QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW 11+ TESTS (to be called the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer
Tests)
Updated : 11 March 2013 Please note that some answers have been added to as well as new questions and answers added.
NB: For out-of-county candidates registration for the September 2013 tests will open on 1 May and will close on 1 July.
1.
Why do there have to be tests?
Buckinghamshire is a selective authority for secondary school admissions and the Department for Education (DfE) determined that the grammar schools should retain their selective status when they became academies. As a result there has to be an objective and independent way of determining which children are admitted to the grammar schools in the County. Externally set tests are therefore a way of ensuring that the admissions system is as fair as possible for all pupils.
2.
How many tests will there be?
There will be two tests, both of which will be divided into three separately-timed sections covering the three types of question: verbal, numerical and non-verbal. In some ways this can be seen as one test taken in two parts. This basic structure will be the same each year, although of course new tests will be developed for each year.
3.
How long will each test take?
Each test will take about 45-50 minutes so that it can be taken within a normal lesson time.
4.
Why are these tests different from the current tests?
There has been a great deal of research internationally and for many decades about the nature of children’s abilities and how best to measure them. The new tests reflect modern research into the nature of ability and the quite widely-held view that people have multiple abilities. It is therefore appropriate to test pupils’ ability to think in a range of different contexts.
5.
What do the tests assess?
The tests are tests of ability: they assess verbal ability, numerical ability and non-verbal ability.
This enables children to demonstrate their abilities in a range of contexts and not just verbally as with the previous tests. This new structure has been widely welcomed by parents and teachers.
6.
Who is providing the tests?
The test provider was selected after a full tendering process undertaken by the grammar schools. The successful tenderer is CEM: The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham
University. CEM has a long and successful track record of developing tests for use in selection
(for both independent and state schools) and for monitoring and analysing pupil progress
(mainly in secondary schools).
7.
When will the tests be taken?
The tests will be taken in September. The designated test date for all candidates (whether from within the county or out-of-county) is 12 September 2013. This timetable is necessary to comply with the requirement of the government that pupils should know the outcomes of selective assessments before finalising their secondary school preferences at the end of October. Further details of these arrangements will be published during the summer term.

8.
Will the tests be on separate days?
Both tests will be taken on the same day with a gap of time between them of about 30-40 minutes. A number of administrative details about timing on the test date have not yet been finalised. The grammar school head teachers have considered very carefully the views of parents who would prefer the tests to be taken on separate days. However they have decided that all candidates (whether from within the county or out-of-county) will take both tests on the same day. CEM’s advice and experience is that this is both feasible within a primary school timetable and preferable in terms of reducing the stress on the children. They will, after all, be taking more than one SAT test on the same day towards the end of Year 6.
9.
How will the tests be marked?
The tests will be machine-marked. The tests will be in a multiple-choice format and the pupils will complete machine-readable answer sheets.
10.
What allowances will be made for pupils with special needs?
Yes. As in previous years head teachers will be able to apply to a Special Access Panel for special arrangements for specific pupils with special educational needs. For example, there will be the opportunity for pupils to be given up to 25% extra time, which is a standard allowance in national tests and public examinations for some pupils with special needs, and large print versions will be available.
11.
What will the qualifying or pass mark be?
The 11+ tests do not have a pass mark. There is a qualifying score for admission to grammar school and that will remain at an age-standardised score of 121. Each pupil will have a single standardised score arrived at by aggregating their performance across all six sections of the two tests. (NB: a pupil’s score will not be an average of their scores on the tests, it will be a total.)
12.
Will pupils be able to practise for the tests?
Yes. First, they will be given a leaflet familiarising them with the testing procedure, giving them some test-taking advice and giving them a few example questions. They will be able to take this home. Then, before taking the tests the pupils will be given – on 10 September - two preparation papers each lasting about 25-30 minutes containing test items that mirror what they will find in the full tests. The purpose of this exercise is to give the pupils experience of test-taking conditions as well as giving them the opportunity to work through example test material. The preparation papers will not be marked or taken away from the school. It is not the purpose of the preparation tests to see how many questions they get right but to help them to prepare themselves for the tests.
