Reading Boys - no additional preparation is necessary?

[mandi]

My ds had just sat Reading GS exam whereby they state,'The tests will build on current good practice adopted in primary schools and will be tests for which no additional preparation is necessary'.
As he only decided to enter last minute, we completed the 4 Nfer multi choice pack. I was informed at his parent's evening last month, he is on G&T register and SATs always been good. However, he has never been tutored and it appears the norm to start is in year 5.
Having read this forum, I now feel his chances are quite slim, especially given the immense competition for places.
Does anyone think that to secure any chance of a place, practise really does make perfect?

[suncrest]

Hi Mandi,

Your method sounds a bit like ours was. We were just in catchment for Reading Boys but were applying for independent schools when someone suggested we put DS forward for RB in 2008 as 'practice' (RB exam is much before indie exams). He had done a few example papers - but ones that were for indie schools. He got in (admittedly on the waiting list at number 103), but we did not follow it further.

Please don't worry. I have since learned that many children are tutored for years for the exam. Either way there is a chance of getting in.

[Complete Novice]

Hi Mandi

I think that the Reading test is perhaps less likely to confer as much of an advantage to the intensively tutored as some other entrance exams might. My DS sat and passed the Reading exam last year and we had prepared him for quite a while. We had expected the verbal reasoning to be a test of speed so we had practised until he was able to complete 80 questions comfortably in 40 mins (probably practiced about 30 papers) and we had also done quite a few maths papers and English papers as preparation. However, when he sat the Reasoning exam, which was VR in 2009, he felt that very little he had done was useful. It was not time pressured at all, so all of his honed speed techniques were of no use and some of the questions were far more searching than the practice questions he had done and he really had to think about them. He felt he could have tackled it as well with no particular VR practice, just relying on having a good vocab and being reasonably bright. It seems perhaps Reading really are good at making their Reasoning papers "coach proof".

As far as the maths was concerned, he found it easy and just like a sats paper so I think our preparation was largely redundant there. Likewise English, he was naturally strong in English and all our prep consisted of was doing papers and finding out that he was doing well. I don't think he really learned anything new from them.

So, don't be disheartened by the numbers, or the intensive coaching that will have gone on, your DS might well be in there with as good a chance as any.

Good luck

CN

[3Boysbarnetmum]

We are trying to prepare DS for Reading Boarding; can anyone tell me the format this year? Is it still MCQ for reasoning and Maths , comprehension and extended writing for English? And how did all your DS find the exams?

Any help will really be appreciated..

[stevew61]

We are trying to prepare DS for Reading Boarding; can anyone tell me the format this year? Is it still MCQ for reasoning and Maths , comprehension and extended writing for English? And how did all your DS find the exams?

Any help will really be appreciated..

Boarding and day exams are different format,

Reading School Admissions Numbers
The admission number for Year 7 boarding places is a maximum of 12.
Entrance Tests
The entrance tests will be taken at Reading School.
There will be three tests each of length approximately one hour.
They will cover i) Reasoning [verbal and/or non-verbal (abstract)],
ii) English
and iii) Mathematics.
Only the reasoning test will be multiple choice. All tests will build on current good practice adopted in primary schools and
the English and mathematics tests will be based on the National Curriculum. They will be tests for which no additional
preparation is necessary. No past papers are available and no further information with respect to the tests will be given.
Allowance will be made for a pupil’s age.

http://www.readingschool.reading.sch.uk ... arders.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck.

[mandi]

We did not apply online, so only got the letter today stating DS accepted at Reading Boys. Thank you to this website providing helpful advice.