11+ exam - how do the scores work?

[alexandre]

How do the scores work to get into grammar school? For example in Kent I think they have 4 exams which carry 25% of the marks each. Do they have to get a certain level in each exam or are the scores added together and taken as an average? Just wondering what happens if a child is superbright in one category say maths but not so good at another say English or vice versa? Can they get through on an average score or is a minimum required for each paper?

They add all 4 scores together to get an overall total. Don't take on board what last years pass mark was though. There are only X amount of grammar places available, so only the top X amount of children will pass. E.g if the pass mark was 130 last year, it may have been a below adverage year. This year might be a particularly bright year, therefore the pass mark may be 150.

ok, this is going back a looooong way but when i did my 11 plus, my maths score was abysmal. But my scores on the other papers were sufficiently high for 'them' to decide to offer me a place anyway. I never did pass maths 0 level

In Kent last year they sat 4 papers, verbal reasoning, non verbal reasoning, maths and an extended writing paper. In order to pass, you needed to get at least 120 in either of the first three papers and 115 in the third. The writing was only marked if you were a "near miss". These marks vary a bit from year to year, but they are usually there or thereabouts.In our bit of Kent (Canterbury/Faversham/Sittingbourne) you are guaranteed a grammar school place if you get the basic pass mark. And you usually get the grammar school of your choice.

However in the Tonbridge Wells are, and I think in Bexley, the system is a bit different. There are schools there which are "super selective" and you have to get very high marks to get in. This "skews" the system, so that, if I understand it correctly, you don't necessarily get your school of choice you could live next door to a school, but be beaten to a place by someone with a higher mark who lives miles away. All very confusing!

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info - there is some hope then!!