13.
Why can’t parents see the preparation papers?
CEM does not publish any practice books of its types of tests and it wants circulation of test materials to be kept to a minimum so as to maintain the integrity and fairness of its tests.
14.
How can parents best help their children to prepare for the tests?
There are a number of things that parents can do to help their children. They can ensure that they have experience of working quietly on their own, uninterrupted by noise or distractions.
They can ensure that they do any homework that is set. They can help their children to read with understanding, for example by asking them what certain words mean and what is happening in the passage or book that they are reading. They can encourage them to solve problems by themselves or to look up things for themselves.
15.
How do you know these new tests are going to work?
It is normal practice in developing tests of this sort to trial material thoroughly. Preliminary trials

have been conducted by CEM in a range of schools outside Buckinghamshire and with pupils of the appropriate age. As part of this development process, one set of trials this year will be held in Buckinghamshire to ensure that the new tests are effective and of the appropriate standard.
About 1000 pupils in Year 6 will take part in this trial later in March. Because these pupils have already taken an 11+ test, this will give us a very good picture of the effectiveness of the new tests. The tests taken in September will of course comprise entirely new material.
16.
Will primary schools be measured by their 11+ results?
No. All schools aim to give their pupils a thorough grounding in key skills and a broad introduction to areas of knowledge so that they are properly prepared for their later education whichever type of school they go to. Primary schools (like all schools) are measured by the quality of their teaching and learning.
17.
Must pupils achieve the qualifying score of 121 in both tests or just one?
A pupil’s scores on all six sections of the two tests will be added together and that total score will then be age-standardised. This will give an overall view of the pupil’s abilities.
18.
Will fewer children achieve the 121 score if both tests are added together and then standardised?
No. It is intended that a similar number of pupils as now will achieve the qualifying score. This is because the standardisation is carried out each year on the population actually taking the tests.
19.
Is any information available about the range of scores achieved by pupils in recent years?
Information about previous years’ tests is not available from the grammar schools. The current process produces standardised scores of between 69 and 141 with a mean of approximately
110. In 2013 about 32.9% achieved the qualifying mark of 121. A chart can be provided on request by the County Council’s Admissions and Transport Team.
20.
Will the verbal, numerical and non-verbal elements of the tests be equally weighted?
The exact weighting of the three elements will be decided after thorough trialling.
21.
Are practice papers published in the new format? If not, when will they be released?
No. A familiarisation sheet will be given to pupils to share with their parents and the pupils will take two preparation papers in school. Neither the grammar schools nor the local authority nor the test provider will publish any practice papers.
22.
Why will both tests be taken on the same day?
In part this is because of the reduced amount of time in which the testing, marking and delivery of results has to take place. In part it is because CEM’s advice is that pupils’ levels of stress and anxiety are reduced if the testing is not spread out over several days. A number of parents have written to say that this arrangement will be unfair to pupils but CEM’s advice is based on their many years of experience of working with pupils of this age and of developing and administering tests of this kind for a variety of schools. This arrangement also enables out-of-county candidates to be tested on the same day as in-county candidates.
23.
Why do the tests have to be taken so early in September? Won’t this disadvantage some pupils?
The grammar school head teachers are very aware of the difficulties of testing early in
September. As indicated in the response to Q7, the overall timetable is driven by the need to send out pupils’ results by 31 October. Currently results are sent out by the end of November so a full month has to be taken out of the timetable. This is a matter that head teachers (both primary and secondary) have thought about very carefully and have concluded that the

alternative of testing just before the summer holiday is less attractive and more unfair on pupils than early September.
24.
Why introduce the new tests in such a rush this year? Why not wait until 2014?
