Dominican College, Portstewart PPTC Transfer Test (11 Plus) Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Located on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Dominican College Portstewart was established in 1917 by the Dominican Sisters. The school became co-educational in 1968 and has grown steadily to its current population of over 530 pupils.
The school has made steady investments since the 1970s and has added ICT facilities to the building in order to prepare students for the technological age in which they live. A new sports hall was added to the school and a new sixth form study centre was opened in August 2014.
Transfer Test Information for Dominican College, Portstewart
Address: Dominican College Portstewart, 2 Strand Road, Portstewart, County Derry, BT55 7PF
Admissions Info: info@dominican.portstewart.ni.sch.uk, 0287 083 2715
School Type: Co-Educational Grammar
Number of pupils: 530 (approx.)
Number of Places in Year 8: 100 (approx.)
Open Day Date: January
Exam Date: November/December
Exam Board Type: GL Assessment
Dominican College, Portstewart Admissions
Dominican College is one of 34 Northern Irish schools that have a selective admission policy for entry into Year 8. The school is part of the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), following the abolition of the previous eleven plus testing system.
Admission to Dominican College is determined by student performance in the PPTC Transfer Test. The College has 100 places available in Year 8, 69 of which are based on performance in the GL assessment test. The remaining 31 places are allocated on non-academic criteria. Results from the PPTC test are banded and age standardised.
For students applying via the non-selective route, priority is given to:
- Pupils who state Dominican College as their first-choice school
- Pupils who have a sibling at the school
- Pupils who have had a sibling at the school in the past
- Pupils who are the eldest child in their family
For more information about Dominican College’s admission policy, contact the school directly either via email or telephone.
How to Apply for Year 8 Entry to Dominican College, Portstewart
Before applying for a Year 8 place at Dominican College, parents and students are advised to attend one of the school’s Open Events, which are usually held in January. After a welcome from the school’s Principal, there will be an opportunity to meet students and teachers, see some of the work from students and visit various departments.
All schools within the PPTC use the same entrance assessment, so children are only required to be registered for the test once. Parents can apply on behalf of their child using the registration form on the PPTC website. If you are unsure of how to complete the form, refer to this list of guidance notes further information.
Dominican College, Portstewart Transfer Test Format
GL Assessment is the exam board that sets the Dominican College Portstewart Transfer Test. The test is split over two papers in English and Maths and students are required to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. Students are given a short practice session at the beginning of each test to help them become familiar with the exam layout.
English Paper
The English paper contains 60 questions and lasts for 50 minutes. Beginning with three reading passages, this comprehension section makes up 60% of the total mark. Students then answer questions on spelling and punctuation, followed by general questions, which make up the remaining 40% of the total mark of the paper.
Maths Paper
The maths paper contains 45 questions and lasts for 45 minutes. While the majority of the questions are intended to reflect the school curriculum, a few questions cover areas that aren’t in the curriculum, such as elementary logic. These questions exist to assess students’ intuition of mathematical concepts.
Once both test papers are complete, scores for both papers are age standardised and results are posted to parents in January.
Parents and guardians can find more information about the tests via the PPTC website, here. The website also has a useful FAQs page that relates to the transfer test.
How to Prepare for the Dominican College, Portstewart 11 plus (11+) Transfer Test?
For students to have the best chance of gaining a place at Dominican College Portstewart, they should have a thorough revision plan in place well ahead of the exam date. Regular revision will give students a better chance of improving their exam technique, while increasing their subject knowledge and learning how to perform well under exam conditions.
Parents can monitor their child’s academic progress with our selection of 11+ practice exam papers. Students currently preparing for the Dominican College Portstewart 11 Plus Transfer Test will find the following resources 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 Dominican College, Portstewart 11+ past papers. The information provided about Dominican College, Portstewart 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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