Transfer Test AQE 2014-2015

Workingmumof2

Totally agree Sca11ion, just hope this mess is sorted out before my other daughter reaches this stage!

Gosh flymetothemoon those words are ridiculously hard for 10-11 year olds. My daughter didn't mention them but probably couldn't remember them anyway lol. She said the English GL paper was very tough and that 1 passage in particular she couldn't understand. it so frustrating as she is such a book worm and don't know how she could improve in this area😬

RikM

Um, hate to say this: the point of tests like this is to illustrate a range of knowledge and abilities. So the tests should have a number of questions that the kids (most or all) won't know, or it's not set hard enough. It's not the kind of thing where any kid is expected to get 100%, across 3 papers.

So yes, hopefully there are questions on there that average (and above average) 11 year olds will not get, so that the rare ones will have something which distinguishes them.

Remember, this is not an exam. There is no pass and fail. It's more like the sorting hat in Harry Potter...

flymetothemoon_2

Hi Rik M
you are quite right and this is borne out by the fact that no child has ever scored higher than 129 even though the max achievable score is 145. Im just hoping that that tricky comprenhension did not crush my son's confidence & send him into a downward spiral for the rest of the paper! :eek:

RikM

That's the tricky part, getting across that it's not a game of perfect, but that they really need to do something which represents the best that they can do. Do your best, but you will get some things wrong. It's not the end of the world.

I'm not looking forward to round two with my daughter. Hopefully she's as talented as her brother, which will remove some of the pressure, but we won't know for a few years yet.

flymetothemoon_2

sca11ion wrote: »

Hi Workingmomof2 - can't really answer that without getting political, but I agree 100% with you. This has been going on for a bit, and it is a a bit of a mess regarding pressure on P7 kids, two different test authorities, four tests in total that they can't agree on.

Absolutely not our childrens' fault - they just deal with the extra pressure.

Yes, I agree this cannot be answered without getting political and it is a mess that puts more pressure on our kids. What is clear, is that, after 6 years of these tests, they are here to stay regardless of the efforts of the Dept of Education to abolish selection and of the stance of Bishops who have tried, unsuccessfully to throw their weight behind that view. Indeed this stance has exposed their true wish which is to retain all CCMS primary kids in CCMS post primary schools rather than 'lose' some kids to integrated and state schools (which have always been rich in diversity and integration - something which CCMS schools totally lack). Just last week, the CCMS stated that Stormont should stop promoting integrated schools! Unfortunately, such narrow mindedness demonstrates that our kids will have to put up with 2 test systems for a bit longer. Ironically, it is mainly kids in the CCMS sector that are afflicted by having to do 5 tests as kids in state schools generally tend to do only AQE. I appreciate that for some parents in rural areas, with few schools to choose from within a reasonable distance of home, both tests are seen as essential but I don't understand why other parents put their kids through the stress of doing 5 tests??

sca11ion

flymetothemoon wrote: »

<snip> I appreciate that for some parents in rural areas, with few schools to choose from within a reasonable distance of home, both tests are seen as essential but I don't understand why other parents put their kids through the stress of doing 5 tests??

Hi flymetothemoon. As one of those parents doing just that, believe me it's not a decision we took lightly, but I honestly don't see that we have a choice, given that some schools will only accept one or other of the two testing systems. So if we want our DD to have an opportunity to have a full choice between both CCMS and state schools, rather than limiting that choice now, unfortunately the extra tests are required. Completely understand the view of other parents who have already decided that one of the two education authorities is best for them though.

Mr_Bun

Was just wondering if anyone knows the answer to the following...my daughter is doing AQE and GL,when she gets her results and we are applying to schools,do the schools see the results of both of the exams, and if they do,would they take into consideration the other exam type if she didn't get a good score in the one the preferred school used?
Hope I've explained this OK:o

Mrs_mum

Hi Mr Bun, yes the schools would see both scores but if a school only accepts AQE then they won't even consider GL and vice versa bit if a school accepts either, like Victoria College, they will take whichever score would put her in the highest band. Hope that's as clear as mud! Lol

flymetothemoon_2

Mr_Bun wrote: »

Was just wondering if anyone knows the answer to the following...my daughter is doing AQE and GL,when she gets her results and we are applying to schools,do the schools see the results of both of the exams, and if they do,would they take into consideration the other exam type if she didn't get a good score in the one the preferred school used?
Hope I've explained this OK:o

Hi Mr Bun
When you apply for schools you will be attaching your original results notice for each of the 2 tests to your application form and all of this is submitted to the DE. DE then sends your application form (with results attached) to the school you have listed as 1st choice and if that school accepts your child the form goes nowhere else. If it is unable to accept your child, it sends the form back to DE and DE sends it out to your 2nd choice school (again with both results attached) and so on and so on until all choices have been exhausted (if necessary).
As to which results the schools themselves will have, I would imagine that CCMS schools will only have GL results & State schools will only have the AQE results as the 2 tests are entirely separate and were designed specifically as entrance tests for each separate sector. Whether the few state schools that also accept GL actually get the results from GL I've no idea but I'm sure any such school you may be applying to will tell you if you ask them.:)

thesecretteacher

Ok guys maybe I can shed a light on a few things.

(1) the answer grid allowed for tornados or tornadoes. Quite why Mr Morrison chose such and ambiguous word is beyond me but this might help ease a few worries.
(2) the granular question was in regard to a synonym meaning the same as granular. The answer was gritty
(3) the question regarding visage and explicable was to do with adding a prefix. It was envisage and inexplicable.

Remember to judge your child's score based on the average for test 1. If,as was the case, even strong children didn't know these words then of course this is reflected in the average. It's only a worry if ONLY your child didn't know them hahahaha

Hope these help and roll on the 29th!!!