Just how hard were the entrance exams ?

[Mrs C.]

Is there no peace for the wicked??

[Great Plum]

I think that will be the other Mr James that Richard was talking about...

[Vonny]

I remember going to CH Hertford for the entrance exams in January 1981. In those days you stayed at the school for 2 or 3 nights. Can't say I really remember what else we did whilst we were there though

[sejintenej]

Firstly, I think it was Mr Jones who was housemaster in Prep A. He lived in Salcombe during the holidays and my mum reckoned that he would be able to translate.
Unfortunately he never learned the local language which caused me no end of problems.

Exams fro 9 year olds were rudimentary to say the least - a bit of basic adding and subtraction and writing. I remember having to learn a composition about Grace Darling but it never came up.

The only real test was health.

[englishangel]

I took the exam in London (Almoners nominee-there it is again) with Alex Thrift.

I know we did English and Maths but no French or Latin (I think that was a Common Entrance thing)

The maths I remember as being extremely hard, I didn't do anything as hard again until O' levels (for which I got an A).

[Rex]

J.R., I agree with Sejintej here - the man you describe sounds like Merlin H Jones (known as Jonah), housemaster of Prep A and headmaster of the Prep and, when the Prep ceased to exist, first housemaster of LHA. I believe he retired in 1968.

Glyn James (Staff 1962-97) was - and I imagine still is - a smallish man with a quiet manner.

[J.R.]

J.R., I agree with Sejintej here – the man you describe sounds like Merlin H Jones (known as Jonah), housemaster of Prep A and headmaster of the Prep and, when the Prep ceased to exist, first housemaster of LHA. I believe he retired in 1968.

Glyn James (Staff 1962-97) was – and I imagine still is – a smallish man with a quiet manner.

That's the fella', Rex !

The Jonah nickname bought it all flooding back. It's a great shame that teachers of today don't have his 'charisma' and earn the 'respect' he did !

[Hannoir]

I never had to do them.

Instead, my entrance exam was the General Certificate of Secondary Education.

[Euterpe13]

I remember sitting Almoners' at the local convent, and coming horribly unstuck in the maths - but in defence of my teachers, I was only 9 at the time.
Luckily, received a presentation from Barnes Wallis, so sat an incredibly easy exam in London, got interviewed by DR and off to Borstal, sorry CH
B

[Ruthie-Baby(old a/c)]

I did the full entrance exam and had been well prepared by my little local school in Norfolk. I found it surprisingly easy. The worst thing was it was for three days (two nights) and the middle day was my birthday. Naturally in the spirit of CH at that time no one really knew. I finally mentioned it to one of the girls looking after us in Ba A (I think the whole time we were in the care of deps or Grecians). She rushed off, left me on my own in a common room and a little while later two cakes were produced. Still didn't feel much like a birthday.

I was far more embarrased that my parents insisted I display a cup I'd won at junior school on my toyce in the dayroom where the exams were sat!

[Katharine]

I took the exam in London (Almoners nominee-there it is again) with Alex Thrift.
I know we did English and Maths but no French or Latin (I think that was a Common Entrance thing)
The maths I remember as being extremely hard, I didn't do anything as hard again until O' levels (for which I got an A).

I vaguely remember the day in London, can't remember any details of the exam, but thought the room was awesome. Did we do one earlier at our old school before getting called up to London? My father met an OB he hadn't seen since leaving school! His wife said 'Our Liz doesn't stand a chance with all these clever looking parents around' My parents thought that was a wonderful ice breaker for all anxious parents.
Liz did double Maths A level with me and went on to Oxford to do PPE

[englishangel]

I took the exam in London (Almoners nominee-there it is again) with Alex Thrift.
I know we did English and Maths but no French or Latin (I think that was a Common Entrance thing)
The maths I remember as being extremely hard, I didn't do anything as hard again until O' levels (for which I got an A).

I vaguely remember the day in London, can't remember any details of the exam, but thought the room was awesome. Did we do one earlier at our old school before getting called up to London? My father met an OB he hadn't seen since leaving school! His wife said 'Our Liz doesn't stand a chance with all these clever looking parents around' My parents thought that was a wonderful ice breaker for all anxious parents.
Liz did double Maths A level with me and went on to Oxford to do PPE

We do remember odd things. I had a new pair of (very grown-up) navy blue shoes and by the time we got home the feet of my new white socks were also navy-blue.

I also remember walking to the station to catch the train, it must have been about 7.30 in the morning and the sun was up[ and the sky was blue and it was already warming up. The day turned into a scorcher. temperature well into the 70s (20+ for the younger members of the forum) It was March so the exam must have been much later in those days than it is now.

[Katharine]

We do remember odd things. I had a new pair of (very grown-up) navy blue shoes and by the time we got home the feet of my new white socks were also navy-blue.

I also remember walking to the station to catch the train, it must have been about 7.30 in the morning and the sun was up[ and the sky was blue and it was already warming up. The day turned into a scorcher. temperature well into the 70s (20+ for the younger members of the forum) It was March so the exam must have been much later in those days than it is now.

I went for a ride in a riverboat on the Thames afterwards. The two girls who sat beside me both got in (Pam & Alison), although one as an RAF Foundationer rather than an Almoner's nominee. I agree it was March. Can't remember my clothes or the weather!!