After reading all these posts about Bucks, I'm so glad I don't live there!!!

Dear Patricia and Mike,

Thank you for all the valuable information you have been providing on this website. Do you know any info regarding the tests in Tiffin boys and Tiffin girls 11 plus tests in Kingston upon thames? I believe they follow the NFER format. I have found it very difficult or nearly impossible to find usefull information reference TYPE and NUMBER of questions in the verbal and non verbal tests. Your help appreciated.


Best Regards
Haggis

Haggis

I assume you have looked at the Tiffin Boys school site and obtained their information booklet.

The book states that there are two tests; one verbal reasoning and the other non-verbal reasoning.

The tests are prepared exclusively for the Tiffin school by NFER, they bear no resemblance to any other papers used by other schools and past papers are not available.

This is almost certainly something called "teacher speak", it may have an element of truth, but is probably misleading. Simply, Tiffin school do not want students tutored for the test, so they make the effort to put parents off.

However, it is highly likely that the majority of students entering Tiffin have had tuition of some sort.

I can only comment on verbal reasoning because that is the area in which I work.

As NFER are the organisation writing the test it may be advisable to start with their familiarization papers.

IPS write material that directly map the NFER type questions so it is probably useful to use their papers as well.

Although I have not seen them, I know that Patricia recommends the two most recent Daughtery books for Bucks tests, these will also map closely the NFER type questions.

Hope this helps

Mike

Mike,

I am guessing and I may be wrong, but I have to say that you are incredibly modest.

I am assuming that you are the same Mike Edwards that writes papers for the Tutors; the papers written in the epaper section of this website by you are simply brilliant practice material and your knowledge by regular contribution to the forums shows you are a true professional amongst us tutors.

I had not heard of you before seeing you on this website, but I would like to telll you that far from praising other publishers' work you should trumphet your own as necessary.

If not I will have to do it for you. Oops, just did!

Dear Mike,

Thankyou for the feed back. I have managed to download two of your E-papers last week. I have found them very good. The only critisism is the answer sheet. It will make it alot easier if it followed the same NFER format. My daughter manged to score 96% but she took 60 mins. she lost time getting used to the answer sheet. She regulary scores above 90% in the NFER papers within the time allowed. Your input always appreciated. could you please explain what did you mean by HIKNOS?

Best regards

Haggis

Haggis

Regarding Susan Daughtrey she has published 4 tests in one booklet called Bright Sparks they comes in standard and multiple choice format, so be careful to buy the correct one. The tests cover the 21 types used in Bucks and therefore include HIKNOS.

HIKNOS are types of questions as identified by IPS and are used by Bucks but not necessarily by other authorities/schools.

Patricia

Manisha

Thank you for your comments.

On this site I try to give as accurate information within my area of knowledge, and am happy to do this freely. I cannot promote my own material on the site as it would be against forum rules. However, I am grateful for feedback on the papers.

Haggis

The answer sheets are sent to the site in a format that closely resembles NFER. However, during the process of placing them on the e-paper section the format is changed to allow for the download information on the bottom of the page. This is out of my control. The papers are new (they are written on a week to week basis for a course I run for sixty-five students) and should be available in a printed format in the new year.

I would add that the papers are co-written by myself and partner Janet Peace, just to keep her happy!!!

Can any of you experts tell me how many points a child gains according to his/her age and are the points put on the standardised score eg 100 + or are they added to the actual score out of 80(number of questions). For example if a child got 65 right out of 80 do they standardise that first and then add on the extra??
It seems that everyone always talks about the SAS and never actually mentions how many quetsions a child need to get correct out of the 80.
My son has asked how many he would of had to get right to get a sas of atleast 121 and our teacher says 65? but a younger child could afford to get 61??

Any feed back (If I haven't confused you completely) would be great.

To find a standarised score is not easy as it depends on alot of factors. your child raw score, average score of all children sitting the exam ,age and standard deviation. there is an example that might help assuming a standard deviation of all scores is 12.5 and your child raw score is 60 out of 80 and the average score of all the children that sat the exam is 50 so the standarised score is as follows:

(60-50)x15/12.5+100=112
Note this score will have to be adjusted for age which is complicated process but it should range from 112 t0 116 max.so if your child is 10 years when they sit the exam he or she should score 116 approximatley. I hope this answers your question. Remeber the standrised score scale is from 70 to 141. So if your child get all questions wrong their score will be still 70 which is the minmum.

Ali Baba

Hi Mary,

If you score 65 and average raw score is 50 the standarised score for a ten year old will be

(65-50)*15/12.5+100=118
+4 for age adjustments, so the score will be 122 standarised approximatley.

Best Rgds

Ali Baba