11 Plus Exams Forum

Would like to know why the non verbal reasoning scores attained in various mocks by dd are so variable? some days its at the high 80% then others town in the 60% range - totally understand there are going to be ups and downs but here we have no consistancy or any particular areas secure. Is this normal?

It feels almost like this particular area for dd will be like the lottery ie you never know what might happen on exam day! wondering what we are doing wrong and why its fast becoming the subject most dreaded?

Are the range of marks in different test papers? Some are harder than others.
One thing may be to identify which type she is getting wrong - I noticed my DS was struggling on the once where you have a pattern and code letters and you then have to match the code to the new pattern so I went through it with him and then just photocopied those sections from the test papers and went through them all (He would forget them by the time we did the tests again in the future) and eventually he got it - Im afraid resources are thin on the ground so its difficult to get a good run of the same type so that it sinks in sometimes

Hi Janet71 - the papers vary a lot some and some are easier than other - we found this by doing exactly what you have stated - and yes coded shapes were a factor for us too!! - we have since worked on theses areas and a few more and things seem to be moving in the right direction - we still have time and feel that it is achievable so will keep plugging one.

In my view, whilst you can teach technique in NVR you cant actually teach NVR unlike maths etc, so I think your big positive is that DC is capable of achieving 80%+, i.e. DC can do it and has the right mind. Practice practice practice and as Janet has said focus on the areas where marks are lost.

Hi yummycool we meet again

My daughter's quite good at nvr. Sometimes, doing Bond papers, she will get 90-100% ... other papers she will only get 50%. She says she cannot go back to check her answers in NVR. We feel it is difficult to help at NVR.

I've had no response to my question as to what practice papers to look at in Warwickshire, that would be useful for NVR as everything else. Somebody said there is lots of rotating shapes and nets ... sometimes my dd can do it ... sometimes she can't. Odd. I find them terribly difficult and even with the answer in front of me, I struggle to work out that is why the answer.

I have to admit, I hope there are some children who are like me, rubbish at NVR, as my daughter can do that - whilst she struggles at other subjects that most children can do!

Hi ginx. sorry I can't help with warwickshire test material - I'm not familiar with it

we are making a little headway with nvr - would like to feel that she is secure but like your dd they marks go up and down.

Comprehension is my focus for the next few weeks.

With the many numbers floating around that actually take the tests, it does make you feel a little uneasy - but you've got to give it a try - who knows all this may just be worth it!

Dont worry I too can not understand nvr - I can sit and stare at it with the answer infront of me and still not see it which is then frustrating - thankfully my DS gets it - I did worry for a while as his scores went down on GL Pack2 but we are now redoing Pack1 and his scores have improved and now in the 80%s - I read that if your DC is struggling then just keep doing them and they can "learn" it and recogise what is right...we then go through the one he got wrong (next day) and he has another go and 9/10 gets it right and if not I just stare and then shrug

I'm so glad I'm not the only parent who can't do NVR! I too look and just shrug. I can't possibly explain!

NVR seems to me much harder than VR, English or Maths as I don't think it can be taught. My dd says practice only helps her in that it makes her think quickly.

Looking forward to the afternoon of Saturday, 8 Sept. when it's all over ...

Strangely enough my DS have been doing GL Pack 1 & 2 then we went back round again pack 1 and now just doing Pack 2 again - I kept the scores for the first time round and hes gone up from mid 60% (pack2) to mid 80% so I think practice is the key and just seeing the patterns and getting to "learn" them - I still stare at them but I am now seeing the answers easier than I used too..(when hes stuck I seem to be able to work it out after several mins certainly not 30 secs )

hi yummycool

So you're concentrating on comprehension. I don't know what to concentrate on when there are so many difficult areas! Do you think any one subject (Maths, English, VR, NVR) is more important/counts more than other subjects? Someone said NVR is most important; someone else said VR; someone else said English. I've no idea. We will have to continue rotating I think.