Exams and boards
These terms describe the tests themselves and who sets them.
- 11 Plus: a selective entrance exam for grammar and some independent schools, usually sat at the start of Year 6
- GL Assessment: the most widely used 11 Plus provider in England, with multiple choice papers
- CEM: a former provider, now phased out for 11 Plus admissions, with most regions moving to GL style papers
- CSSE: the consortium that runs the grammar school test in Essex
- Consortium: a group of schools that share a single common entrance test
Scores and selection
These terms describe how results are worked out and how places are decided.
- Standardised score: a raw mark adjusted for a child age within the year group, with an average usually set at 100
- Age standardisation: the adjustment that stops younger children in the year being disadvantaged
- Pass mark or qualifying score: the threshold a region sets for that year, which can change with demand
- Percentile or rank: how a child compares with others sitting the same test
- Catchment area: the geographic area a school gives priority to when places are limited
Subjects and skills
These terms describe what the papers test.
- Verbal Reasoning: logic and problem solving with words and language
- Non-Verbal Reasoning: logic and problem solving with shapes and patterns
- Comprehension: reading an unseen passage and answering questions on it
- Inference: working out meaning that is implied rather than stated outright
See where your child stands
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