Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
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Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
'Silly mistakes' are sadly a common error! I have this with many tutees and sometimes I find that what simply works is to put a little sad face on those questions that they realise is a silly mistake. Talk through how to eliminate those silly mistakes, ie: underlining key info, working out, visualising the problem....Set a target to simply reduce the 'sad faces' on the next set of questions which will earn a 'happy face'! The difference can be amazing in just one week.
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workingmom
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Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Thank you for all your replies on my query about her mistakes.
I have stopped calling them silly, as I think if they are happening this frequently, they can't be silly.
But yes, I agree with a little more concentration from her, they will definitely reduce.
She is quite a determined girl and does what is being asked. But I guess her concentration looses as she proceeds ahead with the paper. Last night, she did a paper with 50 questions, first 25 - all good, however after that she got 10 mistakes
I guess I need something to enhance her mental stamina and concentration
I have stopped calling them silly, as I think if they are happening this frequently, they can't be silly.
But yes, I agree with a little more concentration from her, they will definitely reduce.
She is quite a determined girl and does what is being asked. But I guess her concentration looses as she proceeds ahead with the paper. Last night, she did a paper with 50 questions, first 25 - all good, however after that she got 10 mistakes
I guess I need something to enhance her mental stamina and concentration
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
We've got a CEM mock booked for Sunday <gulp>
I'm a bit nervous in case she really bombs out and finds it too stressful/hard to pace.
We've been alternating between ten-minute-tests and a couple of 40 min mock papers, but she's not done anything proper-full-length yet. I'm sure there are tutored kids doing two hour-long papers every week, but I know it's not necessarily a prize for the most hours spent....
The theoretical plan is we'll see how the mock goes and look at the breakdown to work out bits to revise/practice. But that will only work if she's good in some bits!
I'm a bit nervous in case she really bombs out and finds it too stressful/hard to pace.
We've been alternating between ten-minute-tests and a couple of 40 min mock papers, but she's not done anything proper-full-length yet. I'm sure there are tutored kids doing two hour-long papers every week, but I know it's not necessarily a prize for the most hours spent....
The theoretical plan is we'll see how the mock goes and look at the breakdown to work out bits to revise/practice. But that will only work if she's good in some bits!
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Well, the mock day went well: it has re-encouraged DD that this is something she wants to do for her own benefit rather than mine (phew!) we have yet to look at her actual marks, but she found it really helpful to try out a timed formal mock test in a hall with other children, and actually asked me to book her a second one 
because she wants to do another one before the summer holiday starts...
And the penny seems to have finally dropped that if I am not nagging her, she will have to self motivate herself to do the work because she wants to get a good stab at the papers, rather than because mum says so! Let's hope this lasts....
Hope everyone else is managing ok and not getting rattled by the many playground mutterings. We were shown round a GS open day the other day and the child showing usnaround confidently told us that he'd "never have gotten in without the *** tuition"....
Which kind of made me sad because he got in through his own work and talent, and I bet the tutors told him that until he believed it....
because she wants to do another one before the summer holiday starts...And the penny seems to have finally dropped that if I am not nagging her, she will have to self motivate herself to do the work because she wants to get a good stab at the papers, rather than because mum says so! Let's hope this lasts....
Hope everyone else is managing ok and not getting rattled by the many playground mutterings. We were shown round a GS open day the other day and the child showing usnaround confidently told us that he'd "never have gotten in without the *** tuition"....
Which kind of made me sad because he got in through his own work and talent, and I bet the tutors told him that until he believed it....
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Aethel
Have you had the results for the mock?
Has anyone else kid done mocks? My dd did one went better than I thought, but not a high enough mark for Kendrick, but I suppose there is still time.
Going a bit backwards with Vocab and comprehension, doubting herself, anyone else in same boat?
Still going slightly mad!!
Have you had the results for the mock?
Has anyone else kid done mocks? My dd did one went better than I thought, but not a high enough mark for Kendrick, but I suppose there is still time.
Going a bit backwards with Vocab and comprehension, doubting herself, anyone else in same boat?
Still going slightly mad!!
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Yep, it was useful. She was below average, but most of the kids sitting it were from that tuition centre, so likely to have a degree of familiarity with the question style/wording.
Also bear in mind the kids doing the mocks are not a representative cohort of the kids sitting the real test. When we went through some of the answers there were Several questions she knew but thought she may have not put her mark clearly enough. So definitely some exam technique coming into play there. The NVR was weaker than her usual but when we did a home test she aced it... On exactly the same sort of NVR, so it shows us we have some stuff to do. There's a limit to how much you can read into such figures, thougu clearly it would be more reassuring if your child performed very highly in such a test.
I can see why people say doing mock/timed things are helpful. More importantly, it's helped her see that practice is getting her some progress, so continuing is in her own interest if she wants to give herself the best chance.
