failure of selective test?

[Jianning]

Anyone had experience of their child failing a selective test want to advise? He hasn't done it yet (it is a pre-test - to see if he's good enough to apply!) I would normally be reluctant, but choice of schools not good and this one is near and I want to keep our options open. Passing is by no means a forgone conclusion and I don't want his confidence knocked. How did failure to get into a school or 11+ affect you child? And what is this computer pre-test like? I've heard it's multiple choice, but unlike any other test. Can you prepare? Or will only years of tutoring do? Please forgive if this is all wrong - it's my first effort.

What age are we talking? 11+, 13+. Is your DS is a prep school or primary?

Could you tell us a bit more? There are lots of different selective tests - in different schools and areas. I live in a selective county so I have lots of experience of people failing the 11+ if that helps at all.

I think it is quite helpful to fail early on, you are not afraid to make mistakes. I failed my 11+ and on the whole I think it has made me more determined to succeed-I got to the grammar school in the end.
There is no need to knock his confidence-just tell him that he can't do more than his best.
I don't see the point in lots of tutoring-it really would knock his confidence to have been drilled to the point that he can get a place but then can't cope with the work.

He's 11 and this for a private school and he is currently at a prep school. He would take this pre-test this term and if he gets through that, the common entrance at 13. I made a bad mistake with his first school and I'm determined not to 2nd time round, so I want to explore as many options as I can. Thanks for your comment so far. I want to shield him from disappointment, but at the same time I don't want to send the message that you shouldn't try something for fear of failure. As piscesmoon says failure can be a great motivator, can't it?

What is really important is to listen to the advice of the prep school headteacher and director of studies. The knack is to put them in for pre-tests that are realistic for them.

Not everyone gets through the pre-test - there will be parents children in your son's school who are disappointed.

If your DS is a borderline candidate, you need to first consider how he will do in a selective school. Is he the kind of boy who is pulled up by others, or does he need to be in his comfort zone at all time? If you think he will thrive in an environment where he is nearer the bottom rather than the middle of the class, then he will probably cope well with the occasional failure - by all means put him in for the test.

If there is no chance of passing, then there is little point putting him in. It is tempting when the school ticks all of your boxes, but it may not be the right one for the child.

While this school seems like the only good choice, there are probably others that you haven't thought of that are feasible to get to. It doesn't seem to faze them at 13 to take school buses or trains to school.

If he doesn't pass the pre-test then it is highly likely that it is not the right school for him - so that is a good thing to know. You have to position it this way for your son - he is not a failure and what he did in the test was to find out that it wasn't the right school. You have to keep disappointment and anguish to yourself, be content that he has done his best.

If he passes the pretest, then you can rest assured that very few people do not pass Common Entrance. It is all in the pretest.

Agree with ScienceTeacher. What is the view of the prep school - a major reason you are paying them is their expertise in advising you where best to pre-test! A good prep school should be able to give advice on where your child is best suited.

This pre-test is a new thing at this school and does not seem to be common for the local schools. Headmaster thinks he will have no problem getting the common entrance mark for the school, but think his NVR might not be up to the pre-test. So few people from the prep school go on to the pre-test school, I don't thing the headmaster knows much about it.

The pre-test and CE are two completely different assessements. The pre-test is not an early version of CE. In the pre-test, they are determining inherent ability (eg IQ), whereas the CE is assessing knowledge and understanding of things they have been taught.

Plenty of children are capable of passing CE but that doesn't mean they are necessarily highly intelligent - it just means they have a good memory and exam technique. CE is pretty easy to pass - the pass mark is typically 55%.

I think that you need to know whether you think your boy would thrive at this school. Put away any thoughts about practicalities (getting there, fees, etc.) and just think about your son fitting in. If your headmaster can't tell you because he doesn't have much experience of that school, he needs to high-tail it down there to find out what it is all about. It's his job - lack of knowledge is failing you.