Why children in one year group are different ages
At an autumn entrance test, children from the same school year can be nearly a year apart in age. Age standardisation is intended to make a comparison that accounts for that difference, using the assessment’s statistical method.
Kent and Medway both describe age adjustment in their official scoring explanations. Check your own route: the phrase “standardised” does not give you the full method by itself.
It is not a fixed birthday bonus
There is no reliable rule such as “an August birthday adds ten marks”. The conversion depends on how the test was standardised. It is not simply a parent-calculated addition to the number of answers marked correct.
For a fictional illustration, two children might achieve the same raw mark but receive different age-standardised scores. You cannot predict the size of any difference without the test’s method and data. Nor should you assume that every younger candidate will outperform every older candidate after conversion.
What the result can and cannot tell you
A reported age-standardised score describes performance on that assessment’s scale. It does not reveal the child’s exact raw mark unless the organiser supplies that information separately.
The score is then used according to the route’s rules: perhaps to determine a qualifying standard, form a weighted total or rank candidates. Age adjustment does not remove school-level catchment, distance or other allocation criteria.
Read what a standardised score means before comparing component scores with a total or percentage.
What parents should check
- Date of birth: confirm it was entered correctly on registration and any result record.
- Method: use the organiser’s current scoring explanation, not a general online conversion table.
- Outcome: check the official assessment decision as well as the number.
- Enquiry route: if there is a specific error, contact the organiser with the candidate reference and supporting information.
If the result is disappointing but the personal details are correct, read the published review guidance. A concern about age standardisation is not the same as demonstrating a scoring error, and a selection review is not necessarily a recalculation of marks. Reviews and score changes explains that distinction.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Still wondering?
Does being younger guarantee a higher score?
No. The effect depends on the test’s method and the child’s performance. There is no universal number of marks added for each month of age.
Is the adjustment based on Year 6 age or test-day age?
Use the organiser’s explanation. Medway, for example, states that scores reflect the child’s age when the test is taken. Accurate date-of-birth information is therefore important.
Can I calculate the adjustment myself?
Only if the organiser publishes the necessary method and conversion information. A birth month and a practice score alone are not enough.
Official sources
Checked 28 Sept 2026