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Analysis of Accuracy of MidYIS Tests Essay

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Analysis of Accuracy of MidYIS Tests

Introduction

This essay is an exploration into the relevance of MidYIS tests as a predictor for results at GCSE Music. A comparison will be made between two sets of skills: those assessed by the MidYIS test - taken by most children in England at the beginning of year 9 - and those which, according to exam boards and experienced music educators, are tested at GCSE. Certain fundamental skills required for success at GCSE Music cannot be tested in the MidYIS tests, and I would suggest that a combination of MidYIS-type testing, musical intelligence assessment and some measure of the amount and quality of musical experience gained before embarking on the GCSE …show more content…

Through some example questions taken from the MidYIS website[1] (see Appendix I) I will try to determine the skills assessed that may be relevant to GCSE music.

The vocabulary and mathematical sections are about basic knowledge. Obviously those pupils who have a wide knowledge of everyday language will be more likely to understand all the words on a question paper, and be able to answer expressively. In relation to music the fact that a child has a wide vocabulary may suggest that he or she easily absorbs new words and would have little difficulty learning specialist musical terminology. An aptitude for mathematics or a good knowledge of mathematical processes may be an indicator of general intelligence, but I can identify little in these questions which could relate directly to GCSE music.

The 'Skills' section begins with a proof-reading passage. CEM's newsletter on the subject says:

In the Proof Reading section, pupils are asked to spot mistakes in a passage of text. In this day and age, we often rely on computers to check our grammar and spelling. The mistakes the pupils are looking for are of the type that cannot be picked up by a spell check on the

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