What is or was in the past, the 11-plus examination that was given in
schools in Britain?

Dear addie09-ga,

You?ve brought back some memories with this question. I remember
having to sit the 11 plus.

The exam was introduced in 1944 by the Butler Education Act. It was
set for 10 /11 year old primary school pupils to identify those who
would be academically suited for a Grammar School education as opposed
to Secondary School education. The exam has changed over the years but
its aim was to examine their verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

Wikipedia provides a good account of the exam and the controversy
which surrounds it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11-plus
 
The exam was largely taken out of the education system in the 1970s,
but in some areas it is still used. See this page for current
information on the exam.
http://www.learningtogether.co.uk/What-is-Eleven-Plus-Test.aspx

By the way - I failed. 

I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder

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Clarification of Answer by answerfinder-ga on 23 Feb 2006 03:57 PST

iang-ga is quite correct. It is a typo - sorry. It should read
Secondary Modern School education.
Thank you Ian G. 
(See, if I had only passed that exam.)
answerfinder-ga

Thanks a lot. The answer is everything I could hope for. Clear,
concise, complete. Couldn't ask for more.

It was essentially an IQ test under another name. The results were
used to split students into those bound for an academic educational
stream vs those slated for more 'practical' training

There's a typo in the answer:-
>It was set for 10 /11 year old primary school pupils to identify those who
would be academically suited for a Grammar School education as opposed
to Secondary School education.

"Secondary School" should be "Secondary Modern School", which is what
the alternatives to grammar school were known as at the time.

Ian G.

I must be in very good company
I also failed.

Mongolia

PS Perhaps thats why Google never let me be a researcher :-)
Just Kidding

In a Channel 4 television series "That'll Teach 'Em" some pupils
expected to achieve high marks in the current school leaving exams (at
age 16+) were given 11+ papers from the 1950s. IIRC most of them
failed.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/teachem/yandt.html

Owain

Great link Owain!

I actually passed the 11+ but I then had to pass a Foundation
Scholarship to gain a free place to a (Public) Grammar School. In
addition, by having passed the Local Authorities exams, I also got
free books.

I doubt if my parents could have afforded things otherwise.

Bryan