Bournemouth school for boys - test 2009

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MrsK40
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:34 pm
Location: Coastal village

Bournemouth school for boys - test 2009

Post by MrsK40 »

Hello, just thought i'd start a link... see if anyone else is starting to think about the test in November...

My DS is refusing to do any work at the moment :? so we are on a break until September I think.

He has already done quite a lot of Bond papers so a summer break feels like the right thing to do at the moment.

Anyone else waiting? wondering if they are doing the right amount of swatting? :?: :?:
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bumblebee
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:44 pm

Post by bumblebee »

Yes, me and DS are. Mind you, when i do start thinking about it I get heart palpatations so I try not to think about it too much. :shock:

We have been doing some low key familiarisation with the Letts practise papers and that kind of thing. Am constantly being told by school teachers etc that he is grammer school material (me and OH were not) but the competition frightens me; he is at a local state primary and i wont be paying for tutors. We will prep him with regards to familiarisation of exam format and will be stepping up his reading to improve his vocabulary and continue to practise the verbal reasoning techniques.

my boy doesnt mind putting in a bit of work but I swear he has reached premature teenagehood. Mostly when we talk about it he just grunts. good luck with your prep.

o yes, you say you are doing bond papers? i thought BSB was Nfer?
MrsK40
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:34 pm
Location: Coastal village

test preparatioin

Post by MrsK40 »

Hello Bumblebee!

Yes, BS is NFER... but our DS has been doing Bonds as a kind of general preparation. I have gleaned from this forum that the school uses all 21 types of Verbal reasoning question.. I don't really know what this means but I know the NFER papers cover 15 types of question.

As the Bond papers cover every kind of question, I thought it was a safe bet to have a go at them. Currently we are doing nothing however!! So we will be persuading him to do a few NFER's in September for exam format practice.

I'm not sure if he will get in.. DS is also at a State primary and they say his maths is excellent but his English might let him down. The school won't tell us what his test scores are so this is frustrating. How are you supposed to know what to do?

I agree about the palpitations... i think I may need beta blockers by the time he takes his A-levels :lol:
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Post by Tolstoy »

Hi Mrsk40, sorry to butt in from Gloucs but if the exam is Nfer 21 types then I would strongly recommend ditching the Bond and getting some papers that are specific to that type. Bright Sparkes, Tutors and IPs are all good.

I wasted alot of time last year with DS1 working through the Susan Daughtry 35 types and much of it was completelly unnecessary causing extra stress for him. When we found this site and focused on the right material he progressed very quickly.
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear All

For Nfer Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice [21 types] see my second post in the following link.

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=4782

Good Luck

Patricia
MrsK40
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:34 pm
Location: Coastal village

revision

Post by MrsK40 »

Dear Tolstoy,

You are right, I know.... my plan was to do 2 NFER papers per week from September. and perhaps a little IPS or get a couple of the CD's from this website. I can't imagine DS will do much more. The primary he's at set a lot of homework and he has Scouts, sailing .... Hopefully he's clever enough... I feel that the test is not really a measure of his ability or potential but a measure of each individual's performance on that day. I shall be trying to convey that to him.... :)

It does feel as if I am sitting this test, not him!! I wish there was a test that didn't mean so much swatting. Perhaps an IQ test would be fairer!!
bumblebee
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:44 pm

Post by bumblebee »

Thanks for the advice Tolstoy and the link Patricia, I have found it a bit confusing the different verbal reasoning types and if I can narrow things down to the relevant ones that will help enormously.

Its nice to know there are other people out there as daunted as I am (and yes its me thats daunted not the DS!)

I have found a lot of good advice so far on this site but have to admit that I feel like a fish out of water. There seems to be so much heavy duty tutoring going on behind the scenes that I wonder wether my boy stands a chance. Will ability win out over hothousing? I dont know. I kind of think that if he gets in on ability then its the right place for him. But, as I have often read on this site, its nowhere near a level playing field. Time will tell. :?
MrsK40
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:34 pm
Location: Coastal village

let's go through it together!!

Post by MrsK40 »

Dear Bumblebee,

Let's get through this together.... I agree with you, what will be will be and if they are meant for Grammar school they will get in... Let's hope it's not too bumpy a ride :lol:

I still don't understand all the 'types' of Verbal reasoning. Thanks to Patricia for the definitive list. I'm not sure my DS will sit down and actively learn all the types. He has said himself he would rather just take the test and see what happens, if he's clever enough he'll get in. This is what SHOULD happen obviously. However, it's not a level playing field as you say Bumblebee, so we will have to steer them as best we can. Que sera and all that!!
bumblebee
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:44 pm

Post by bumblebee »

I'm right there with you. :D Your DS has the right attitude but is very hard not to impose our own feelings of pressure onto the situation. As for teaching him the differing V.R types maybe you could make it into a kind of game for him in a softly softly sort of way so that he doesnt realise you are teaching him techniques. I will keep posting our progress; we are concentrating on vocabulary and comprehension at the mo. :wink:
bumblebee
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:44 pm

Post by bumblebee »

I am getting very confused with the verbal reasoning types...(it doesnt bode well...)

A while back I bought two or three of the susan daughtry practice and technique books thinking they would cover all the verbal reasoning, but i am not sure now having read patricias post mentioned above. Those books seem to cover thiry five types and i assumed that the twenty one needed for bsb would be included. Is that right? I have followed patricias link and see that she reccommends the bright spark ones for the 21 types. I have looked in the book shop and they appear to be test papers but not technique practice....

o I am all a muddle with it all.
Do I ditch the practice and technique books (which are heavy going ) and buy the two bright spark books? My son is pretty good at the verbal reasoning but is not familiar with all the types.

:shock:

how are you geting on MRSK40 ?
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