Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

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Gringo64
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:00 am

Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by Gringo64 »

Does anyone know if the boys are allowed to write on the question papers?
I am particularly interested in whether or not this is allowed on the verbal reasoning papers for Sutton Grammar and Walllington.

Thanks

G
JaysDarlin
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by JaysDarlin »

This post really interested me.... although I'm not sure about Sutton or Wallingham... You can write on the Tiffin question papers, but not on the answer sheets (except to mark the answers :wink: )

I know a local tuition center that many parents are sending their children to, to prepare for Tiffin. They seem to be extremely popular in my area right now, but to my dismay, my friend recently told me that they don't allow the children to write on the question papers, so that they can get the children to resit the same paper if they dont score high enough! I was horrified to hear that. I think its vital for children to write on the papers - it helps them to remember sequences, codes, decipher tricky words, etc. That's one of the reasons we found the online Tutors programmes a bit ineffective, as it was purely online and my sons couldn't do simple things like mark the alphabet when counting forward/backwards, etc.

Even for NVR, I always taught my kids to use the process of elimination - cross out all the ones that cant be right, and then your left with about 2 options from which to choose from.

What upset me was the reason they were not allowing the kids to write on the papers was so that it would save them photocopying more papers - but I would have though that was part of the (high) price you pay to go to a tuition center. Perhaps they are being environmentally conscious.... but I doubt it. The icing on the cake was when they told the children they could write on the papers when they offered them mock exams. :oops: Grrr. This is why I DIY.
Gringo64
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:00 am

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by Gringo64 »

Yes, my son's tutor gives him a verbal reasoning test to do at home every week and she writes across the front page "Do not write on the paper!"
I am not sure if this is because she wants to save photocopying or because they are not allowed to write on the paper in the exam. I will ask her next time we go.

My son was finishing the Bond VR papers on time, but now that she is giving him other papers (GL Assessement/Walsh I think), he is failing to finish on time. This is why I am now looking for ways to help speed him up.

My son's tutor gives him 40 minutes for the verbal reasoning tests, but I have a few papers at home which look very similar to the ones she gives him, but the suggested time is 50 minutes. I don't know what to think.

She is also giving him comprehension papers to do in 35 minutes and yet I have similar looking papers at home which state the timing is 50 minutes.
This week's paper from the tutor included 2 A4 pages of quite a difficult text with very small writing to read in 15 minutes (which he did) followed by 38 multiple choice questions to do in 20 minutes. ie half a minute per question. Does this sound right?

I guess I must speak to the tutor about it.
ambergris
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:03 pm

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by ambergris »

Hi Gringo64 The VR papers are usually 50mins, could it be that your tutor is trying to speed your child up? I would ask as I think there is a risk that this may have a negative effect on your child.
Gringo64
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:00 am

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by Gringo64 »

Ambergris,

Thanks for your reply. I am wondering, well hoping, that she is just trying to speed us up.

It certainly has had a very negative effect on my child as well as myself. He now hates doing the papers, I think, because he feels that he always fails to finish. On the positive side of things, he does get high scores, usually in the 90s, however, this is no good if he can't complete in the time given on the day.

The obvious thing is for me to set him some of my comprehension and VR papers to be done in 50 minutes, but he doesn't want to do work in addition to the work set by his tutor.
PaulB
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:45 pm

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by PaulB »

Hi,

I too am interested in the original question as to whether Wallington Boys / Sutton Grammar allow writing on the Verbal Reasoning Paper. At the mock test in the summer for Maths and English held by SG, the children were instructed not to, but that was quite possibly because they wished to re-use the papers. Has anyone found out?
mynameisbond
Posts: 170
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:53 pm
Location: south west london

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by mynameisbond »

I have heard that Sutton Grammar does indeed re-use the papers for their mock tests - sadly my DS can't remember re whether you are allowed to in the real test
Gringo64
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:00 am

Re: Is writing on the verbal reasoning papers allowed?

Post by Gringo64 »

mynameisbond,

Thanks for trying.

Gringo64
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