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Ni Transfer Test Scores
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Can anyone who understands the Northern Ireland Transfer Test system (results were released today) tell me if a child with a score of 109 this year stands a good chance of getting into Grammar School?
In previous years the lowest score accepted by Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland tended to be around 90, but adjustments have been made this year to allow for disruption caused by lockdown so there will be more children scoring higher in the test.
Can anyone make sense of what the lowest score acceptable for admission to Grammar School in Northern Ireland is likely to be this year?
In previous years the lowest score accepted by Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland tended to be around 90, but adjustments have been made this year to allow for disruption caused by lockdown so there will be more children scoring higher in the test.
Can anyone make sense of what the lowest score acceptable for admission to Grammar School in Northern Ireland is likely to be this year?
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Here's how things were a couple of years ago:
https:/
My reading of the way that things are done there (based upon a bit of Googling) is that the system uses standardised scores, rather than actual marks. Under such a system, it doesn't matter if one year's test papers are far, far easier than the previous year's or if they're ten times harder. Equally, it doesn't matter if one year group has missed out on lots of education due to Covid. The marking is always adjusted so that an 'average' pupil, bang in the middle of the academic ability range, is awarded a score of 100. If that's correct, a score of 109 is still just as far 'above average' this year as it would be in any other year.
https:/
My reading of the way that things are done there (based upon a bit of Googling) is that the system uses standardised scores, rather than actual marks. Under such a system, it doesn't matter if one year's test papers are far, far easier than the previous year's or if they're ten times harder. Equally, it doesn't matter if one year group has missed out on lots of education due to Covid. The marking is always adjusted so that an 'average' pupil, bang in the middle of the academic ability range, is awarded a score of 100. If that's correct, a score of 109 is still just as far 'above average' this year as it would be in any other year.
With the caveat “past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results” here is a list of NI Grammars with links to historical test acceptance stats:
https:/
Each institution will set its own criteria but a random sampling seems to show lowest acceptance scores have been around the 90 mark for many of them.
https:/
Each institution will set its own criteria but a random sampling seems to show lowest acceptance scores have been around the 90 mark for many of them.
Thank you both for taking the time to answer.
I did read about the concept of standardised scores before I posted the question, but your explanation is simpler and easier to follow than the online explanations that have been puzzling me and I think I understand it a bit better having read your account of it.
My understanding now is that 109 is not a score, but is the place that the child occupies in the full list of standardised scores, where the "average" child occupies place number 100.
I suppose therefore, whether child in place 109 gets into grammar school depends how many other children occupy the same or a higher place in the list of standardised scores.
That's what I think is the case, based on my interpretation of Buenchico's explanation, but if I'm wrong I hope somebody can put me right.
My brain hurts trying to understand it.
I did read about the concept of standardised scores before I posted the question, but your explanation is simpler and easier to follow than the online explanations that have been puzzling me and I think I understand it a bit better having read your account of it.
My understanding now is that 109 is not a score, but is the place that the child occupies in the full list of standardised scores, where the "average" child occupies place number 100.
I suppose therefore, whether child in place 109 gets into grammar school depends how many other children occupy the same or a higher place in the list of standardised scores.
That's what I think is the case, based on my interpretation of Buenchico's explanation, but if I'm wrong I hope somebody can put me right.
My brain hurts trying to understand it.
1 to 3 of 3
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