Transfer Test* Support* AQE 2016-2017

May100 · 12 September 2016 at 11:53PM

Don't panic. Our teacher said that it was quite common for Sept scores to not great but a lot of them really climb by October.

Eastbelfast_mum · 13 September 2016 at 12:17AM

second time around, it's going to be a tough time as DS only got 63% in this week past paper!

Carebear82 · 13 September 2016 at 10:19AM

Flashfriend wrote: »

She ended up with 103. I expected her to get 110 judging by practice test scores but I think nerves got to her on the day and she messed up paper 1. I was delighted she got over 100 anyway. My best advice is to copy out the long maths questions and keep repeating them as the seem to appear in all the tests.

Thanks - she came home with 88% yesterday which is by far her highest I just hope she can maintain it. If she got over 100 I would be so happy too. Her first choice grammar school lowest score last year was 106 and her second choice grammar took 99 so ideally yes I would love her to go to her first choice but I am still happy with second choice.

Bambi1980 · 13 September 2016 at 1:18PM

Does anyone have a crystal ball as I would love to see where we are after results!! Home with another test yesterday - 2nd actual past paper and an increase by 6% to high 70s but - while she was in top few in the class at the last one and historically has been top few, now she is saying there were loads ahead of her... I'm at a loss - she is good and while I don't expect 90s, I am hoping to get her to mid 80s by November (she has had 80s and 90s in p6 and start of p7 and top of class so she is capable..). She has been working hard all summer with us and working through papers so I don't feel there is much more we can do. How on earth do you eradicate the silly mistakes? Can be up to 5 questions plus lost on pure carelessness - something we can't support her with - I am constantly saying check your work, go over calculations - carry your one, common sense check things etc. Has anyone the experience that by November these daft mistakes decrease or are they here to stay?? Any tips to help??? Thanks so much. Appreciate all the support from this forum x

Carebear82 · 13 September 2016 at 3:17PM

I would be same Bambi1980 as its always silly mistakes with my daughter too - I'm just hoping practice makes perfect and hopefully these silly mistakes will decrease. I think late 70s is still good - my daughter is normally in 70s and got first mark in 80s yesterday. This is a good place to vent our problems

flymetothemoon_2 · 17 September 2016 at 6:54PM

Hi All

I haven't been on here for a few months so have just read the last few pages of posts.

Having been through AQE twice (and both my kids are now doing very well at Grammar) I would simply say, try very hard to keep calm especially during September. Both of my kids test scores dipped in September of P7 before rising in October and November. My DS dipped a lot lower then my DD during September & I got so worried about him, but he ended up doing better than my DD! In both of their P7 classes, scores were dipping in September for many kids so I think this is probably 'normal' and nothing to worry about. They are finding their feet with P7, doing the real AQE past papers and are suddenly nervous that the real tests are finally getting so close. Kids definitely pick up on their parents stress so it is really important to try not to let that happen.

That's where these forums can be very useful - vent your worries here

Good luck to you all - just keep plodding on ...........

May100 · 17 September 2016 at 9:41PM

Thank you Fly to the Moon for the encouraging words. i am actually worried that my DS has peaked too soon. He is scoring in the 90s. I am hoping he can sustain it. I am easing off prep and letting the school do it from here on in. They are doing 2 tests a week in school now that Dept has changed the rules - none for homework but have lots of maths and english AQE level work 4 evenings a week. He is working hard in school and letting him chill out at weekend. Then hear from other parents that they are doing loads at weekend etc.. employing tutors etc..
Have to conceal the stress as you said!!!

Carebear82 · 19 September 2016 at 11:28AM

Hi May100 - my daughter got 88 % and 84% and I was thinking same that she was peaking too soon and she will loose interest come November though i'm really happy cause she was getting later 60's/early 70's at end of June so I have bee giving her 2 papers a week for majority of summer and the extra work has definitely done the trick - maybe I should get her to aim for 90's because she can get very nervous so come the actual test I know she wont do as well. She is doing actual past AQE papers and I think so far they seem easier than CEA papers. Still bugs me she gets a lot of silly ones wrong.

Jomidd · 19 September 2016 at 8:01PM

That's what I'm finding with my son, its the silly carleless mistakes he doesn't have anything to learn and is not struggling with any of the questions but falls down sometimes on not reading the question properly. He did one of the CEA transfer test papers the other day and only got 5 questions wrong 91% and even at that he could have got them all if he had read the question properly. He's just done his first real AQE test paper in school today and they are busy marking it so don't know the score yet but he did say he felt it was easier than the Windmill papers he was doing was only averaging about 75-80%. Does anyone know yet what the score intake was for this year for the grammar schools??

May100 · 19 September 2016 at 11:44PM

Jomidd
The scores vary massively between the grammar schools. Belfast Telegraph published lowest / highest for each grammar for 2014/15. It even varies from year to year depending on competition for places. If you contact the school you are interested in then they should be able to give you an indication of the scores.

Transfer Test* Support* AQE 2016-2017

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