analysing kent test scores

[pushydaddy]

Hello

We live in London and are considering a move to Kent, my DD has just receive her Kent test score (surprisingly early). She passed for a grammar school place, but I dont know whether she did well enough to get one of the (very few) places for out of kent people. is there a guide as to what sort of score is needed in this years test for a place at tonbridge grammar.

Ahem. Why have you got your score so early? It's not due for another couple of weeks! Try the 11+ forum for more info but since no-one else will have their scores I doubt you will find out much as I understand the pass marks have changed this year.

thanks I'll try the 11+.

the scores got sent out to our schools' HM and he let us have them straight away.

That is very naughty of him! We don't know what a high score is until a few more results are out, but if you pm me I can give you an idea based on last year (though with the test change I could be way out)

If you means Tonbridge Girls the out of county girl we know who went there a few years ago scored 420.

Don't tell the 11+ forum people you got your results early- they will eat you!

Well we are in west London and I doubt our head had ever had a letter from Kent before?

Well we are in west London and I doubt our head had ever had a letter from Kent before? Which is why he told us.

So do dd was below the level required for Tonbridge over the last 5 years (below 400) Do I have any reason to be optimistic that the required level will be lower this year.

I would have though probably not. Sorry.

Given that the test was different and the 11+ forum is speculating lots of appeals, might be worth a shot. Nothing lost if you have plenty of spaces in your caf.

We get 7 places on our caf ( we get an extra one due to a new free school) so it may be worth a punt.

Did your letter say what the passmark was, Pushdaddy?

I haven't actually seen it. Hm read it out to me over the phone. It gave me a score for maths (bad) non verb (ok) eng (ex) and an aggregate. And a grade g for passing the grammar school level.

No generic or comparative levels.

From the sounds of things, everyone's maths scores are going to be lower in an impossible to finish/ guess a lot answers maths test, as this one was, so the overall passmark may be lower than in previous years, even if the marking system appears to be the same as before.

The Kent scores go early to schools because the schools can appeal on behalf of candidates who were near misses without the candidates being aware, I was told (dd missed the Kent test by 2 marks last year). So your head has made a mistake in telling you your dd's mark early. I really would keep schtum about this - she has passed, and well, and knowing now doesn't give you any advantage in chasing an out of catchment place.
Didn't Kent change exam providers this year? In which case, I really wouldn't rule out a chance for her. The Bexley test switched last year and the results were not typical, leading to all of the Bexley grammars having bigger catchment areas. I would wait until the official mark release and then contact the Admissions people at Tonbridge direct. It may not be 420 this year. Blips happen. Ds went to Dartford Grammar, out of county, on a score of less than 400 in his year. The following year even some 420 out of counties did not get places.

Thanks Helene.

It is a new test and I do know that the maths paper was very difficult, with most kids failing to finish the paper. So I guess it is really just to wait and see and hope that the whole cohort has a lower maths score.

Then we'll have the dilemma as to whether we are really prepared to move just for a school place...

So, is the mark out of 420, with 360 being the pass mark? Or is it completely different?

But as to the maths being difficult, the final mark is adjusted to take account of this.... at least in past years, the mark needed to get 120 or 140 would vary from year to year according to how that particularly cohort did.

Jeee

The grade didn't come with any descriptive paperwork, it was assumed that the Head would know how to interprete it. Our head didnt even realise that he wasnt supposed to tell us, much less know anything about the score.

I have assumed that each subject is still out of 140 (as DDs highest score was just under 140) which totals 420.

So is the grade given, a reflection of your mark, relative the the rest of the cohort rather than an absolute score for the test?

Yes.... the marks are on a bell curve.

Thanks for that, pushydaddy; so it seems there's a maths mark, a reading mark, and then the NVR/VR paper was the third mark?

Last year all papers were 141, for some reason, so the marks were 423 overall. Perhaps they've changed back this year. I believe each mark is standardised against the cohort.

Last years out of area score required for TOGs was 404. This is considerably lower than previous years as they put on an extra class, as Sevenoaks still has no grammar school, and there aren't enough grammar places for those that pass that live in West Kent.

The score is on a bell curve and standardised by age. It is not an actual percentage or score for the test ie you can get a "top" score on one paper of 140/141 but this might actually equate to just 75%.

Well I just saw a rumour that this years scores are really low, so give it a shot!

Can the scores be low if they are standardised?

Yes of course. The standardisation is set so that a minimum number pass. So the rumour that scores are lower this year just means the bar is lowered so that the same number of people pass.

Great for covering up how GL/KCC massively fucked up the Maths

Yep- they fix the pass mark based on about 21% passing, so can vary. Eg last year about 300 on 423, year before about 700.