How to pass the Medway 11+ Test with Flying Colours

Contents

1. How to take the Medway 11 plus test?
2. What is in the Medway Test papers?
3. Is the 11+ right for my child?
4. How to pass the Medway 11+
5. What is the maximum score for the Medway 11+?
6. Which schools take the Medway plus?
7. Myth-busting the Medway 11 plus test

If you’d like your child to attend a grammar school in Medway then they may need to pass the Medway Test, also called the Medway 11 plus test (11+) or Medway 11 test. 

Regardless of whether your child lives in Medway or not, if your child would like to attend a grammar school in Medway, then they will need to sit the Medway specific 11+. The Medway test is written for the Medway council and the paper will differ from the 11+ papers in other regions and countries.

A GoStudent tutor can help your child to prepare specifically for the Medway 11+ test with personalised tuition based on your child’s strengths. 💡

Is the 11+ right for my child?

You may be asking yourself “Is the 11+ right for my child?” Start by speaking to your child and their teacher to understand if taking the Medway 11+ is the right choice for them. Those who interact with your child in an education setting, plus the perspective of your child and your own gut feeling are the best way to understand if taking the 11+ is the right choice.

How to take the Medway 11 plus test?

If it’s decided that your child would be suitable, then you will need to register on the Parent Portal before the deadline. Registration for the Medway Test opens 1 June and closes 30 June 2022.

Children who are registered for the test by the deadline will be given access to a guide to help familiarise them with the format and layout of the mathematics and verbal reasoning tests.

If your child already goes to a Medway school, then they will most likely sit the Medway 11+ at their school in Year 6. 🚸

If your child attends a primary school outside of Medway or attends the Kings school or St Augustine’s Catholic Primary school in Medway then your child will take the test in a Medway Test Centre on the weekend.

Full details about where your child will take their Medway 11 plus test will be detailed in an invitation posted or emailed to you after registration.

What is in the Medway Test papers?

The Medway 11 plus test has three papers which could be taken on the same day, or split across two days of testing. You will receive the schedule of testing beforehand in a Test Day Information Sheet. 

The papers in the Medway 11+ are:

• Mathematics (Multiple choice) ➗
• Verbal Reasoning (Multiple choice) 💭
• Extended Writing (Written essay) 📝

Your child should be very familiar with how to accurately mark the multiple-choice answer sheet before taking the Medway 11+. ✍️

For the 11 plus extended writing topics in Medway, students are usually provided with a choice of topics. Often there is a creative prompt such as ‘Write a story about a lost key.’

Another choice could be an essay where an opinion should be presented. For example ‘Is life too hectic to enjoy?’ 

State schools in the UK, including in Medway, are not obliged to provide specific Medway 11+ test preparation, so we would highly encourage using one of our specialist 11+ test tutors to give your child the tools and confidence to prepare for the Medway Test.

How to pass the Medway plus?

The three papers are weighted differently. The Mathematics and Extended Writing paper scores are valued twice as highly as the score of the Verbal Reasoning paper.

Take a look at the below score table for an example student who has passed the Medway Test:

While any child taking the Medway 11 Plus test should have a good grasp of all three papers, it makes sense to place slightly more emphasis on studying for the Mathematics and Extended Writing papers since they are weighted more heavily in the total score. ⚖️

The pass mark is adjusted each year depending on the standard of papers submitted so that exactly 23 percent of exam papers pass.

• In 2021 the qualifying pass mark was 483
• In 2020 the qualifying pass mark was 490
• In 2019 the qualifying pass mark was 492
• In 2018 the qualifying pass mark was 495

It is worth remembering that passing the Medway 11 plus test does not mean that your child will automatically be given a place at a Medway grammar school. Places usually outnumber applications, and each grammar school will use their own criteria to decide which student to allocate a place to.

To give your child the best chance of achieving their full potential in the Medway 11+, we recommend contacting a GoStudent tutor to create a tailored study plan specifically for the Medway Test.

What is the maximum score for the Medway 11+?

The maximum weighted score is 700. Looking back on previous years pass marks we can see that a score between 483-495 was necessary to pass the Medway Test within the last four years. 

Which schools take the Medway Plus?

Check if your child’s current school already offers Year 6 pupils to sit the Medway 11+ below:

• Academy of Cuxton Schools - Juniors
• All Faiths' Children's Academy
• All Saints CE Primary School
• Balfour Junior Academy
• Barnsole Primary School
• Bligh Primary School - Juniors
• Brompton Westbrook Primary School
• Bryony School
• Burnt Oak Primary School
• Byron Primary School
• Cedar Children's Academy
• Chattenden Primary School
• Cliffe Woods Primary School
• Deanwood Primary School
• Delce Academy
• Elaine Primary School
• English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School
• Fairview Community Primary School
• Featherby Junior School
• Gordon Children's Academy - Juniors
• Halling Primary School
• Hempstead Schools Federation - Juniors
• High Halstow Primary Academy
• Hilltop Primary Academy
• Hoo St Werburgh Primary School
• Horsted School - Juniors
• Kingfisher Primary School
• Kings School Rochester
• Lordswood School
• Luton Primary School
• Maundene School
• Mierscourt Primary School
• Napier Primary Academy
• New Horizons Children's Academy
• New Road Primary School
• Oaklands School
• Oasis Academy Skinner Street
• Parkwood Primary School
• Peninsula East Primary Academy
• Phoenix Junior Academy
• Riverside Primary School
• Saxon Way Primary School
• St Andrews School Rochester
• St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
• St Benedict's Catholic Primary School
• St Helen's CEP School
• St James' CE Primary Academy
• St Margaret's at Troy Town CE Primary School
• St Margaret's CE Junior School
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School
• St Mary's Island CE Primary School
• St Michael's RC Primary School
• St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School
• St William of Perth Catholic Primary School
• Swingate Primary School
• Temple Mill Primary School
• Thames View Primary School
• The Academy of Woodlands
• The Hundred of Hoo Academy
• The Pilgrim School
• Twydall Primary School
• Wainscott Primary School
• Walderslade Primary School
• Warren Wood Primary Academy
• Wayfield Primary School

Myth-busting the Medway 11 plus test

With all of the confusion around calculating standardised scores, some myths also circulate the school playground that we can bust!

• Myth: Older children have marks taken away to make the test fairer for their younger classmates ❌
• Truth: Younger children are awarded extra marks to compensate for up to a year less of exposure to new vocabulary ✔️
• Myth: Boys scores are calculated differently to girls due to a concept that “boys develop more slowly than girls” ❌
• Truth: Standardising boys and girls scores differently does not happen and is illegal under the terms of the Sex Discrimination Act ✔️
• Myth: Any 11+ test papers online will help my child prepare for the Medway 11+ test ❌
  Truth:  The provider for the Medway test is GL Assessment. Only practice papers from their website are official and endorsed by Medway Council✔️

If you’re ready to begin preparing for the 11 plus, a Medway 11+ Tutor from GoStudent is ready to put this knowledge about the Medway Test into practice with your child!