Difference between NFER and other papers

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AlisonR
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Watford, Herts

Difference between NFER and other papers

Post by AlisonR »

Can anyone explain the difference between the NFER and other papers?

I have read a number of people saying that the NFER papers are the best ones used for practise for the Watford Consortium tests but how do they differ from the other papers?

I've looked through numerous sets of papers and they all look the same to me. Is it the style of questions or perhaps the level difficulty, ie the number of questions to be answered in a given time?

Also, when people talk about needing a score of over 90% for the grammar schools are they talking about 90% on the actual 11+ test papers you can buy, I'm thinking in terms of Bond papers as they produce a wide range for different ages, I'm guessing this means 90% on the highest level of papers.

The reason I ask is that we don't want to waste a choice on a school that my son is way off the scores needed to have a chance of getting in.

Thanks for any info.
watdad
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:13 pm

Post by watdad »

Is is all to do with Style of questions.

My Son sat the tests this year and we used a combination of NFER / Bond to practice Maths. Bond / Athey for NVR. Whilst a lot of our friends said their child struggled to answer the VR questions my son is quietly confident he did ok (fingers crossed) but he completed the paper and managed to answer every question which is more than most.

Don’t be put off by initial scores it takes time for your child to get a good understanding of the questions. When my Son started he was only getting about 70% (he is one of the brightest in he class) on the papers but as we got closer to the tests he was regularly getting 90%+.

Bond also do a 'how to do book' which will help you explain the requirements of those questions he does not understand. The books are split into age bands as they also are a good assist for sats. Make sure you get the right ones!

I would only use 90% as a gauge for the Grammar or Paramiters, other schools in the consortium’s requirements would be less
patricia
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Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Just to make it clear, with regard to VR if it is NFER, Bond is not relevant, more so if the test is multiple choice.

The Bond how to book, covers 5O types of questions, all in standard form [different techniques are used for M/C] Nfer cover either 15 or 21 types [more and more areas are switching to 21] Bond only cover 17 of these. You are therefore 4 types short and teaching 33 that are of no relevance.

For Method and technique of the 21 types used you can look at The Tutors free download

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/pdf/th ... hnique.pdf

Or buy the IPS M&T book

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/books/ ... %3D8%23b85

With regard to the shop bought NFER M/C VR tests please note that they ONLY cover 15 types, if your area is 21 you will need to top up with types HIKNOS as identified by IPS or types 16-21 as identified on The Tutors CD Demo
AlisonR wrote:Can anyone explain the difference between the NFER and other papers?

I've looked through numerous sets of papers and they all look the same to me. Is it the style of questions or perhaps the level difficulty, ie the number of questions to be answered in a given time?

.
There is definitely a difference in the types of questions used [VR] The Publishers relevant to NFER VR include, IPS Susan Daughtrey [Bright Sparks NOT her books 1-7] The Tutors AFN [slightly easier] and Walsh.

Patricia
watdad
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:13 pm

Post by watdad »

The VR paper in herts consort, is not a NFER paper so it doesnot matter :wink:
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear Watdad

Thans for that !

Are they using Moray House?

Patricia
watdad
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:13 pm

Post by watdad »

Parimiters said this year that is was based on the Bond STYLE of questioning. Bond mean bond set it

Who actually set it I don't know nor do I understand how some people claim to know.

It doesn't say on the paper, I asked my son to check, and you can take the papers home with you. A lot of it is educated guessing

Opinions on this board seem to think yes it was Moray House. My son said it similar to some of the Athey / Bond questions he practised.
AlisonR
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Watford, Herts

Paper types

Post by AlisonR »

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this.

I guess that the Watford consortium could change the paper types from year to year so it is best to practise a range of papers.

It seems that Bond have the largest range of questions while the NFER have an additional 5 or 6 types, so perhaps it is best to use the Bond papers as these cover the widest range of questions and then supplement this with questions of the missing style. I'd rather cover too much than too little.

I see that Bond have produced a NEW range of books. Does anyone know if the question types differ from the old style books? We are practising from the old how to do Verbal Reasoning book and I wonder if we are missing anything!

Thanks
AlisonR
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Watford, Herts

Bond old and new format

Post by AlisonR »

To answer my own question...

I had a good look at the new Bond "How to Do VR?" book and it appears to be the same material but just rearranged and grouped into similar question styles.

It also has "Tips for Parents" but most of this is just common sense.

I also compared the NEW Level 4 VR and Maths books and the old edition I have and there seems to be only 1 or 2 questions different in each paper.
watdad
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:13 pm

Post by watdad »

Bond Pracatise questions are a good soure. I only referred to the how to book when we had difficulty on a type of questioning.
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