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Original poster

What kind of marks do you need to pass the 11+

103 replies

gigglinggoblin · 23/05/2009 11:44

I know it probably varies year to year but is there a rough percentage they must get to pass? Am trying to get ds interested and he would feel better if he knew he was doing well but all google comes up with is a load of companies trying to sell practice papers

OP posts:
PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 23/05/2009 23:11

sorry should have read 'position in class and yeargroup promulgated in corridors etc'

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 23/05/2009 23:16

I'm in Lancashire, not sure if that makes much difference.

Very interesting posts, a lot quite shocking! I wont tutor him, he is very bright but needs practice in how to sit tests. He is on the autistic spectrum and tends to take things too literally which can be quite a problem! So we are just going to do some practice papers and talk about what is expected and how things are phrased. I am cheered up by the numbers quoted here as I think he will manage quite well so thanks for the help

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stillenacht · 23/05/2009 23:17

voltaire - it is very unusual to find a child in my GS who hasn't been tutored either through private prep or through a tutor....extremely rare. There are children competing from London and Essex to get into my GS school - i know of children who have an hour and a half journey into school (and obv back again) to get to the GS...its very difficult to tell who hasn't been tutored nowadays as when i first started there 12 years ago it was a little more obvious as it was a far lower percentage...nowadays the majority have been heavily tutored.

stillenacht · 23/05/2009 23:21

I started to get my son tutored with the vain hope he may pass...but having got back his end of year 5 CATS and SAS...its a no brainer...

we are going to stick to our original plan and send him to a small non selective (academically) independent school and get him to repeat year 6 (he is very young for his year) and continue there through their senior school until he has finished GCSEs....its gonna cost a fortune ...and if one parent moans to me about their child and what they school is doing for them (it is a great school) i'll just inform them how much they could be paying like me....

Quattrocento · 23/05/2009 23:23

Sorry about that stille - school fees are painful.

Giggling - what did you find shocking?

Abd will someone please tell me what the benefit of tutoring is? I take the point on familiarisation but some of these parents are tutoring for a year or more. Tell me before I explode.

busybeingmum · 23/05/2009 23:24

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lilolilmanchester · 23/05/2009 23:25

very difficult to say what pass mark is as a % in our area as the scores are standardised e.g. take age into consideration and score doesn't just = the number of marks. Perhaps someone else will be able to explain standardised scoring better than I can! For our local co-ed grammar, pass mark was 353 (total score on all 3 papers), highest score = 420 (which isn't same as full marks, again, someone who fully understands standardised scoring will be able to explain!)

At local girls' grammar, pass mark was 334 BUT the exams were a lot harder so not true to say it was a lower pass mark than the other school. Which is why unless you know someone who has been through it for your particular school you won't be able to find a generic answer.

busybeingmum · 23/05/2009 23:25

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stillenacht · 23/05/2009 23:28

Your results can dramatically increase with heavy tutoring as you become programmed to the type of question being asked - an academically average child can do pretty well with consistent tutoring. I see it all the time.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 23/05/2009 23:30

quattrocento - have a look at the tests

NVR and VR there is a lot to learn...

I am shocked at everyone having tutors - i dont understand what they do but i assume they teach to the test as with any tutor

busybeingmum · 23/05/2009 23:30

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Quattrocento · 23/05/2009 23:34

PYBF, I've done the grammar school entrance thing with DD this year - did the practice tests with her etc. After she'd done the four papers once, her marks just plateau'd on the second run through. She got offered a place but ultimately we decided not to send her there.

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 23/05/2009 23:35

I am shocked at the number of children tutored and the money being spent. I wouldnt want to send him if he couldnt manage it without that much training. I have no problem with parents who do choose to do that, I just wouldnt have thought of doing it myself

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PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 23/05/2009 23:39

no !! I LOVE ours and feel so lucky to have the dcs in!

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 23/05/2009 23:43

I couldn't believe how many parents last year were saying 'we lived and breathed the 11+ for a whole year before the tests'. If your Dc's have to be coached in how to pass the test, perhaps they aren't really cut out for it.

I didn't coach my Ds, he wasn't tutored. I showed him a couple of online practise tests and you should've heard his objections! he didn't want to practise and he didn't want to look at them. He did pass the 11+ and he is an August child. I do still worry over whether it will be the right school for him or not though...Does the worry ever end?

lilolilmanchester · 23/05/2009 23:43

gigglingoblin, don't underestimate need to be familiar with the tests tho. My DS wasn't tutored, but did do practice papers. He passed with a near-perfect score- but would have failed if he'd never seen the style of the questions and practised a few. Familiarisation and practice is essential I think.

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 23/05/2009 23:46

yes it is the 'trick' questions he struggles with. The test we did today said to work through the questions and do not leave any out so when we got to one he wasnt sure on he refused to move on to the next until it was done rather than skip it and come back. He could get stuck on the first and not do any! Am wondering if he will get help for the actual test, he has a teaching assistant full time in class so he might get additional help during the test if I ask. Its a bit like having english as a second language!

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SOLOisMeredithGrey · 23/05/2009 23:52

The only advice I gave Ds was to read the question, read it again, understand what is being asked and answer it. If you don't know the answer, leave it and continue the test and if you have time, go back, if you still don't know, take you best guess.

lilolilmanchester · 23/05/2009 23:52

have been through 11+ twice and didn't ever notice any trick questions to be honest. Do you have an example of one?

They HAVE to move on if they can't do a question otherwise they will time out. Safest to make a guess but put a star or cross by the question so he knows to come back to it if he has time. He shouldn't leave it blank - that can cause confusion & getting out of synch with the questions & answers. Also if not got time to go back, at least there's a chance of getting it right, especially if you've already discounted some of the options.

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 23/05/2009 23:58

Thats why I described it as like having english as a second language - its not that its a trick question exactly, just that unless it is completely literally accurate he struggles to understand what to do. It would cause him huge stress to move on having not done a question properly. Thats what I am hoping to acheive by practicing, its not just reading the questions its understanding normal exam technique and trying not to be totally literal in his thinking.

OP posts:
lilolilmanchester · 24/05/2009 00:14

I was wondering if that might be the case, based on very limited experience of people on the autistic spectrum. Have you had a word with whoever is administering the test? (school/LEA?)

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 24/05/2009 00:17

Not yet, am going to ask school for advice after half term and i'll prob mention it at the open day in a few weeks. Is nice to get advice here first tho so I sound like I know a bit about it!

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lilolilmanchester · 24/05/2009 00:23

I wonder whether it might help you to have another thread with more info in the OP, if you feel comfortable with that? e.g. around 11+/entrance exams & autistic spectrum? Otherwise you will get a lot of advice re 11+ from people (like me!) who don't fully understand the additional challenges your son might face? Sorry if I've been clumsy in the way I've said anything ... but do think you will get more accurate advice that way??

Original poster
gigglinggoblin · 24/05/2009 00:30

You have not been clumsy at all, I appreciate all the advice I have been given! I have used mn for a long while now and have learned to leave things out of questions if I dont want them to become the big issue of the thread lol. With or without ASD he needs to get a good mark, knowing the rough mark he needs is what we needed to boost his confidence so job done really. I know its possible to get help in tests so I will ask school who are very supportive of him and want him to pass. I dont know why I mentioned it really, maybe just that the thing most people use a tutor for isnt what I was worried about. Her is a happy bunny and is willing to give it a good try now

OP posts:
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 24/05/2009 01:05

That is really all he can do giggling, it's all any of them can do. I hope you both get the results you want