One thing we are finding now DD is at the practising papers stage is she is loosing marks for missing out questions ( that she insists she just didn't see ) She even said she 'didn't see' a section that contained 7 questions in one paper!

Obviously as her mum I put it down to tiredness/lack of concentration and at least we can work on some tips on how best not to miss questions out by the big day, but if you have any tips yourselves that could help us, we would be very grateful.

Thanks.

Edited to say: She knew all the answers to the 'missed' questions which makes it all the more frustrating

The real 11plus is multiple choice isn't it? Or is it different in your area? If it's multi-choice and she doesn't "see" chunks of questions then she might put her answers down in the wrong place on the answer sheet. Also she should be putting a guess answer for the ones she finds too difficult.

Sorry this is the wrong answer if you are not multi-choice. These whole sections she misses out, is it because she doesn't turn over, or just randomly skips big chunks?

Sounds a bit like she's having you on ......

My son is doing the same . It's annoying and I have to keep reminding him that , he really can't afford to throw away marks by doing this. He tends to miss out the last question on the page or even worse missing out part 2 of a question ( of course the answer to the first stage will be on the answer sheet ! ) I think DS1 did this too and I suppose it's just practising the papers to get used to working through each question. Maybe she is rushing too ?

My DS1 who did all kinds of annoying things in the run up told me he knew he would just wait until the big day and then pull it out of the bag.

Thanks for your replies Mystery and Scarlett

Yes is MP and genuinely don't think she's having me on as she is quite distraught when she realises she has accidentally skipped questions. Ie going from question 45 to 47 When we go through the answers there are just blanks on the answer sheet and she gets cross with herself for 'jumping' questions.

I wonder if she is hurrying trying to finish in time ( not finishing in time on previous papers I think has knocked her confidence a bit ) so we are trying to relax the timed approach for now.
Don't get me wrong isn't in every paper but as it has happened on ocassion thought would try and nip it in the bud. I remember when I did exams, way back when, I was convinced I had done all the questions when in fact I hadnt and wasnt on purpose, just 'didn't see' them. Or more correctly wasn't concentrating.

Scarlett although I obviously wouldn't want your DS to be doing the same thing is reassuring to know she is t the only one that does this.

A mother from school , discussed this with me the other day too plus all the other common mistakes and she commented that she was hoping everyone makes the same mistakes...I think they do ! Sometimes I wonder if DS needs a big pair of milk bottle glasses as he misreads numbers too but he doesn't , he just rushes. Just keep reiterating the fact she must double check everything and she'll eventually remember ! I think the timings affects DS too . I have gave him a maths papers yest. , and half way I went in and said he should be halfway ( which he was ) but when I marked it he got all the questions from 25 to 45 wrong then got the hardest last 5 right when presumably he knew he was on the homeward stretch. His score was 50 odd % but when I said he can't possibly have got 20 questions in a row wrong , and sat with him whilst he re did them , he then got 70 % ...a difference between passing and failing.

I have spent a few evenings looking through the maths papers ( I'm dreaming about them too ) and all those word problems ...well, I can see why they can't see the wood for the trees.

Oh Scarlett that is reassuring too. This 11+ has now entered my dreamworld. Have had some very strange ones about it all it has to be said

Yes, I think is down to hurrying and possibly shall sit with her on the next couple or so just for reassurance. Regarding my DD is the last batch of questions she seems to be getting wrong, has been getting good marks of late but now dipping here and there ( is it common to be getting good % one minute then taking a nose dive the next? As we are getting through papers notice questions are getting harder so makes sense I guess )

Good luck with your DS, think we're all crackers doing this oh the joys!!

My dreams are sitting scores of maths questions and aptly...not filling in the answer sheet properly ! Still, if it means all my worries are nicely sorted in my mind at least by morning, then it's all good !

Your DD sounds as if she is doing really well ! I also have to keep reminding DS that it's a computer who marks the work, so won't know that he was really thinking it was a different answer, but didn't change it It's just practice. What maths papers is your DD doing ?

GL Assesment, we have the variety packs ( E, M, NV and V ) as she was going to do another exam that involved a bit of English so thought best to get the variety. We have also been kindly given some ( again GL ) subject packs from a friend whose son used them last year and who got into his chosen GS, have gone through many a rubber rubbing out on those ones

We are going to hopefully gradually work our way through them, though balance is the key and don't want to do too much, or too little either. We have a little daily POA ( plan of action ) on the fridge that we 'roughly' keep to.

Three things strike me. When your children miss out maths questions have they done some working out on a separate sheet of paper? I can kind of see that might make it more likely that when you go back to the question paper you don't go back to the right place on it. If they did their workings on the question sheet they might be less likely to miss out questions.

Another thought is how about crossing out the number of each question on the question sheet when it has been done. Maybe also at the same time put a ? if doubtful if have got it right, or if did a multiguess. Then these are the questions the child would go back to if if if they have some spare time at the end.

Third thought is that those answer sheets are terribly tiny. When you put down an answer it's quite obvious if there's a blank in the line above isn't it? 'Fraid I haven't looked at the answer sheets but aren't they those things with four little boxes A, B, C, D and you mark the correct box? Can you get your children to check that there isn't a blank in the line above when they are putting down an answer?

How often does this question missing happen?

Thanks Mystery, really like the crossing out number of each question tip and shall certainly try that one out. Yes she does her workings out etc on rough paper so that could have a bearing and wise words about double checking the answer sheet too. The missing questions I would say happens on average every 2 or 3 papers she does, but have noticed is now less and less. Thanks for the tips