3 minute read
Testing Times
Our school helped us by taking us in over the breaks, and helping us with tough questions and doing papers every Tuesday as well as letting us come to a club for 1 hour after school to help us revise. We also had to do a practice paper over the weekend but I am glad I did now I have got a good score. Treya Dorrian, Downpatrick Primary School P7
I didn’t like the 11 plus because I got a lot of pressure from my grandparents. Th ey would have made it a point to try and force me to do practice papers a lot. I just was very stressed out about it. I remember on the day of the exam I was sick, I was vomiting that morning. I ended up failing it and ... feeling like a failure ... I ended up having a great time in the secondary school I was in.
Gemma Vaughan
I loved the verbal reasoning … we did a test every morning… I loved it … trying to fi gure all that out. But I think that was when you got further up the school because you were doing it then for your 11 plus. Gillian Mc Gimpsey When I did the transfer test I was confi dent that I would get a very good score in the test and I‛m so proud of myself.
Andreanna Edgar, Downpatrick Primary School P7
We need to do lots of work especially tests for high school.
Eoin Douglas, Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School
TESTING TIMES 23
24 TESTING TIMES We were preparing for the 11 plus. We heard that it was going to be in Down High. Well I mean, the only protestant that I knew was a friend of my mothers. I was thinking I might not get back again so I better take a good look round, get all the news, and see what it was like. I looked out the window and saw these girls playing hockey. I had never seen a hockey match in my life but I had read about it. You know in Enid Blyton. But here I’m looking at the maths paper and do you know to this day I oft en wonder, what was the invigilator doing, because I was sitting beside the window looking out. I didn’t touch my test paper… I’m watching this hockey match.
Kate Hanna
I was held back a year to repeat and that was another thumping I got, because when I went in to do it the second time I just put an X on it because I didn’t want to go to anywhere else except Donaghadee School, where all my mates were. So I just put an X on it and I came back and Fred Walker (Principal) got the word that I had put the X on it and I got another hiding for wasting his time for teaching me for a year.
Mervyn O’Neill
I learned a great deal – this knowledge enabled me to do my transfer exam. Tiernan O‛Neill, Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School Going into P7 was important to me as it was the year I did the transfer test - I passed. Claire Morrissey, Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School
I remember homework probably in P6, P7 and I remember lots of it and how hard it was particularly as we were studying for transfer in P6. I remember a lot of past papers, one almost every night and over the weekends too.
