Preparation test on 8th september

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happymommy
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:55 pm

Preparation test on 8th september

Post by happymommy »

Is there any advantage in wrting Buckinghamshire preparation test on 8th September?
My DS got morning session and the test center is 1hr drive from where we live. He already done some mock tests. So, thinking is there something he is going to miss if he doesn't take the prep test.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Guest55 »

Are you hoping for a Bucks GS place? Have you checked you live near enough if he qualifies?

If yes to both of those then the preparation test is a run through of the procedure and might be helpful.
Bob1892
Posts: 1186
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:14 am

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Bob1892 »

Surely if you're serious to gain a bucks GS place then absolutely it's worth going. Or are you using bucks test as a (tourists) mock only?
Which school are you actually aiming for if you're an hours drive from bucks?
happymommy
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:55 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by happymommy »

Thank you for your replies. We are aiming for slough schools and Burnham grammer which is in bucks. We live in tw18 and got highwycombe school as test center. The actual journey to test center is showing 35min. But in early morning M25 traffic it definitely takes more than an hour.
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by scary mum »

I would seriously consider whether you would want to travel from Staines to Burnham every day for 7 years! Would your DC have got into those schools in previous years?
scary mum
trudie
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed May 06, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by trudie »

I think you're being rather optimistic to think that the journey from your postcode to High Wycombe is merely an hour at that time of the day. I have been doing a very similar journey in the summer holidays for non-education related reasons, and have been travelling often outside of commuting hours and it still takes in excess of an hour. Whenever I have hit commuter traffic, I have experienced journey times of up to 2 hours.

As to your question whether the prep test is essential? Yes it is.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Tolstoy »

A prep test is not essential if your DC has been tutored plus already sat mock tests. The Bucks preperation test, I assume, is aimed at many of the state educated DC of Bucks who will not have been prepared for the test and most certainly will not have sat any other mock tests.

Two of mine sat and passed an 11+ without doing anything other than papers in their home.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Daogroupie »

Mock test providers and tutors can only guess at what will be provided in the real CEM test. There are no past papers or details of what will be in the test so they are really shooting blind with a few hints from previous years.

The 8th is an actual CEM test done in the correct timings so you will put your dc at a disadvantage if you do not sit it and many hundreds do.

There will be educational tourists (who have no interest in applying for Bucks schools) who will travel many miles to sit because it is a free real CEM test which is worth a lot more than any mock or tutor can provide you with.

Using mocks and then not bothering with the real CEM prep test would be like paying to watch a tribute band when the real band is playing for free a few miles away. DG
Bob1892
Posts: 1186
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:14 am

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Bob1892 »

We could have done the bucks test as a free cem test but decided against it because a) it would have meant a 200 mile round trip b) it was too near our first priority test on super Saturday and we didn't want to jeopardise that and c) the bucks test may give false sense of security in that it doesn't really test in the same way as a super selective I believe.
Oh yeah plus it probably saves us around £30 in fuel.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Preparation test on 8th september

Post by Tolstoy »

Daogroupie wrote:Mock test providers and tutors can only guess at what will be provided in the real CEM test. There are no past papers or details of what will be in the test so they are really shooting blind with a few hints from previous years.

The 8th is an actual CEM test done in the correct timings so you will put your dc at a disadvantage if you do not sit it and many hundreds do.

There will be educational tourists (who have no interest in applying for Bucks schools) who will travel many miles to sit because it is a free real CEM test which is worth a lot more than any mock or tutor can provide you with.

Using mocks and then not bothering with the real CEM prep test would be like paying to watch a tribute band when the real band is playing for free a few miles away. DG
My DC sat a Bucks mock prior to sitting the actual test. It was too easy and therefore not adequate preparation for the Transfer test itself. In the actual test one DC then became very distressed at the increased level of difficulty and sobbed through a large part causing distraction to the other sitters. Maybe this year will be different but thus far they appear to have used the same mock.

... and Bob is right it did give my DC a false sense of security.
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