Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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Amanda12345
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2016 3:03 pm

Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by Amanda12345 »

Hi
I've just found this board while searching for info on the changes to Kent Test - Please can someone advise if I've got my facts straight?!
My eldest completed Kent Test is 2012 and youngest is due to sit it in Sept but it seems everything has changed!
Am I right in thinking that the tests are now all on one day with 1 paper that's English & Maths multiple choice, another that is VR and NVR multiple choice and then a written test (which is only used for appeals)?
Is the NVR in timed sections like it was in previous years? And any idea how many questions and how long for each test?
Also, I've been told to make sure she learns spatial awareness - but I'm not sure what this is :?
Can anyone recommend the best type of practice papers - I have some old Bond & Letts ones but not sure if these are still relevant.
Sorry for a first post with so many questions - Thought I knew what I was doing until today!!!!
Thanks in advance for any help.
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by PurpleDuck »

Hi Amanda,
I can only assume that 'spatial awareness' is the same as non-verbal reasoning (I'll be grateful to be corrected if this is not the case):
Spatial Reasoning tests are designed to test your ability to mentally rotate and manipulate shapes in two or three dimensions
In terms of exams contents and timing, I would try checking the websites of the schools you are considering as such information is usually provided. The first thing you need to find out is whether your DD's tests will be CEM or GL-type format (I don't have an answer to that).

Bond and other 'olden day' books can still be useful (in fact, most of Bond books currently in shops have only re-designed covers, while the contents are the same as 3-4 year ago). It's worth trying CGP 11+ range, which covers all topics, including for CEM tests. Bond has also published some CEM-specific materials.

You can try looking up threads on this forum discussing your preferred schools, I'm sure there will be plenty of detailed, useful information there. There are also some threads with discussions on the recommended books for 11+ preparation.

Good luck. :)
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FortyNinePence
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:06 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by FortyNinePence »

Spatial awareness is *not* the same as the old NVR. It is specifically - as mentioned - mentally rotating 2 and 3D shapes, nets, cubes etc. It is designed I believe to test a different part of the brain to logic. Certainly this is my experience with my DC. I have one logical child, left brained who found VR, English and Maths easy but struggled with spatial. My other child is brilliant at NVR and spatial and not so good at the rest. :?

It is now over 1 day rather than 2, with English and Maths first, then reasoning. NVR is split into short bite sized timed chunks with no going back.

The key difference is that it is supposed to be "tutor proof", not covering anything that isn't in the Y5 curriculum.
PurpleDuck
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Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by PurpleDuck »

FortyNinePence wrote:Spatial awareness is *not* the same as the old NVR. It is specifically - as mentioned - mentally rotating 2 and 3D shapes, nets, cubes etc. It is designed I believe to test a different part of the brain to logic.
Thank you. I remember there were some 3D shapes and nets questions in NVR papers (in addition to the myriad of others), hence my assumption. I stand corrected now. :)
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
PurpleDog
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Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:21 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by PurpleDog »

My 2 daughters sat the Kent test in the past 2 years and fortunately it now seems like a distant memory.

There are 3 sections which are scored separately.
English which includes comprehension, spelling and grammar (no punctuation the past 2years)
Maths is time pressured. I can't remember the number of questions but last year it was proportionately the same as the GL papers. The year before it was more and most people didn't finish. (Maybe 25 questions in 25 minutes - someone will correct me)
The reasoning paper consists of individually timed sections of verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning. We didn't do much spatial reasoning practice as there isn't much out there. It's a bit like the non-verbal reasoning but involves manipulating shapes. E.g. Can you identify the same shape rotated.

The pass mark is 320 in total and 106 for each section.

That's all I can remember but hope it helps.
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by mystery »

I think I am correct in saying that, in the last two years of the "new-style" kent papers, apart from spatial reasoning, there were no question types that do not figure in the GL practice papers for English, maths, vr and nvr. In 2014 there were 30 maths questions in 25 minutes.

The timings per question on the rest were as per GL practice papers I think. The nvr chunks were smaller and shorter in time than in the past I think.

There is roughly 30 mins each of maths, English, vr and nvr ( which includes the spatial).

This year is a new contract but probably very similar. No guarantees though!
chimera-ma
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Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 3:57 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by chimera-ma »

Amanda12345 wrote:Hi
I've just found this board while searching for info on the changes to Kent Test...
Am I right in thinking that the tests are now all on one day with 1 paper that's English & Maths multiple choice, another that is VR and NVR multiple choice and then a written test (which is only used for appeals)?
The writing task is assessed in cases of headteacher (panel) assessment and is allocated 40 minutes on Test day, including 10 minutes of preparation time. There is a short list of fiction and discursive titles to choose from.

In respect of the multiple choice papers, a good starting point is the familiarisation paper for last year (link below). Last year's was almost identical to the 2014 one; as GL have been awarded the Test for this year and as the format is not known to be under further review, you should be alright using the 2015 one as a guide. The 2016 familiarisation paper should be out in about May, going by last year's release date.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sourc ... lRT4sPqbDg
Amanda12345
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2016 3:03 pm

Re: Everything has changed since last time - Help!

Post by Amanda12345 »

Thank you for all of your advice :D
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