GL Assessment 11+ tests explained for parents | TheSchoolRun

What do the tests involve? · Verbal reasoning (VR) and non-verbal reasoning (NVR), which have been proven to be the best way to predict future academic potential ... SkiptomaincontentNeedhelp?OpenContactusFAQsWhatoursubscriberssay...HowtovideosWhyjoin?MainmenuMainnavigationSubjectEnglishCreativewritingandfictionGrammarHandwritingNonfictionPhonicsPoetryandplaysReadingReadingcomprehensionSpellingWordpuzzlesMathsAdditionDecimalsDiagrams,tablesandchartsDivisionFractionsMentalmathsMoneymathsMultiplicationNumberpuzzlesNumbersandcountingPercentagesProbabilityandestimatesProportionandratioSpaceandshapeSubtractionTellingthetimeTimestablesWeightsandmeasurementsScienceInvestigativeskillsLifeandlivingthingsMaterialsPhysicalprocessesOthersubjectsArtComputingandICTDesignandtechnologyDramaGeographyHistoryLanguagesMusicPEPSHEReligiousEducation(RE)SATsSATsYear2SATsYear6KS1SATsKS2SATsOptionalSATsLevel6SATsSchoolYearReceptionReceptionEnglishReceptionMathsReceptionScienceYear1Year1EnglishYear1MathsYear1ScienceYear2Year2EnglishYear2MathsYear2SATsYear2ScienceYear3Year3EnglishYear3MathsYear3ScienceYear4Year4EnglishYear4MathsYear4ScienceYear5Year5EnglishYear5MathsYear5ScienceYear6Year6ScienceYear6SATsYear6MathsYear6EnglishElevenPlus(11+)EYFSEYFSScienceEYFSMathsEYFSEnglishKS1KeyStage1EnglishKeyStage1MathsKeyStage1SATsKeyStage1ScienceKS2KeyStage2EnglishKeyStage2MathsKeyStage2SATsKeyStage2ScienceTopicsSchoollifeApplicationsandappealsBacktoschoolBullyingChildcareforschool-agechildrenCommunicatingwithschoolCurriculumExamsandrevisionHomeworkHowchildrenlearnLearningoutsideschoolStartingschoolTransitiontosecondaryschoolYouandyourchild'steacherSpecialeducationalneedsADHDAutisticspectrumDyscalculiaDysgraphiaDyslexiaDyspraxiaSENsystemLeisuretimeEducationaldaysoutFamilyandkids'activityholidaysHobbiesandplayReadingforpleasureSeasonalSummerandholidaylearningHealthChildren'sbehaviourChildren'shealthSocialandemotionalskillsGiftedandtalentedHomeeducationLearningProgrammesEnglishNurseryEnglishLearningJourneyReceptionEnglishLearningJourneyYear1EnglishLearningJourneyYear2EnglishLearningJourneyYear3EnglishLearningJourneyYear4EnglishLearningJourneyYear5EnglishLearningJourneyYear6EnglishLearningJourneyMathsNurseryMathsLearningJourneyReceptionMathsLearningJourneyYear1MathsLearningJourneyYear2MathsLearningJourneyYear3MathsLearningJourneyYear4MathsLearningJourneyYear5MathsLearningJourneyYear6MathsLearningJourneyTopic11+LearningJourney7+LearningJourneyFractionsLearningJourneyHandwritingLearningJourneyKeyStage1SATsLearningJourneyKeyStage2SATsLearningJourneyLearningJourneyProgressChecksPhonicsLearningJourneySpellingLearningJourneyTellingtheTimeLearningJourneyTimesTablesLearningJourneyY6SATsChallengeLearningJourneyScienceNurseryScienceLearningJourneyReceptionScienceLearningJourneyYear1ScienceLearningJourneyYear2ScienceLearningJourneyYear3ScienceLearningJourneyYear4ScienceLearningJourneyYear5ScienceLearningJourneyYear6ScienceLearningJourneyProjectExplorerHistoryReligionScienceGeographyGlossariesMathsEnglishGrammarScienceComputingBookshopAlltitlesEnglishMathsSATsBundlesOtherReceptionYear1Year2Year3Year4Year5HelpContactusFAQsWhatoursubscriberssay...PricingHowtovideosWhyjoin?GLAssessment11+testsexplainedforparentsIt’soneofthemaindevelopersofgrammarschoolentranceexamsintheUK,butwhatdoGLAssessment’s11+testsinvolve?LoginorRegistertoaddtoyoursavedresourcesEverySeptember,thousandsofchildrenacrosstheUKsit11+teststodeterminewhetherthey’resuitableforagrammarschooleducation–andmanyofthesechildrenwilltaketestsdevelopedbyGLAssessment.