Is it normal to use gcse papers as end of year tests for year seven/eight?

[neighbourhoodwoes]

I don't mean for gifted kids.
I mean for all children. Mine are set 3/4 out of 5 and have sat GCSE papers to determine sets last couple of years.
Surely they haven't covered the Curriculum and it knocks the confidents of kids with too hard questions and low scores?

Not normal in my experience - and I've got 4 DC past Years 7/8. It must be very demoralising - and presumably the papers cover stuff they won't even have begun to cover? Hard to see what the point is.

In what subject?

Yes, I'd think so. They are working towards GCSE from the moment they enter secondary. Knowing where they stand in the process can motivate and allows them to understand their progress. Most will be able to achieve something and that can be a confidence boost.

Dd was given maths foundation papers in year 7/8.

Core subjects.

I think it has become more normal, my y12 ds never did but my y8 dd has and they are broadly about the same ability (at the same age). The papers are probably the old GCSE ones, the new papers are much harder so that makes the old ones be about the level they would want in the earlier year groups. They shouldn't be expecting really high marks though, there will be a wide range.

I'd say it was normal to use the easier questions on the relevant topics from previous papers. So when you've covered a topic you can select some past paper questions they should be able to answer.
I wouldn't say it was normal to just use a past paper unedited and in its entirety.

They are definitely using the entire paper in its entirety as we got the paper home last year.

DD has SEN and struggles in Maths and has sat an intermediate Maths GCSE today. She didn't even get to question two without not being able to do it and is completely demoralised.

I didn't even know there was an intermediate paper but I have checked and there is.

DD did unedited y9 SATs papers for y7 exams and unedited GCSE papers for y8 exams in Maths (she's top set and they do accelerated learning). They regularly do GCSE English questions and selected GCSE Science questions. Dd is always delighted when she realises that she can actually answer the questions tbh.

Yes why not? Foundation papers for Maths and science lower sets. English fine too.

Intermediate maths hasn't been done for years!! I think this went from grad B to E? Foundation probably would have been better in that case.

I know I searched as she remembered the 1387 code and it seems to be 2003/2004!

Not the norm at DD's school. they provide papers tailored to what the children have been covering, with harder papers for the higher sets.

My DDs would both be stressed and demoralised by being given test papers on a load of topics they hadn't covered.

Foundation yes. Dd2 (year 8) got a C just after Christmas!

Dd has done them yes. She did maths foundation paper early in yr 7 and then the higher at the end of it . She will be doing the higher again soon. ( year 8)
She also does them in science and English languages.

No the school designed their own age appropriate material based on old KS3 SATs type questions for the topics that they had covered.

Very normal if they're in the highest sets, if not then it's not normal and won't give an accurate grade for that year as GCSE's change almost every year

DD's school has done it in math,, to see if the kids can stretch and to give them a taste of where they need to get to in future. The kids are told there's material they haven't covered & not to be afraid just because it's unfamiliar. To learn to try to tackle a test with whatever they've got. The tests aren't used to anyone's detriment.

Sometimes kids in Set 3 move to Set 1 after these tests, btw (has happened in DD's cohort).