed on the basis of the test results. All the first year classes were mixed ability in their school. Maybe they used the test results to help achieve that? I’m not too sure how they did it tbh🤔

They definitely weren’t streamed by academic ability in 1st year though, we were told that.

It could be different in other schools of course.

Some schools do them some don't. My kids school does it but it's more of an aptitude test not on specific subjects. AFAIK schools don't steam based on the results it is more to get an idea of the academic levels of the incoming first years.

Yes, this is an absolute test. I think they just use it to help them figure out what kind of learner they are and what classes they best suit.

Aptitude not absolute 🤣

Ours must have relied on primary school reports, and a meeting about whether it would be a good idea to separate a dc from anyone in particular!

That's why I was so confused, so it's an apptitude test not an entrance exam.
I think most schools do them at some point, my DD did on first Yr, classes weren't streamed by ability and did CAT4s recently again in TY as they head towards picking their LC exam subjects

Yes, it’s an aptitude test and the student has already been accepted by the school. They’re often informally referred to as entrance exams though. I know that’s the common term used around here anyway.

I didn’t know they did more in TY. Makes sense though. Is that widespread I wonder?

I’m pretty sure streaming by ability is not allowed for first years. Some I know in the Dept of Ed was complaining that our local secondary were informally doing it even though it was against the rules

I'm 54 and did an aptitude test in 1982 for secondary school. It was a big community school in south county Dublin and back then it was definitely used for streaming.

OP nothing like that here. We use a common application system a bit like the cao. Offers come out in two weeks. I haven't heard of schools streaming first years in a very long time. I thought it didn't happen anymore.

@SparkyBlue thats interesting, where are you based?

@Positivenancy it's been the system in Limerick for about 20 years now or even longer I'd say