‘Our11+testsareusedinaroundhalftheselectivesecondaryschoolsandlocalauthoritiesinEngland,’explainsDrIanHelm,wholeadsonthe11+withinGLAssessment.‘WealsoprovideoneofthetwoentranceassessmentsusedforadmissiontogrammarschoolsinNorthernIreland.’Whatdothetestsinvolve?Becauseschools’andlocalauthorities’requirementsvary,there’snosuchthingasaone-size-fits-all11+test.‘Ourcustomerstelluswhattheywanttotest,therequiredformatofthepaperandthelengthoftheexam,andwedesignatestthatmeetstheirspecificrequirementswhileensuringbestpracticeisfollowed,’saysIan.GLAssessment11+testsconsistofoneormoreoffourmainareas: Verbalreasoning(VR)andnon-verbalreasoning(NVR),whichhavebeenproventobethebestwaytopredictfutureacademicpotential.MathematicsandEnglish,whichprovideagoodandreliableindicationofcurrentachievement.‘VRandNVRtestsareagoodwaytoassess“pure”abilityastheydonotrelyonwhatyourchildhasalreadylearnt,’explainsIan.‘Thismeansthatthetestdoesnotdisadvantagechildrenwhohavehadfeweropportunitiestodevelopgoodreadingskillsandvocabularyattheirschool.’ PrepareYourChildForThe11+ExamEssential11+EnglishandmathsskillsVerbalandnon-verbalreasoningquestionsReadingcomprehensionworksheetsCLOZEtestworksheetsFindoutmoreSomeschoolsandareasalsouseEnglishand/ormaths11+tests.ThesearemainlybasedoncurriculumcontentcoveredduringtheearlypartofYear6,andaresometimesusedalongsideVRandNVRteststoestablishhowmuchpupilshaveachievedintheirschoolingsofar.AminorityofschoolsuseGLAssessmenttestsinconjunctionwiththeirowninternallywrittentests.Thisvariesfromschooltoschooldependingonhowtheyprefertoselecttheirpupils;someschoolsincludeanextendedwritingpaper,forexample.Howarethetestsdeveloped?AllofthequestionsonGLAssessment’s11+papersaretakenfromitsQuestionBank,asecurecollectionof13,000questionsthatiscontinuallybeingexpandedwithnewquestionsandquestiontypes.‘Eachquestionisthoroughlytrialledandvalidatedongroupsofpupilsbeforebeingapprovedforuse,’explainsIan.‘Ittakesustwoyearsforustoproduceanewtestpaperbecauseoncewehavewrittenit,wetrialitwithawiderangeofchildrenandourteamofstatisticiansanalysestheresultstoensurethereisnobiastowardsanygroup.’GLAssessment’sadmissionsteamismadeupofpeoplewhoarehighlytrainedandexperiencedinallaspectsofacademicresearchandselection.‘Theteamconsistsoftestcommissionerswhomakesurethecontentandlengthofthetestareright,developerswhocreatequestionsthatarefreefrombias,andstatisticianswhoexaminetheresultsandreportbacktoschools,’Iansays.‘Wealsohaveadedicatedteamthatisresponsiblefortriallingtestquestionsonstudentsbeforetheyareapprovedforuse.’AreGL11+teststhesameasNFERtests?YoumightwellhearthenamesGLAssessmentandNFERusedinterchangeablywhenpeopletalkaboutthe11+.GLAssessmentwasoriginallyfoundedbytheNationalFoundationforEducationalResearch(NFER).Whilethetwoorganisationsarenowseparate,theycontinuetoworktogetheronanumberofassessmentprojects,andtheNFERstillwritessomeofthequestionsforGLAssessment’s11+tests.Aresummer-bornchildrenatadisadvantage?Inanaverageschoolyeargroup,children’sageswillvarybyalmost12months,andtheoldestchildrenwilltypicallyachievehigher11+scoresthantheiryoungercounterparts.Thebestandfairestwaytodealwiththisissueistoage-standardisethetestresults.‘Thismeanswecanaccountfortheexactageofthepupilsothateverychildisonalevelplayingfield,’Iansays.Shouldmychildbetutoredorcoachedforthetest?