Common entrance exams

I would like to voice my concern about on the common entrance exams held earlier this month.

I am aware that the boys are tested so that the best academic candidates are chosen, but it is very stressful to keep telling one's sons that they have to give their very best output as every mark counts.

The boys are not tested only on their intelligence but also on the speed with which that knowledge is put on paper! The extra 15 minutes to the allocation for the Maltese paper this year resulted in an additional two pages in the exam paper.

In this context then, I feel it is very unfair that the last exercise in the Religion paper (which carried 12 per cent of the marks) involved the subject of parables that is covered in the first year at secondary level.

Likewise, this occurs annually in the Maths paper in which one or two problems are usually of a higher level which, although understandable, is still unfair. Ten- and 11-year-old boys have enough on their plate with the syllabus for the common entrance exams - anything above that is definitely uncalled for. I hope that this is taken into consideration when the papers are being corrected.