Editing Eleven-plus (section)

== Within the Tripartite System ==

The [[Tripartite System]] of education, with an academic, a technical and a functional strand, was established in the 1940s. Prevailing educational thought at the time was that testing was an effective way to discover the strand to which a child was most suited. The results of the exam would be used to match children's secondary schools to their abilities and future career needs.

When the system was implemented, [[Secondary Technical School|technical schools]] were not available on the scale envisaged. Instead, the Tripartite System came to be characterised by fierce competition for places at the prestigious [[Grammar schools in the United Kingdom|grammar schools]]. As such, the eleven-plus took on a particular significance. Rather than allocating according to need or ability, it became seen as a question of passing or failing. This led to the exam becoming widely resented by some although strongly supported by others.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fletcher|first=Tony|author-link=Tony Fletcher|title=Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-1-84449-807-9|year=1998|pages=9, 11}}</ref>

=== Structure ===

The structure of the eleven-plus varied over time, and among the different counties which used it. Usually, it consisted of three papers:

* Arithmetic&nbsp;– A [[mental arithmetic]] test.
* Writing&nbsp;– An essay question on a general subject.
* General Problem Solving&nbsp;– A test of general knowledge, assessing the ability to apply logic to simple problems.

Some exams have:

* Verbal Reasoning
* Non-Verbal Reasoning

Most children took the eleven-plus in their final year of primary school: usually at age 10 or 11. In [[Berkshire]] and [[Buckinghamshire]] it was also possible to sit the test a year early&nbsp;– a process named the ''ten-plus''; later, the Buckinghamshire test was called the ''twelve-plus'' and taken a year later than usual.

Originally, the test was voluntary; {{As of|2009|lc=on}}, some 30% of students in Northern Ireland do not sit for it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/85-schools/6-admission-and-choice/6-transfer-procedure.htm |title=Transfer Procedure – Department of Education, Northern Ireland |publisher=Deni.gov.uk |access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref>

In Northern Ireland, pupils sitting the exam were awarded grades in the following ratios: A (25%), B1 (5%), B2 (5%), C1 (5%), C2 (5%), D (55%). There was no official distinction between pass grades and fail grades.