Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School PPTC Transfer Test (11 plus) Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Located in County Down, Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is an all-boys’ voluntary day school for students aged 11-18. With the school’s first foundations laid in 1850, it moved to an £18 million modern campus in Newry in 2010.
The school offers a well-rounded Catholic education to approximately 800 pupils. Abbey Christian Brothers’ aims to create a caring community, nurture faith and promote partnerships within the wider community.
For an insight into what it’s like to study at Abbey CBS, take a look at this highlight video from a recent Open Day:
Transfer Test Information for Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School
Address: Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, 77A Ashgrove Road, Newry BT34 1QN
Admissions Info: info@abbeycbs.co.uk, 0283 026 3142
School Type: Boys’ Grammar
Number of pupils: 800 (approx.)
Number of Places in Year 8: 105 (approx.)
Open Day Date: January
Exam Date: November / December
Exam Board Type: GL Assessment
Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School Admissions
Some schools in Northern Ireland use a selective admission policy. Thirty-four schools in total make up the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), a system that uses the same standardised entrance assessment to determine admission.
Year 8 admission to Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is determined by student performance in the PPTC Transfer Test. Once students have taken the test, results are banded and age standardised. In cases where there are more applicants than available places, the following oversubscription criteria is used, giving priority to:
- Children with a parent already working at the school
- Children who already have a brother attending the school
- Children whose father attended the school
- Children who are the first sons in the family to transfer to a grammar school
- Other candidates selected on the basis of age, with the youngest being selected first
For more information on the admissions process or oversubscription criteria at Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, parents should contact the school directly via info@abbeycbs.co.uk, or call 0283 026 3142.
How to Apply for Year 8 Entry to Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School
Before applying for a Year 8 place at Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, both parents and prospective pupils are invited to attend the school’s Open Day in January. After taking a tour of the school and talking to staff and current pupils, parents will have a better idea of whether it is the right environment for their son.
All schools within the PPTC use the same entrance test, so children are only required to be registered once. Parents should complete the registration form on the PPTC website. To ensure parents complete this form correctly, the PPTC provide details guidance notes for further information.
Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School Transfer Test Format
The Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School Transfer Test is set by the exam board GL Assessment. Students aiming to gain a Year 8 place at the school are required to sit two test papers in maths and English.
In both tests, all questions are multiple-choice and students will be given practice sections before each paper to familiarise them with the exam layout.
Maths Paper
The maths paper is made up of 45 questions and lasts for 45 minutes. The questions are based on the school’s curriculum and pupils will also be tested on some elementary logic, mathematical facts, properties or geometric names. Most questions have been written either to assess the understanding of mathematical concepts and processes, or to assess the use of mathematics as a practical skill in a range of everyday situations.
English Paper
The English paper is made up of 60 questions and lasts for 60 minutes. The paper begins with three reading passages, followed by comprehension questions, which make up 60% of the total mark. This is then followed by spelling and punctuation questions, followed by general questions, making up the remaining 40% of the total mark.
Scores from both papers are then age standardised and results are posted to parents in the following January. Parents can find more details about the test paper content via the PPTC website.
How to Prepare for the Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School 11 plus (11+) Transfer Test?
The key to preparing for the Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School entrance exam is organisation and practice ahead of the exam date. The first step should be to create a study timetable, which clearly marks out the required subjects and the time allocated to each. By creating a timetable, parents can keep any exam stress and worry to a minimum.
For the English paper, parents should encourage reading comprehension and spelling practice as both skills are required in the test. The more practice a child gets in these areas, the more likely they are to approach the exam in a calm and measured manner. For the maths paper, students should take time to revise their school work, as the exam paper is based on similar topics.
As part of a child’s revision, parents could introduce practice exam papers into their child’s routine. Not only do practice papers give children a better idea of what to expect from the exam, but they can also boost their confidence. We have a selection of 11 Plus practice tests in the GL Assessment-style that is used in the PPTC Transfer Test.
Students currently preparing for the Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School Eleven Plus Transfer Test will find the following practice papers particularly useful:
English
Full Practice Tests
Skill specific practice
Masterclasses
Mathematics
Full Practice Tests
Skill specific practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
Masterclasses
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
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