Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools exam errors: 'Solution agreed' by test provider

The children are hoping to go to Dr Challoner's High School or one of the other grammar schools in the group

A test provider has agreed a "solution" after a grammar school entrance exam included "impossible" questions.

Buckinghamshire pupils taking the 11-Plus exam last month were given an incorrect answer sheet for the multiple choice verbal skills test.

Exam provider GL Assessment said it would give every child one mark for each of the two "erroneous questions".

It will also discount the last six questions in the section to ensure no one is "penalised" for not finishing.

The affected test was the entrance exam for 13 grammar schools in the county.

GL Assessment confirmed the flawed exam was only sat by children in Buckinghamshire

A mother whose child sat the exam, and did not want to be named, previously said the error "beggars belief", and added: "It was impossible to answer and kids began raising their hands."

A GL Assessment spokeswoman said: "The solution involves awarding all children a mark for each of the two erroneous questions, thereby ensuring no advantage or disadvantage for those two questions, and discounting the last six questions of the section in which the errors occurred, so that no individual child is penalised for not being able to complete the test."

She added the move had been "independently approved by an external statistician".

A joint statement from the test provider and Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools said: "Our analysis, which included a comparison with last year's paper, showed that the errors caused minimal statistical impact on the results overall, particularly on the ability of children to complete the test."

The organisations apologised to parents, carers and children and thanked them for their "patience".