Editing Eleven-plus (section)

== Current practice ==
{{See also|List of grammar schools in England|List of grammar schools in Northern Ireland}}
[[Image:Grammar school ballots in England.svg|thumb|250px|alt=map of English local authorities (9 filled) with 37 scattered filled circles|Grammar school areas and groups in England as identified by the Education (Grammar School Ballots) Regulations 1998.<ref>''[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1998/19982876.htm The Education (Grammar School Ballots) Regulations 1998]'', Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2876, UK Parliament.</ref> [[Local education authority|LEAs]] considered grammar areas are shown solid red, while red spots indicate isolated grammar schools or clusters of neighbouring schools.]]

There are 163 remaining [[grammar school]]s in various parts of England, and 67 in Northern Ireland. In counties in which vestiges of the Tripartite System still survive, the eleven-plus continues to exist. Today it is generally used as an entrance test to a specific group of schools, rather than a blanket exam for all pupils, and is taken voluntarily. For more information on these, see the main article on [[Grammar schools in the United Kingdom|grammar schools]].

Eleven-plus and similar exams vary around the country but will use some or all of the following components:

* [[Verbal Reasoning]] (VR)
* [[Non-Verbal Reasoning|Non-Verbal reasoning]] (NVR)
* [[Mathematics]] (MA)
* [[English language|English]] (EN)

Eleven-plus tests take place in September of children's final primary school year with results provided to parents in October to allow application for secondary schools. In Lincolnshire children will sit the Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. In Buckinghamshire children sit tests in Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and Non-Verbal reasoning. In Kent, where the eleven-plus test is more commonly known as the Kent Test, children sit all four of the above disciplines; however the Creative Writing, which falls as part the English test, will only be used in circumstances of appeal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.how2become.com/testing/kent-test-practice-papers/|title=Kent Test Guidance|website=How2Become}}</ref> In the [[London Borough of Bexley]] from September 2008, following a public consultation, pupils sitting the Eleven-Plus exam are only required to do a Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning paper. In [[Essex]], where the examination is optional, children sit Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English. Other areas use different combinations. Some authorities/areas operate an opt-in system, while others (such as Buckinghamshire) operate an opt-out system where all pupils are entered unless parents decide to opt out. In the [[North Yorkshire]], [[Harrogate]]/[[York]] area, children are only required to sit two tests: Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

[[Public school (United Kingdom)|Independent schools]] in England generally select children at the age of 13, using a common set of papers known as the [[Common Entrance Examination]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Common Entrance at 13+ |url=https://www.iseb.co.uk/Examinations-Assessments/Common-Entrance-at-13 |website=www.iseb.co.uk |access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref> About ten do select at eleven; using papers in English, Mathematics and Science. These also have the Common entrance exam name.<ref>{{cite web |title=Common Entrance at 11+ |url=https://www.iseb.co.uk/Examinations-Assessments/Common-Entrance-at-11 |website=www.iseb.co.uk |access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref>

=== Scoring ===
{{primary sources section|date=April 2023}}
{{Original research section|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Wechsler.svg|thumb|left|[[Normal distribution]] curve that illustrates [[standard deviations]]. This illustration has the [[Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children|Wechsler scale]] added, whereby the scores are scaled with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.]]
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
! Authority/consortium !! Mean !! Standard Deviation 
|-
| Bishop Wordsworth || 100 || 15
|-
| Chelmsford || 100 || 15
|-
| Dover Grammar School for Boys || 100 || 15
|-
| Folkestone || 100 || 15
|-
| Gloucester || 100 || 15
|-
| Harvey || 100 || 15
|-
| Heckmondwike || 100 || 15
|-
| Henrietta Barnett School || 100 || 15
|-
| Kendrick School || 100 || 15
|-
| Mayfield || 100 || 15
|-
| Reading School || 100 || 15
|-
| Redbridge  || 100 || 15
|-
| The Latymer School || 100 || 15
|-
| Torbay and Devon Consortium || 100 || 15
|-
| West Midland Boys || 100 || 15
|-
| West Midland Girls || 100 || 15
|-
| Buckinghamshire || 100 || 43
|-
| Dame Alice Owen || 106 || 15
|-
| Slough Consortium || 106 || 15
|-
| South West Herts || 106 || 15
|-
| Bexley || 200 || 30
|-
| King Edwards Consortium || 200 || 30
|-
| Warwickshire || 200 || 30
|-
| Wirral Borough Council || 234 || 15
|-
| Altrincham || 315 || 30
|-
| Sale || 318 || 30
|-
| Stretford || 327 || 30
|-
| Urmston || 328 || 30
|}

