Election to Winchester

[Idratherbemuckingout]

Could anybody give me any details about the standard they would expect for a boy sitting Election? Obviously high, but how high? How hard do they mark the papers? What sort of percentage are they expecting to get in?

Have you got example papers? The Eton scholarship and Winchester scholarship candidates are usually prepared in the same class in preps which get both types of scholarships each year so standard is similar but Winchester papers rely perhaps less on how much material has been covered but more on ability to work things out from first principles in the maths and sciences. You've probably already noticed that if you've seen the questions.

I've got one set of past papers. I have indeed noticed how they are phrased. What sort of mark is expected of the boys? Would they be expected, for example, to be getting over 90% on all papers, or is a good mark actually lower than that? This is what I don't know.

From memory it depends on their relative strengths and for example in the second maths paper the type of solutions they come up with. I certainly don't think it is just marked as right or wrong, even for the maths and sciences. Are you coaching your DS on your own or is the school guiding you? I think if your DS enjoys tackling the sort of problems that are in the Election papers then he probably is a good candidate.

Hi,
moving on now and we have three sets of papers. He's chosen Latin, History and French as his optional papers, and as we are preparing at very much the last minute, we are sticking to just the three.
It is interesting the way things are worded and there is a lot of ambiguity in some of them. He's getting on okay with them and getting used to the way they are phrased now, and so am I.
I am coaching him on my own. Big responsibility. Sending a few bits of work in for his teachers to mark by email as it is the hols, but that is all. They've been very helpful.
Had the letter about the tests and he is very excited at the prospect.

Lots of luck. It does seem a little mean that the westminster, Eton and Winchester scholarship exams are quite so early in term, as it means all the final revision and prep is down without school support. Plus it. leaves part of year 8 at a loose end while the rest swot for CE. Hey ho

Well you hope they'll be at a loose end... There's always a danger (for at least one of those schools, don't know about the others) that if they don't reach a high enough standard in the scholarship exam, in any subject, they may have to take it again in CE. And they can't know that until the schol has been marked.

Although it's not something I care to think about too often.....

I'dratherbe, I'm a bit confused. I thought your DS was already at an excellent selective senior boarding school? Why are you changing? Is he just going if he gets a scholarship?
The history really plays to a boy's strengths as there is so much choice. Your DS will have an advantage for his French as he is bilingual. Sounds as though he is very much on track to enjoy the experience.

Also if your son is a strong mathematician (I may be mistaking you for another poster but was n't he GCSE standard a couple of years ago) then not sure why you don't let him attempt the second maths paper. He does n't need to get high marks to show his ability.