Mock Exams
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Mock Exams
I am pondering on the pros and cons of entering my DS1 for an 11+ mock exam.
My plan is to enter him for this year's KE Foundation, Handsworth Grammar and KES exams.
I think his school (an Indie Prep) will do a mock exam a few weeks before the Foundation exam (they certainly did this year).
Is there any advantage in doing one at all/ earlier / at a place not familiar to him?
Do these mocks bear any resemblance to the real Foundation exam? What kind of feedback do you get back? Is it useful? Did it provide you with new insights?
How did your child respond to the experience? In retrospect did they think that it was helpful? Or did it make them dread the real thing even more!
My instinct at the moment is to just use the school provided one, but I don't know enough to know that this is the best course of action.
What has been your experience?
Thanks
poppit
My plan is to enter him for this year's KE Foundation, Handsworth Grammar and KES exams.
I think his school (an Indie Prep) will do a mock exam a few weeks before the Foundation exam (they certainly did this year).
Is there any advantage in doing one at all/ earlier / at a place not familiar to him?
Do these mocks bear any resemblance to the real Foundation exam? What kind of feedback do you get back? Is it useful? Did it provide you with new insights?
How did your child respond to the experience? In retrospect did they think that it was helpful? Or did it make them dread the real thing even more!
My instinct at the moment is to just use the school provided one, but I don't know enough to know that this is the best course of action.
What has been your experience?
Thanks
poppit
Re: Mock Exams
I do not think your son sitting any kind of mock exam is going to hurt. At your son's age, he will not be used to sitting any kind of exam, so any practice he can get will be helpful. Sitting exams can be intimidating, so you would not necessarily want your sons first experience to be when he goes to Kes for the first time. The exam at his school will be in familiar surroundings with friends and teachers so it will not be quite the same as going somewhere like a tuition centre, where it will be unfamiliar and possible slightly nerve wrecking.
"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
Henry B. Adams
Henry B. Adams
Re: Mock Exams
Thanks Elizabeth, your comments have helped.
Re: Mock Exams
The main reason I want my son to sit a mock now is to see if he will be quiet throughout it!
Does everyone else have a child that constantly thinks aloud? As he is doing his Maths work, he is saying everything aloud, the numbers, the working out, talking to himself, telling himself to think harder, reminding himself (aloud) to check the answers...English is even worse! Every comprehension is read dramatically aloud, every question, thought, pondering of his mind. Whilst this doesn't bother me (it is quite funny actually), my reminders to practice working silently have not thus far worked, and it will bother every other child in the exam. I'll be interested to see if he gets through his forthcoming mock without being thrown out the hall
Does everyone else have a child that constantly thinks aloud? As he is doing his Maths work, he is saying everything aloud, the numbers, the working out, talking to himself, telling himself to think harder, reminding himself (aloud) to check the answers...English is even worse! Every comprehension is read dramatically aloud, every question, thought, pondering of his mind. Whilst this doesn't bother me (it is quite funny actually), my reminders to practice working silently have not thus far worked, and it will bother every other child in the exam. I'll be interested to see if he gets through his forthcoming mock without being thrown out the hall
Re: Mock Exams
Thank you um.
Your post made me smile because I have the opposite problem.... my DS1 wants to do everything in his head, so when we are going through maths papers together and he gets one wrong, it is difficult to work out why. His first response is to do what I call "random number generation". Calling out lots of possible answers whilst he tries to "read" my expression to identify if he has "struck lucky"!
Your post made me smile because I have the opposite problem.... my DS1 wants to do everything in his head, so when we are going through maths papers together and he gets one wrong, it is difficult to work out why. His first response is to do what I call "random number generation". Calling out lots of possible answers whilst he tries to "read" my expression to identify if he has "struck lucky"!