There are two factors here. First, the Secretary of State for Education has instructed that selection results have to be available to parents by 31 October. This should have happened in
2012 but the grammar schools were given a dispensation for one year. It must therefore happen in 2013. It was then agreed that the two changes (to the timetable and to the tests) should be introduced at the same time rather than spread the changes, and therefore the uncertainty, over two years.
25.
When do pupils need to register to take the tests?
Registration for out-of-county and partner school candidates will open on 1 May and will close on 1 July. Pupils at Buckinghamshire primary schools do not need to register.
26.
Are pupils in Buckinghamshire primary schools automatically entered for the tests even if their home address is outside the County boundary?
Yes, unless parents notify their child’s head teacher that they do not wish their child to take the tests.
27.
Why do you think that the new arrangements will reduce the impact of coaching?
In general, it is more difficult to coach non-verbal questions than verbal questions. CEM advise that some of their verbal question types are more difficult to coach than others that are commonly used in verbal reasoning tests. CEM also advise that good preparation for the tests is to develop a child’s ability to read with understanding and to solve problems using their numerical skills: this is what primary schools are doing with all their pupils.
28.
What will the grammar schools do to eradicate the unfair practice whereby independent schools prepare their pupils thoroughly for the tests and the state schools do not?
The changes are designed to reduce any impact – either perceived or real – of ‘coaching’ wherever it takes place. The County Council has strict rules governing the conduct of any school that is a test centre. This includes ‘partner schools’ (which includes most Buckinghamshire independent schools). Contrary to popular belief in some circles, these rules are strictly enforced. For example, the Council threatened to withdraw ‘partner school’ status from one school which was found to be running a ‘VR Club’. However, neither the Council nor the grammar schools can realistically have any influence over practice in schools which are not
‘partner schools’.
29.
Why not administer the tests at the end of Year 5?
This has been considered but primary head teachers have advised that it would be unfair on pupils to ask them to sit tests at the end of a long term and at the end of a school year.
30.
Won’t taking the tests so early in Year 6 disadvantage some pupils because they will not yet have learned things on which they may be tested?
No. There will be nothing in the tests that goes beyond what pupils will have covered in Year 5.
31.
What is the consultation that is referred to in some correspondence?
The consultations that are currently taking place are being undertaken by all the grammar schools. They are required by law to consult other admission authorities and relevant parents on their admissions policies. These consultations last until 1 March and, again, the period and method of consultation is that required by the Admissions Code. At the end of the consultation period, each grammar school governing body will consider the responses received and then determine its Admissions Policy by the deadline of 15 April as set out in the Admissions Code.

32.
Is the timing of both tests on the same day in order to reduce the cost of the operation?
No. The timing has nothing to do with cost.
33.
The statistics for entry into grammar schools in Buckinghamshire show that independent school pupils stand a better chance of gaining a place than state school pupils.
The percentage of independent school pupils gaining grammar school places is indeed higher than the percentage of state school places. This is partly because the independent school cohort is self-selecting: these pupils have to register to take the tests whereas all pupils in
Buckinghamshire state schools are registered unless their parents withdraw them. In addition, many independent schools are themselves academically selective on entry and therefore it should not be particularly surprising if a higher percentage of their pupils achieve the qualifying mark.
34.
How will you prevent leaks of information about the tests?
A number of steps are being taken. CEM will not publish any practice materials either on its website or for purchase by schools or parents or the general public. The preparation tests will not be sent home but will be collected and destroyed. The real test materials will, as with other psychometric tests, remain confidential.
35.
How will you ensure that that everything runs smoothly and that this year’s cohort is not just guinea pigs?
As many aspects as possible of the testing process are being thoroughly trialled during this school year. The results of that trialling will be evaluated in the summer term prior to confirming details with the supplier and with schools.
36.
When will final decisions be taken about the testing process?
It is expected that final decisions will be confirmed during the summer term.
