Did you fail your 11+ exam?

When we took our 11+ we didn’t have a clue what it was for . We hadn’t covered the whole curriculum, not done decimals , so we’re told to just leave those questions out . Despite this I passed with flying colours and went to one of the top grammar schools in my city . I hated every minute because we were so poor that I went to school with holes in my shoes and I thought all the rich girls looked down on me . In my opinion they must have all been the clever ones so I didn’t apply myself and came out with just 3 o levels .
Years later I did an entrance test for nursing from which I was told I had an IQ of over 130 !
I became a nurse and had a good life despite wasting the opportunity I had when only 10 years old .

Thank goodness that horrible exam has gone! I was lucky - I passed but I have friends who, sixty years later, are still carrying the hurt they felt by being judged lacking.

My class had an absolute horror of a teacher at the time. Only one boy in our class hadn’t passed so our teacher stuck an L plate to the back of his chair. Cruel doesn’t begin to cover an act like that. He also took delight in tormenting one poor girl whose postman hadn't delivered her exam results before she left for school. He told her that was probably because she had failed. He ignored her pleas to check with the headteacher saying

"Miss Wyneken is much too busy to be bothered with silly little girls."

She had passed but she didn't know until the afternoon and she spent the whole day crying instead of playing happily with her friends.

Failed 11+ as my dad died 2 weeks before. Then a cruel teacher told me I was expected to pass. (Just retired from nhs after 30 years nursing)

Granmabatty Yes Scotland abolished it in 1965. England last entrants were 2008 I believe.

1960s

I failed too. Went to a secondary modern which became a comprehensive, where I got 6 O-levels and a CSE.
But that sense of failure has never really left me.
I went to college to do A levels. Failed those.
Failed my driving test twice before passing first time.
Did a p/t course at university as a mature student (first year of degree over 2 years part-time). Failed the end of year exams. Resat those I'd failed and failed again.

But, one of the tutors suggested that I ask at the local poly to see if I could use the exams I had passed (3 out of 5...) in lieu of the A levels I don't have. So I went to see the admissions tutor, and was told no again.
Instead, I was told that they would take those exams I had passed and as long as I passed one of their first-year degree courses, I could proceed directly to the second year of their degree programme.
Which I did and graduated 2 years later with a BA (Hons) in English with History and a 2.1 pass.
This was a flash in the pan, because I never completed my MA, nor was I able to take up my offered place to do a PGCE - both of these were due to external circumstances but they still felt like failure.

I now have an undergraduate diploma in theology, which (much to my surprise) I passed...

I think I'm good at failing things, but it still hurts as much as it did in 1970, when I failed the 11-plus. It has fuelled my deep down sense of being utterly useless as a human being and I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone.

In the small town where I was brought up there was a grammar school for boys with a 4 form entry and a grammar school for girls with a 3 form entry. No one questioned it in the early 1960.

I was on the border line so had to take another exam, which I failed. I was pleased as I then found myself in the top half of secondary modern rather than in the bottom half of grammar school. I became company accountant, so all good.

I took it first at barely 10 years old and failed but took it again at 12 and passed. I did not transfer to the local grammar school as it did not have a particularly good academic reputation so I stayed at my secondary modern and have never regretted it.

I think I passed. I do remember that I had a position in Durham Grammer School but we left the country before Anything came of it

I passed in 1967. It was the Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames and to the best of my remembrance consisted only of an IQ test. There were plenty of grammar schools, even at least one co-ed, in the area, so I suspect there wasn't the pressure on places others have mentioned. As I was already at an independent, academic school, I stayed there. Absolutely loathed the place, certainly didn't achieve my potential, and I do wonder if going to a decent grammar would have improved the outcome for me.

Seabreeze yes it is very possible most of the teachers I had at school, apart from infants school- ( they were all rounders and quite brilliant) were mediocre some were exceptional but sadly the vast majority were simply vile sarcastic tyrants.

I so agree Wellbeck. When I took the 11 plus I found it very easy and waited patiently for the obvious result, that I had passed. But I had failed. I never got over it and my schoolwork and attitude went swiftly downhill. We did a similar exam 13 plus later which I passed with no problem, to do a technical course, ie typing and short hand. The week after the results for the 11 plus we were all called to an assembly where prefects were chosen. I was chosen as one and felt it was because I was turned down for grammar school. It felt like a booby prize. It seemed that the chosen ones all had older brothers and sisters who had passed on previous years. Many from well off families too.

Yes. Went to a Girls High School in the 1950s when there was a three tier system locally. Grammar or High School; Technical school; Secondary modern school.
To me, that seems quite reasonable in that children were placed in the establishment most suitable for them. And there was an 'escape route' for some at 13 if they proved to be wrongly placed.
I think the injustice was in the wording. The 11+ ( or scholarship as it was previously called) should never have been deemed something which could be passed or failed
It should have been described as a means of fitting in each child into the appropriate educational setting.