Anyone else doing mocks not associated with their tutor classes?
Also bear in mind the kids doing the mocks are not a representative cohort of the kids sitting the real test. When we went through some of the answers there were Several questions she knew but thought she may have not put her mark clearly enough. So definitely some exam technique coming into play there. The NVR was weaker than her usual but when we did a home test she aced it... On exactly the same sort of NVR, so it shows us we have some stuff to do. There's a limit to how much you can read into such figures, thougu clearly it would be more reassuring if your child performed very highly in such a test.
I can see why people say doing mock/timed things are helpful. More importantly, it's helped her see that practice is getting her some progress, so continuing is in her own interest if she wants to give herself the best chance.
Anyone else doing mocks not associated with their tutor classes?
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Aethel wrote: Also bear in mind the kids doing the mocks are not a representative cohort of the kids sitting the real test.
I can see why people say doing mock/timed things are helpful. More importantly, it's helped her see that practice is getting her some progress, so continuing is in her own interest if she wants to give herself the best chance.
Anyone else doing mocks not associated with their tutor classes?
My Dd did a mock through this website in April. I warned her that as it was her first exam experience not to expect too high a score - we were just doing it to see what to work on and to experience timed conditions.
It was definitely useful - the exam was made up of 3 papers and what the results made clear to me was that for her stamina is a real issue. She did really well on the first paper, finished in time, high score, but then didn't finish the second and was about average in the cohort and then didn't finish the 3rd paper and was below average. I think it was a clear tailing off in her performance as the exam went on as there didn't seem to be any difference in terms of difficulty between the 3 papers.
Problem is how to tackle it. I guess the obvious thing is to get her doing full papers, with a small break in the middle like in a real exam to build up the stamina but I think I will meet resistance as she seems so tired at this point in the school year. Apart from the mock she hasn't done full papers yet. We stick to 10 minute CGP tests, or 12 minute FPTP comprehensions etc so that we can fit stuff in between her usual hobbies etc. I was planning, instead, to do full papers over the summer but am worried if this will be too late.
Honestly, I will be glad when this is all over. At least in approx 10 - 11 weeks it will be!
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
Gulp....11 weeks is not very long!....
I suppose that we have to just focus on practice and timing and pick up any gaps as we go.
Are many of you doing the Bucks exam as well as the Berks (we are, but we are v near to the border with Burnham Grammar being a straightforward travel option) if so, remember to register, as you have to do it seperately online to the Slough consortium.
This year the Bucks test is AFTER Slough by date, not sure why they moved it, possibly to remove the "free practice" contingent for other areas....
Someone told me Slough was harder...Is it really harder to get the Slough exam than the Bucks? If they are both CEM presumably they are the same standard? I suppose if the cohort of kids taking them are more experienced then it could make any exam harder to get the "elegible" mark....
I suppose that we have to just focus on practice and timing and pick up any gaps as we go.
Are many of you doing the Bucks exam as well as the Berks (we are, but we are v near to the border with Burnham Grammar being a straightforward travel option) if so, remember to register, as you have to do it seperately online to the Slough consortium.
This year the Bucks test is AFTER Slough by date, not sure why they moved it, possibly to remove the "free practice" contingent for other areas....
Someone told me Slough was harder...Is it really harder to get the Slough exam than the Bucks? If they are both CEM presumably they are the same standard? I suppose if the cohort of kids taking them are more experienced then it could make any exam harder to get the "elegible" mark....
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
I have no clue about the relatively difficultly of Berks and Bucks exams. However Bucks is selective county, so all DCs take the 11+ unless they opt out and the top 30% qualify for a place at a Bucks GS.
Bucks used to have quite a number of people taking their exam as a free mock with no intention of ever taking a place, but if they scored above the qualifying mark they were effectively denying another child a place as they would reach the qualifying mark. By moving their test back there should be considerably less using it as a mock.
Bucks used to have quite a number of people taking their exam as a free mock with no intention of ever taking a place, but if they scored above the qualifying mark they were effectively denying another child a place as they would reach the qualifying mark. By moving their test back there should be considerably less using it as a mock.
Re: Anyone fancy a 2016 support thread for Berkshire CEM?
The Mock my Dd did was from one of the Tutor centres, but I have done a Diy with her. It was useful, but I did already know her weaknesses. She did do better than average and was 13th and 16th in the ranking for Kendrick.With the bots added she was 33rd ranking, Overall on the 2 papers it was 70%. Does that sound ok? Really don't know what to make of it.Does this sound like we are on the right track??? But think really useful for exam practice. Weirdly she did better than average on the sections that others found hard. And on the long maths, which is normally her strongest part she did not do well, yet only 1 wrong on short maths section.
Onwards and upwards!!
Onwards and upwards!!