37.
How will the tests be administered?
The cohort of pupils taking the tests will be supervised by a teacher. Each pupil will have a question booklet and a separate answer sheet. The question booklet will contain all the necessary instructions about taking the test and all the test questions. The teacher will use a CD to take the pupils through the initial example questions and to play the instructions about starting and finishing the test and to time all the sub-sections of the test.
38.
What will happen if a child is ill or very distressed on the day of the tests or during a test?
As in previous years, schools will be given clear instructions about how to deal with such circumstances. If pupils are unable to take the tests, they will be able to do so on a later occasion.
39.
What happens if most pupils pass?
This will not happen. Approximately the same number of pupils will qualify as qualify currently.
40.
Are these changes related to changes in catchment areas?
No. The decision about the test supplier and the types of tests has nothing to do with school catchment areas.
41.
Is a pupil’s score on the Buckinghamshire tests transferable to another authority?
No.
42.
Will the appeal process remain the same?
It is the intention that both the Review Process and the Appeal Process will remain the same.

43.
When will results be available?
The results will be communicated to parents before final decisions have to be made about secondary school preferences, i.e. before 31 October. The exact date will be published in due course.
44.
Will dates of school open evenings be changing to fit in with this new timetable?
Dates of Open Evenings are set by individual schools and are not centrally determined. However all the grammar schools will hold open days before the deadline for completing secondary school preferences.
45.
Will all test questions be equally rated and all sections be equally weighted?
All test questions will be equally rated (i.e. every correct answer will gain one raw score point).
The sections will not be equally weighted. The weighting will be decided after the trial in March.
46.
Why is there no science or English writing in the tests?
It is important to distinguish between tests of attainment, which assess a pupil’s grasp of particular curriculum content, and tests of ability, which assess a pupil’s use of thought processes and their grasp of concepts. The 11+ tests are tests of ability. Science and English writing would more naturally be found in tests of attainment. It is also important that a pupils’ results in the 11+ tests are not entirely conditioned by their grasp of the primary National
Curriculum: this is the role of the SATs taken at the end of Year 6.
47.
When will candidates from outside Buckinghamshire take the tests?
Candidates from outside Buckinghamshire will take the tests on 12 September, i.e. on the same day as candidates from Buckinghamshire schools. Arrangements for out-of-county candidates to take the preparation tests will be announced in due course.
48.
Where will out-of-county candidates take the tests?
Out-of-county candidates will take the tests in the Buckinghamshire grammar schools. Locations for these candidates to take the preparation tests will be announced in due course.
49.
How do we know that all schools will administer the tests in the same way?
In collaboration with the county’s primary head teachers, a protocol is being prepared so that all head teachers (whether of state or independent schools) will have and agree to a standard set of procedures for administering the tests. The use of a CD to administer the tests is another way of standardising practice.
50.
Why can’t the testing be done later in September and the marking of the tests be done more quickly?
The marking of the tests is actually quite a quick process. The procedures that take the time have to do with such things as data verification, statistical analysis and, very important, the accurate communication of results from the supplier to the grammar schools working with Bucks
County Council and then to parents. The schedules have been very carefully worked out so as to ensure accuracy at every stage.
51.
Why do all these changes have to take place?
As noted in an earlier question, the Buckinghamshire grammar schools are now academies and are therefore independent of the County Council. It is the grammar schools which are responsible for running the transfer testing programme. The provision of transfer tests has therefore been the subject of a new contract and the grammar schools have very properly put this contract out to tender and appointed a new supplier. In addition, as also explained in an earlier answer, the government’s timetable for the delivery of transfer testing results to parents has meant that the schedule for testing has had to change.

52.
Hasn’t the age standardisation actually benefitted the older children taking the test?
No. The purpose of the age standardisation process is to eradicate age differences among the candidates. In practice this has been true with broadly equal numbers of pupils qualifying per month of chronological age.