‘Weadviseagainstcoachingyourchildforthetestbecauseitwillhavenorealimpactontheirperformance,’Iansays.‘Wevarythequestionspresentedoneachtesttoeliminateanyadvantagethatpupilscouldgainthroughtutoring,andwedonotpublishpast11+testpapersforthesamereason.’Familiarisation,ontheotherhand,isessential.‘Childrensittingthe11+areprobablyfacingtheirfirstformalexam,’Ianexplains.‘Everythingisunfamiliar–fromtheexamhalltomanagingtheirtimetothewaythepaperislaidout.Youwouldn’tenrolyourchildinswimminglessonswithoutacoupleoftripstotheswimmingpoolfirsttogetthemusedtothewater,andyoushouldn’tgetthemtositanimportantexamwithoutfamiliarisingthemwiththeformat.’Tothisend,GLAssessmentproduces alimitedrangeofpracticepapers,andalsoprovidesschoolsandlocalauthoritieswithfamiliarisationmaterialstosharewithparentsandchildren.WhatifI’munhappywithmychild’sresult?Speaktotheschoolinthefirstinstance.‘Eachschoolhasitsownappealsprocess,whichshouldbeoutlinedonitswebsitewithintheadmissionspolicy,’Iansays.‘Wedon’thandleindividualappealsdirectly,butwewillanswerqueriesfromschoolsinrelationtotheirownappealsprocesses.’MorelikethisThebeginner'sguidetothe11+Whatisverbalreasoning?Whatisnon-verbalreasoning?Yourregion-by-regionguidetothe11+DIY11+tutoring:theparents'guideVerbalandnon-verbalreasoning:anintroductionBeyourchild'sown11+tutor:yourstep-by-stepguideWhatisaclozetest?Toptipsforsurvivingthe11+Shoppingbasket0itemsViewbasketJOINOVER250,000PARENTS!CreateyourFREElearningresourcesaccountandgetinstantaccesstoworksheets&activitiesEmailPasswordPasswordConfirmpasswordWhatschoolyearareyouinterestedin:-Select--PleaseSelect-Nursery(age3-4)Reception(age4-5)Year1(age5-6)Year2(age6-7)Year3(age7-8)Year4(age8-9)Year5(age9-10)Year6(age10-11)SecondaryschoolParentorteacherIamaparentIamateacherIconsenttoTheSchoolRunusingmydatatoadministermyaccountandacceptthetermsandconditionsStartyour14-daytrialforFREEClickhereHowtouseTheSchoolRun TheLearningJourneyHomeworkGnomeLearningpacksandworkbooksPrimarySchooltestshomeworkgnomeTestimonials'Thankyouforprovidingamuch-neededserviceforparentsandonewhichreallyrepresentedgoodvalueformoney.Iparticularlylovedyourhandwritingsectionsandthe‘LearningJourney’linksthatyouhavecreated.TherearenotmanyservicesIwouldpaytosubscribeto,andevenlessIwouldrecommend,butyoursisonewhichIdid!'-Nicola,Aberdeenshire'I’mnotonsocialmediabutjustwantedtoreachoutandsayIhavebeenrecommendingyoutoeveryoneIknow,withkidsofcourse!Yoursitehasbeenfantastic.It’snotonlyteachingmylittleonethings,it’sshowingmehowthingsshould’vebeendonewhenIwasyounger.Idowishyouwerearoundthen,asyourcontentisfantasticandmylittleboylooksforwardtoyourdailyworksheets.Learningdefinitelymadefun.Peoplearesoquicktomoanthesedays,soIwantedtosendanemailtosingmypraises.You’vehelpedmebecomemoreorganisedwiththescheduleofthings,butwithoutthepressureIwasputtingmyselfunderbefore.Wehavefunandlearn.'-Katie,Sevenoaks'I'mfindingyoursiteanabsolutelyfantasticresourcealongsidethestuffbeingsentfrommyson'sschool.WelovebeingabletokeeptrackofhisprogressonhisLearningJourneychecklist!'-Claire,Kent'Thankyousoverymuchforallthehelpyoursiteisgivingmyselftoaidmydaughter'seducationathome.Truly,itmakesherdayenjoyable,structuredandcontinuous.'-Julie,NorthamptonshireViewmoretestimonialsCompetitionsWinaBlu-raycopyofTHEMITCHELLSVSTHEMACHINESWithhelpfromtwofriendlyrobots,theMitchellsmustnowcometogethertosaveoneanother-andtheplanet!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