Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: February 2008
Q.1 Can I have my child’s transfer test paper re-marked?
A.1 Yes, the paper can be re-marked – your Primary School Principal will give you the details. All requests for the re-marking of papers must come from the Primary School Principal. Each year there is a closing date which is usually the last Friday in February. NB A paper will not be downgraded.
Q.2 How long does a re-mark take?
A.2 CCEA aims to have the papers re-marked in approximately 10 working days from the date of receipt in CCEA. The result of the re-mark will be posted to the Primary School Principal who will then advise parents.
Q.3 Can I have my child’s transfer test paper?
A.3 No. Exam papers are personal data and therefore come under the Data Protection Act. CCEA applies Schedule 7 para 9 of the Data Protection Act 1998 which provides an exemption for examination scripts in respect of access to them. CCEA has received advice from its sponsoring department (the Department of Education) which is in accord with this decision.
Q.4 Can I find out if my child left questions out?
A.4 No. The Council operates a policy in line with the Data Protection Act in this regard and, consequently, access to pupils - test papers or information relating to a pupil’s response to test questions is not possible.
Q.5 Can I have the exact score my child gained in both tests?
A.5 Yes. Final and raw marks are available. We do not provide percentage marks. The final outcomes are not expressed as a percentage.
Q.6 What mark/percentage out of 75 does my child need to obtain a grade A, B1, B2 etc.?
A.6 It is not possible to indicate exactly what actual mark or percentage is necessary for an 'A' in each paper. Please see question 9 on Grading the Transfer Test.
Q.7 How do I obtain my child’s marks for the tests or the total quotient?
A.7 Put your request in writing either by letter or e-mail to the Information Officer giving your child’s full name and date of birth. We will also need the school name and reference number. E-mails should be addressed to info@ccea.org.uk. Requests made by letter should be addressed to the Information Officer, CCEA, 29 Clarendon Road, Belfast BT1 3BG.
As results are personal information the Council requires applicants to provide identification. For Transfer Tests marks we accept the four-digit number used by the pupil during the tests as sufficient identification. If the pupil number is not available, then we accept official documents such as the grade notification letter issued by the Education and Library Board, a birth certificate or a passport as identification. Please do not send originals in the post as we cannot guarantee their safe return. Photocopies or scanned images of original documents are acceptable.
Q.8 How long will it take?
A.8 The Data Protection Act 1998 states that requests for personal information must receive a reply within 40 days. However CCEA aims to respond to requests for Transfer Test marks as quickly as possible.
Q.9 How are the transfer tests graded?
A.9 Grading the Transfer Tests
In order to conduct the grading process, the raw marks from the tests are transformed into age adjusted scores, standard scores, weighted standard scores and quotients.
These quotients are arrived at by the following process.
- The ‘raw’ marks are recorded separately for each subject in each test and these marks are then taken onto the computer.
- The age allowance for each pupil is calculated and applied for each subject in each test. In order to do this the marks are plotted by the computer against the dates of birth of the pupils who scored them. Each plot establishes the relationship between marks and age of pupil for that subject in that test. This relationship is used to calculate the appropriate age allowance. The allowance takes the form of marks added; no pupil has marks deducted.
- The age-adjusted marks are then converted into standard scores using the appropriate statistical procedure. This gives 2 English, 2 Mathematics and 2 Science and Technology scores for each pupil (1 of each from each test). These are now combined in the ratio: English 35%, Mathematics 35%, Science and Technology 30%, to give a single total score (quotient) for each pupil on which the grade is based.
Q.10 Will the age of my child affect his/her final mark?
A.10 Yes. An age allowance operates within the test. The age allowance is dependent on the performance of all pupils on each section of the test. As the allowance differs each year it is not possible to specifically detail how many marks a child will be awarded in each paper.
Q.11 Can I have the grade boundaries for the last 5 years?
A.11 The table below shows the minimum total quotients required for each grade in each year.
| Transfer Test Grade Boundaries | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 | |
| 2003/04 | 214 | 208 | 202 | 196 | 189 |
| 2004/05 | 214 | 208 | 202 | 196 | 189 |
| 2005/06 | 215 | 210 | 204 | 198 | 190 |
| 2006/07 | 216 | 211 | 205 | 199 | 192 |
| 2007/08 | 214 | 208 | 202 | 195 | 187 |
Q.12 Can my child be awarded special consideration for illness/trauma?
A.12 No. There is no special consideration for illness or trauma in the Transfer Test. A supplementary test is provided for a child where one or both of the tests are missed through illness or other unforeseen exceptional reasons.
Q.13 Sitting the Supplementary Test – is it easier?
A.13 No. Obviously each test paper will contain different questions. The range of material covered in each paper will also vary. The existence of these basic differences between test papers sometimes results in judgements being formed about the relative difficulty of test papers. Indeed, over time there may have been the development of a misguided belief that the Supplementary Test is not of the same standard as the two main tests.
All of the Transfer Procedure tests including the Supplementary Test are developed to the same rigorous and consistent standards. The Transfer Procedure tests (including the Supplementary Test) are devised in accordance with the Transfer Procedure Specification (Syllabus). Furthermore, CCEA’s statistical management of the marking and grading process ensures that outcomes overall are consistent across all combinations of test papers and across years.
Analysis of the outcomes of the Transfer Procedure over many years shows no discernable pattern of advantage or disadvantage for a candidate sitting the Supplementary Test.
Each candidate’s grade is derived strictly from their performance in two ‘valid’ tests. Where a candidate is entered for the Supplementary Test, there is no ‘second chance’ or ‘best two out of three’ analysis allowed and a decision is taken to quite literally discard either Test 1 or Test 2. The test that is discarded is completely disregarded when arriving at the final grade. There is no option to resurrect a discarded test if a candidate subsequently feels that they have not performed well in the Supplementary Test.
NB: Data Protection Act:
Information that is personal data: in order for data to be personal, the data must relate to a living individual who can be identified from the data and any other information that is in, or is likely to come into, the possession of the data controller.
Below is a quote from Blackstone’s Guide to The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (second edition) by John Wadham and Jonathan Griffiths ISBN 0-19-927764-8 as follows:
It has been predicted that the majority of applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will be made by individuals seeking personal information concerning themselves. It is ironic, therefore, that such information is not generally available under the Act. Under the scheme established under the Act, such requests must be dealt with in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
