Understanding Your Child’s Mock Test Results: A Guide for Parents

When students take mock tests during their 7+, 8+, 9+, 10+, 11+, 13+ preparation, it’s really important for parents to understand how to interpret the results — not just the raw scores, but what they actually mean for your child’s journey towards selective school entrance exams.

I’d like to explain how we present mock results, what terms like “median,” “percentile,” and “age standardisation” mean, and why mock tests are such a vital part of preparing for the real exams.

Mean and Median: How We Show the Average

First, when we talk about the “average” score in our mock tests, it’s important to know that we use the median, not the mean.

The mean — adding up all the scores and dividing by the number of students — is the traditional average most people think of. However, in smaller groups, the mean can be distorted by just a few students with very high or very low scores, and may not reflect the real ‘typical’ performance.

Instead, we use the median — the middle score when all the results are lined up from highest to lowest.
The median tells us what the “middle” student scored: half the students scored higher, half scored lower.
This gives a much clearer, fairer picture of where the group as a whole stands.

When you look at your child’s results, comparing them to the median score can help you see how they are performing relative to the group.

Percentile Rankings: Understanding Where Your Child Stands

As well as showing the median, we also provide your child’s percentile ranking.

The percentile ranking shows how your child’s score compares to others who sat the same test.
For example, a child in the 75th percentile performed better than 75% of students who took that paper.

Percentiles are incredibly useful because they allow you to see how competitive your child’s performance is, especially when thinking about selective school applications.
It’s much more meaningful than just looking at a raw percentage score.

We know that different schools in London have different expectations. If you would like to discuss what kind of percentile your child might need for specific schools, we are always happy to have that conversation. Please feel free to give us a call — it’s often easier to talk it through properly together.

Age Standardisation: What It Means

In the official 7+, 8+, 9+, 10+, 11+, 12+, 13+ exams, children’s scores are age standardised to make sure younger students aren’t unfairly disadvantaged compared to older students in the same school year.

Age standardisation adjusts scores based on a child’s exact age in months at the time of the exam. It uses very large national datasets — thousands of students — to calculate the adjustments fairly.

Because mock tests work with much smaller groups, full age standardisation isn’t applied in the mocks.
However, by looking at the percentile rankings we provide, you can still get a strong sense of where your child sits among their peers.

It’s important to remember that official exams will take a child’s age into account — and in many cases, younger students gain a slight advantage when scores are standardised.

Why Mock Tests Are So Valuable

Even without full age standardisation, mock tests are an incredibly important part of 11+ preparation.

They give children real experience of timed papers, exam-style conditions, and dealing with the challenge of unfamiliar questions — all vital skills for the real exam day.

Mocks also help build stamina, resilience, and confidence.
They show not just what a child knows, but how well they can apply that knowledge under pressure.

And for parents, mock tests offer clear feedback on where your child is doing well and where extra focus might be helpful — long before the real exam comes around.

At the end of the day, mock tests aren’t about predicting a final score exactly.
They are about building the skills, habits, and mindset that lead to success.

If you have any questions after receiving your child’s results, or if you’d like advice about how they’re progressing, please do get in touch. We are always very happy to talk things through with you.

📅 Book Your Child’s Next Mock Test

Mock tests are one of the best ways to build exam readiness and track progress over time.
If you would like to book your child onto our upcoming mock exams, please visit our mock tests page, or feel free to contact us for more information.

We look forward to helping your child continue to grow in confidence and skills as they prepare for the 7+,  8+, 9+, 10+, 11+, 13+