England has 163 grammar schools 155 of which control their own admissions including the choice of test. (143 Academy Converters, six Foundation schools and six Voluntary aided schools control their own admissions. Admissions for the remaining seven Community Schools and one Voluntary Controlled school are determined by the local authority.;
<ref>DfE Schools Pupils and Characteristics dataset''[https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics School level data]''.  Department for Education.</ref>
<ref>West, Anne and David Wolfe. ''[https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Academies%2C-autonomy%2C-equality-and-democratic-the-in-West-Wolfe/6dc5141b4b234ee77dddd4b1dc157515b4b9dc63 Academies, autonomy, equality and democratic accountability: Reforming the fragmented publicly funded school system in England. London Review of Education (2019)]''</ref>

Over 95% of grammar schools now determine their own admissions policies, choosing what tests to set and how to weight each component. Although some form consortia with nearby schools to agree on a common test, there may be as many as 70 different 11+ tests set across the country <ref>CEM set tests for 28 different LAs, consortia and individual schools and claim to have 40% of the market. Extrapolating would suggest there are approx. 70 different sets of tests in total.</ref> meaning it is not possible to refer to ''the eleven plus test'' as a single entity.

Tests are multiple choice. The number of questions varies but the guidance provided by GLA 
<ref>Free familiarisation materials''[https://web.archive.org/web/20230721083539/https://11plus.gl-assessment.co.uk/free-materials/]''.  Granada Learning Assessment (GLA).</ref> shows that full length Maths and English Comprehension tests are both 50 minutes duration and consist of about 50 questions. Verbal Reasoning is 60 minutes containing 80 questions. Non-Verbal Reasoning is 40 minutes broken into four 10-minute separately-timed sections each containing 20 questions. At a rate of one question every 30 seconds, it could be argued that the test is one of speed rather than intelligence.

One mark is awarded for each correct answer. No marks are deducted for incorrect or un-attempted responses.
<ref>Freedom of Information''[https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/familiarisation_booklet_accuracy#incoming-1060294]''. Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools.</ref> There are usually five possible answers, one of which is always correct meaning a random guess has a 20% chance of being correct and a strategy of guessing all un-attempted questions in the last few seconds of the exam will, if anything, gain the candidate a few additional marks which may make the difference needed to gain a place.

The actual marks from these tests, referred to as ''raw'' marks, are not disclosed by all schools, and instead parents are given ''Standard Age Scores'' (SAS).  A [[standard score]] shows how well the individual has performed relative to the mean (average) score for the ''population'' although the term ''population'' is open to interpretation. GL Assessment, who set the majority of 11+ tests, say it should be, "a very large, representative sample of students usually across the UK";<ref>GL Assessment ''[https://www.gl-education.com/media/1757/guide-to-standardised-tests.pdf A short guide to standardised tests]''.  013 GL Assessment Limited.</ref> however, grammar schools may ''standardise'' their tests against just those children who apply to them in a given year, as this enables them to match supply to demand.

Test results follow a [[normal distribution]] resulting in the familiar bell curve which reliably predicts how many test takers gain each different score. For example, only 15.866% score more than one [[standard deviation]] above the mean (+1σ generally represented as 115 SAS) as can be seen by adding up the proportions in this graph based on the original provided by M. W. Toews).

By ''standardising'' on just the cohort of applicants, a school with for example, 100 places which regularly gets 800 applications can set a minimum pass mark of 115 which selects approximately 127 applicants filling all of the places and leaving about 27 on the waiting list. The downside of this ''local standardisation'', as it has been called, is parents are frequently unaware that their children are being judged as much by the standard of other applicants as their own abilities.
 
Another issue with the lack of national standards in testing is it prevents any comparison ''between'' schools. Public perception may be that only pupils who are of ''grammar school standard'' are admitted to grammar schools; however, other information such as the DfE league tables<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data|title=Download data – GOV.UK – Find and compare schools in England|website=Find and compare schools in England}}</ref><ref>Data source: England_ks4final.csv. Field 39, PTPRIORHI shows the Percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4 with high prior attainment at the end of key stage 2.</ref> calls into question the existence of any such ''standard''. Competition for places at Sutton Grammar School is extremely fierce with, according to an online forum<ref name = elevenplusexams>{{cite web|url=https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schools/regions/surrey-11-plus|title=11 plus Surrey, Grammar School Admissions|website=www.elevenplusexams.co.uk}}</ref> over 2,500 applicants in 2016. At the other end of the scale, Buckinghamshire council website says, "If your child's STTS is 121 or above, they qualify for grammar school. We expect that about 37% of children will get an STTS of 121 or more."<ref>Marking the Secondary Transfer Test''[https://web.archive.org/web/20230721112048/https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-admissions-guides-policies-and-statistics/guide-to-grammar-schools-and-the-secondary-school-transfer-test-11-plus/marking-the-secondary-transfer-test/]''. Buckinghamshire Council.</ref> Official statistics show 100% of those admitted to Sutton Grammar School have, "high prior attainment at the end of key stage 2", compared to only 44% of those who attend Skegness Grammar School. The Grammar Schools Heads Association's Spring 2017 newsletter<ref>{{Cite web|title=GSHA Newsletter|url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/GSHA_Newsletter_SPRING_2017.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016203312/https://www.schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/GSHA_Newsletter_SPRING_2017.pdf |archive-date=16 October 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/GSHA_Newsletter_SPRING_2017.pdf|title=The Grammar Schools Heads Association's website went offline in early July 2017 but a copy of their Spring newsletter is still available from Schools Week's website}}</ref> says the government are considering a national selection test which would remove the lack of consistency between different 11+ tests. 
 
