Test Results as an Oversubscription Criterion

Admission Authorities with selective schools and those using ability or fair banding can use test results as a selection criterion by following these steps:

  1. Select Test Mark as an oversubscription criterion via Process | Transfer Groups | Sub Groups | Sub Group Details.
  2. Define tests by adding them in the v4 client | Tools | Administration | Lookups menu.
  3. Associate tests with the transfer group via Process | Transfer Groups | Tests.
  4. Import or add test results for the students in this transfer group.
  5. Process the test results.

Tests Tab

If you want to use test results as a selection criterion you must associate the relevant testsrelevant tests with the transfer group. You can then record the test results for the students in the transfer group.

Field Description
Test Definitions Test codes must be first added to the Test Code lookup table (Lookup Table ID 0421) in One v4 Client | Tools | Administration | Lookups.

Click Associate Test with Transfer Group and select the test code from the drop-down list. The test description is completed automatically. Enter the test date (this is mandatory and can be set in the future if needed) and click the Save button.

You can subsequently Edit the test code and date if necessary.
Test Results The test results section becomes available once test codes have been associated with a transfer group.

Click Import Results to open a separate dialog enabling you to select a results file (in csv format) and import it.

The imported results are displayed in the Test Results table, where they can be filtered by Current Base Name, Current LA, URN, Current School No., Receiver Base Name, Receiver LA, Receiver School No., Student Surname and Forename.

Test results can also be edited manually for individual students by users with read/write or read/write/delete access set for the Test Results - Manual Entry permission.
Process Results Once at least one student in the transfer group has a test result recorded, then for users with Read/Write or Read/Write/Delete access for the Test Results - Process permission the Process Results section is available.

The results need to be processed using one of a set of predefined processing methods (algorithms). A processing method must be chosen from the list (Lookup Table ID 0420) but a cut off mark is optional. If you don't enter a cut off mark, then when the results are processed all students are deemed to have passed.

Click the Process button.

Import Test Results

In order to be imported, test results must be in a csv file consisting of Surname, Forename, DOB, UPN, Transfer Group Code, Transfer Group Year, Test Code, Results, Result Date and Student ID.

When you click Import Results, select an import file and click the Process button, the contents are imported to the TEST_RESULT_IMP table. The file is validatedvalidated during the import. If any of the data fails validation, then a message giving the reason is displayed. For example, if the student ID or combination of Surname, Forename and DOB is not found, the reason Student ID not found is given. If the student is not in the transfer group, the reason Transfers record not found for this student is given.

The following validations and updates take place after you click the Process button:

  • The file is validated against the details of the students in the transfer group. If any data fails validation, an error message is displayed.
  • If a test result has already been recorded for a student in this transfer group, the result and result date are updated with the imported data.
  • If a test result has not previously been recorded for a student, a new record is added.

The imported results are listed in the Test Results section.

Users with at least read/write permission for Test Results - Manual Entry can edit test results for individual students.

If a test result has already been recorded for a student in the selected transfer group, the results and result dateresult date are updated with those from the import file.

One does not validate that the Result date in the import file matches the date stored against the test definition when importing test results. The result date is imported even if it is not the same as the date stored against the test definition.

For example, suppose that a test code ENG has been defined for the transfer group with a test definition date of 01/10/2012. If there are results in the file for two students with the test code ENG, one with a result date of 02/10/2012 and another with a result date of 03/10/2012, then both results are imported successfully (assuming other validations are passed).

The column header of test code and date in the test results table is derived from the test definition. In this example the tests would be displayed under a column heading of ENG 01/10/2012.

If a test result has not already been recorded for a student for this transfer group, then a new record is inserted in the TESTS table

Test results are modified to support four decimal places during the import.

Process Test Results

The Tests page enables you to associate tests with transfer groups and import or processprocess results.

Select the Processing Method (algorithm) to be used in calculating the final overall test score from the lookup table (Lookup ID 0420). These rules are predefined, but a customised method may be used. If you select Average of Best ‘N’ Scores or Sum of Best ‘N’ Scores, a field enabling you to define the value of ‘N’ is displayed.

The processing methods available are:

  • Average of All Tests
  • Average of Best N Tests
  • Customised Method
  • Sum of all Tests
  • Sum of Best N Tests
  • Sum of Best Two Results

When you click the Process button, individual test results are drawn from the Test table. The relevant calculations are performed and a Test Result record is created against each student. A record for the overall score is also created in the Application History.

The cut off mark is used to determine which students have passed the selection process. Students who have passed the selection process can be allocated a place at their preferred selective receiver school. Any non-selective preferences are flagged as Refused.

Students who do not achieve the cut off mark are refused their preferred selective receiver. These students may then re-enter the allocation process, depending on their preference details for non-selective receivers. Students who have applied to an ability assessed band at a selective receiver but have not achieved the cut off mark are refused a place in the assessed band but are still considered for a place in the mainstream band.

If you update any test results, change the process calculation or change the cut off mark since the last time the routine was run, you can re-process the results and so reassess each student based on this latest information.

Furthermore:

  • The final overall mark for each student in the transfer group is calculated according to the chosen algorithm (to four decimal places). This value is then compared to the cut off mark (if one has been specified).
  • For selective schools only preferences, if the final calculated result is less than any specified cutoff mark then the offer status is updated to R (Refused by LA). A new record is created in the preference history to record this change in offer status for each student.
    Where students have preferences for both selective and non-selective schools there are no changes made to non-selective preferences if the calculated score is above the cut off mark. In v3, non-selective preferences were marked as R (Refused by LA) in this situation.
  • The calculated scores are recorded in the TRANSFERS table (TEST_RESULT field).
  • The calculated overall score is displayed in the Test column against the student on:
    • the Bases | Receivers page (for selective receivers and receivers using ability or fair banding)
    • the Update Preferences window
    • the Assign Students to Selected Band window
  • Once the test results have been processed, the number of students who achieved the cut off and the number of students who did not achieve the cut off are displayed above the Process button.

To use a customised method, contact the One Service Desk.

Reprocess Test Results

Test results can be processedprocessed more than once.

Reprocessing is necessary if any of the following conditions have occurred since the last time the routine was run:

  • Any student results have been added or updated.
  • The processing method calculation has been changed.
  • The cut off mark has been changed.

Each student is reassessed based on the latest information. Preferences that were set to R (refused by Local Authority) by the original processing of test results are checked, to confirm whether or not that status is still correct according to the latest results and parameters.

This includes the following preferences:

  • Home Local Authority preferences.
  • Band preferences that are ability assessed.
  • Band preferences linked to a parent band that is ability assessed.

If you reprocess test results after changing the processing method or cut off mark, the existing results and offer status are overwritten.