I failed and went to an all girls comprehensive and really enjoyed school, came out with 8 O Levels but didn't attend uni, single parent mother couldn't afford so went to work and had a great working life ending up as a teacher which I loved for 19 years, employer paid for my degree and teacher training. Am glad the 11+ was scrapped as I was a late developer and the youngest in my class.

I failed my 11+ as I was ill for one of the tests (Measles or one of the other things we caught as a kid).
I therefore went to Joseph Rowntree Secondary Modern School - mixed pupils and it was brilliant, as were the teachers. Our year was the first to do a foreign language - French - and our teacher was a Professor from York University who took us to the "Language Lab" at York University every week. At 12 we did a 6 week exchange visit, living with a family and going to school with them. Did another one couple of years later.
The reason I stress this is I then did a 13+ and although I passed there wasn't a place at one of the Grammar Schools (in hindsight thank God for that.) For A levels I had to go to a Girls Grammar School and I hated it. You were looked down on by some pupils as you had "only" been to a Secondary Modern and the method of teaching was totally alien to me. After being top of the class most years in French I only just passed my A level because of the way it was taught. Some pupils used to say strange things like "how did you work with boys there" ?? often wondered how they turned out.
Despite "only" going to a Secondary Modern I became a Chartered Librarian and my last job before retiring was Managing a Schools Library Service for 4 authorities - my sister who also went to the same Sec Mod was a Solicitor.
On a passing note my friend passed her 11 + and went to Grammar and always felt she was behind.

I failed, it didn't surprise me at all, I always felt my intelligence was pretty average at that age, although later on I did well in subjects such as history, geography and English. My parents of course were disappointed. In my junior school not that many passed anyway so I didn't feel unusual, but I didn't feel special either.

After junior school I went on to an adjacent convent school. It was ostensibly a private school, but our parish priest had done some sort of deal with the nuns to take the catholic state school riff raff like myself, in exchange for presumably some parish funds. Anyway why anyone would pay to go to such a school was always beyond me, must have been something to do with the very naice blazers, boaters and white gloves, which equipped us for, let me think, oh yes absolutely nothing I remember one my close friends' sister passed the 11plus and her very Irish Catholic mother said well "I'm not wasting her in the convent she'll be going to the non denominational grammar!"

My husband on the other hand passed the 11 plus and considers he had a fantastic education which be puts down to his grammar school.

I seem to recall a teacher saying to my mother that there was no point in me sitting the exam! Is this really possible.
I was an incredibly shy child with no confidence.
I like to think that I am an intelligent confidant person now.

I passed and went to grammar school,my mum and dad were so proud of me as neither of my older brothers did. I got a petite typewriter from them for passing. At Junior school, apart from one year, I was always top of my class so I was put in the A stream at the convent. First half years tests I came 27th out of 33. Biggest shock for me at age 11. I gave up after that, never really bothered . Always felt if I'd been put in the B stream would probably have been near or at the top still and would have excelled. I remember one of the nuns telling me I had a good brain if only I'd use it ! Couldn't wait to get to 16 to leave

I failed my 11+, but I knew I could have another go a year later, and I was determined to join my siblings at Grammar School, I made more effort and made sure I passed. With the right effort almost anything is possible.

I passed...I went to a technical high school as did my sister. My two brothers went to grammar school. I wonder if this was unusual. We were brought up on a council estate.

Germanshepherdsmum

No, I got a good pass as I had first choice in my school of which of the three (all girls) local grammar schools I attended.

I too passed my 11+ and got into my first choice of grammar (all girls) school. We had to choose 3 and I wouldn’t have minded either of the other 2 as they were all great schools.

Yes, and went to a grammar school which I hated. My secondary school days were a nightmare. I was miserable, lonely and bullied. So bad that my parents took me out before I got any qualifications so it was all pointless.

I passed and went to grammer school.
I found out years later how nasty some other mothers had been to my mother, saying that "I only got in" because my brother was already at that school!
One of the sons did well as even though he went to the local secondary modern, joined HMRC when he left school at 16 and worked his way up.
The other lad turned out to be the most nasty, bitter, spiteful person (he wasn't actually that bright at primary) who, when his parents got into difficulty years later, completely disowned them, changed his name and moved away, never to be seen again!

I didn’t even sit mine, I was of the mindset that I would only fail so I would rather not try.
I didn’t have any encouragement off my parents but I remember the headmaster taking me into his office gently telling me I should try but I was stubborn and didn’t
It was only after I married and raised my family I gained qualifications and went on to have a good career.