Is it possible, please, to think of a Local Authority that has
grammar school places for 22% of all the children in the year group who will be
completing their primary school? What is the minimum quotient that is needed
for your child to win a grammar school place?
Playground chatter would maintain that last year the eleven
plus was harder to pass than the year before, but this year the pass rate could
be easier. But how is the cut-off point arrived at? The mathematics is
reasonably easy and could, possibly, be understood by your eleven plus child.
The line separating the top 22% is at the 78th
percentile. You will probably recall from your mathematics lessons at school that
percentiles can be used as an alternative way of comparing marks.
If the border line between pass and fail is too narrow then
some remarkably able children may fail to reach grammar school. Your local authority
may have to examine the border line zone very carefully every year. The
examination may or may not be any easier or any harder – but the border line
zone may become narrower or broader.
In practice examination results tend to revolve around the number
of grammar school places – and not about an eleven plus examination being too
easy or too hard.