Between them, GL (Granada Learning) and CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) earn an estimated £2.5m annually<ref>''Coombs v Information Commissioner'', EA/2015/0226, 22 April 2016, p. 11.  CEM told the Information Commissioner they earn £1m from 40% of the market making £2.5m a reasonable estimate for 100% of the market.</ref> from setting and marking the 11+ tests.  Releasing the raw marks would bring some clarity to the admissions process but attempts to do so have generally been unsuccessful. GL have used the fact that they are not covered by Freedom of Information legislation to withhold information<ref name="whatdotheyknow.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/request_for_report_on_11_exam|title=Request for report on 11+ exam – a Freedom of Information request to Altrincham Grammar School For Boys|date=23 May 2016}}</ref> made for information relating to the 11+ exams used by Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, who stated, "Our examination provider, GL Assessment Limited (GL) is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) as it is not a public body.“, whilst their main rival CEM successfully argued in court<ref>{{Cite web|title=Case no. EA/2015/0226|url=https://informationrights.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk/DBFiles/Decision/i1785/018%20250416%20Coombs%20judgement%20final.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518170621/http://informationrights.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk/DBFiles/Decision/i1785/018%20250416%20Coombs%20judgement%20final.pdf |archive-date=18 May 2020 }}</ref><ref>Coombs v Information Commissioner (ibid), p. 5.</ref> that, "one of the benefits of its 11+ testing is that it is 'tutor proof'” and releasing the raw marks would undermine this unique selling point.

When a [[Standard score#Calculation from raw score|standard score]] is calculated the results is a negative value for any values below the mean. As it would seem very strange to be given a negative score Goldstein and Fogelman (1974)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Age standardisation and seasonal effects in mental testing|url=https://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/cmm/migrated/documents/age-standardisation-and-seasonal-effects.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528111147/http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/cmm/migrated/documents/age-standardisation-and-seasonal-effects.pdf |archive-date=28 May 2015 }}</ref> explain, "It is common to 'normalise' the scores by transforming them to give a distribution with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/cmm/migrated/documents/age-standardisation-and-seasonal-effects.pdf|title=Goldstein H and Fogelman K, 1974, ''Age standardisation and seasonal effects in mental testing''. Downloaded from /www.bristol.ac.uk}}</ref> Thus a normalised SAS of 100 indicates the mean (average) achievement whilst a score of 130 would be two standard deviations above the mean. A score achieved by only 2.2% of the ''population''. Most, but not all, authorities normalise follow this convention. The following table<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cem_11_test_results_2014_2016|title=CEM 11+ test results 2014 – 2016. – a Freedom of Information request to Durham University|date=6 October 2016}}</ref> showing the normalisation values used by some for 2017 entry (tests taken in 2016).

=== Northern Ireland ===
The system in Northern Ireland differed from that in England. The last eleven-plus was held in November 2008.<ref>{{cite news | title = Future uncertain as 11-plus ends | publisher = [[BBC News Online]] | date = 21 November 2008 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7740313.stm | access-date = 27 June 2009}}</ref> A provision in the Education Order (NI) 1997 states that "the Department may issue and revise guidance as it thinks appropriate for admission of pupils to grant-aided schools". Citing this on 21 January 2008, [[Department of Education (Northern Ireland)|Northern Ireland's Education Minister]] [[Caitríona Ruane]] passed new guidelines regarding post-primary progression as [[regulation]] rather than as [[legislation]]. This avoided the need for the proposals to be passed by the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], where cross-party support for the changes did not exist.<ref>{{cite news|author=Anne Murray|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/ruane-urged-to-publish-legal-advice-on-transfer-plans-14168692.html?startindex=-1#ixzz0Tu79HHLY |title=Ruane urged to publish legal advice on transfer plans – Education, News |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=3 February 2009 |access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=8884&topic=Home%20affairs |title=The tricky path from peace to harmony |publisher=Public Service |date=21 January 2008 |access-date=17 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722055519/http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=8884&topic=Home%20affairs |archive-date=22 July 2011  }}</ref> Some schools, parents and political parties object to the new legal framework. As a result, many post-primary schools are setting their own entrance examinations.