The Effects of Practice and Coaching on Test Results for Educational Selection at Eleven Years of Age

This study examines the effects of test familiarisation/practice and coaching on 11-plus test performance. Seven parallel forms of a test were administered to school children (aged 10-11 years) under two conditions. In the first condition children were given 3 hours of coaching prior to the administration of the tests ( n = 311). The second group received coaching only after the third test ( n = 241). Five of the seven tests were administered over a 2-week period and the remaining two were given some 9 months later. The reported results were based on a latent variables approach using a step-down MANOVA model. This permitted an examination of the psychometric properties of the measures through the testing of assumptions which are usually left unstated in the traditional use of the MANOVA model. The effects of familiarisation/practice did not produce a significant change in the means. Coaching for a period of 3 hours did produce a statistically significant shift in the means, though the individuals maintained their rank order. The effect of sustained coaching over a period of 9 months is shown to be substantial.