What happens on the day of the test?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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WesterhamMum
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: Westerham, Kent

What happens on the day of the test?

Post by WesterhamMum »

Hi does anyone know what the children are allowed to take into the exam with them? Will they be given everything they need (pencils, rubber, sharpener etc.) or are they expected to take their own things?

Are the children allowed to write on the test paper (my daughter writes the code numbers above the words etc.) or does everything have do be written on scrap paper which I assume will be provided?

Is there supposed to be a clock visible or will they just be told the time at specific intervals and if so, when? Also do they get a break between the two papers or will they run straight after each other?

Sorry for so many questions but I would like to try and get my daughter as prepared as possible.
Kent99

Post by Kent99 »

If it's the same as a couple of years ago, children generally take their own pencils into the exam. You need to make sure that they are HB (see earlier threads on this). I guess that some schools may choose to provide pencils themselves.

Children can write on the question papers which are collected seperately and destroyed. There is a break between papers.
Bexley Mum 2
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Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

My son did the Kent test in January as an out of county candidate and Kent County Council sent us information about the test arrangements. Children were asked to take pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener and ruler if I remember right.

Please discourage any writing on the question paper. They are often re-used and there are posts on this forum from parents whose children have had their question papers replaced because they've been seen to be writing on it. This can be unsettling for the child. Scrap paper is provided for any notes.
WesterhamMum
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: Westerham, Kent

Post by WesterhamMum »

Thanks for your replies. It would be nice to think that Kent99 was right and they could write on the papers, as my daughter circles the difficult or time consuming questions in order to go back to them at the end. However, I guess we had better start practicing another method as it would be awful if her test paper were to get replaced during the test.

I was going to say roll on the 20th September when it is all over but I guess we will then be getting stressed about waiting for the results….. and then waiting for the schools to be allocated, so I guess I had just better learn to manage my stress! I wouldn’t mind but my other daughter follows the very next year!
Kent99

Post by Kent99 »

I'm not sure that there are any posts on the KENT section of this forum which suggest that children can't mark the papers. (Although I may have missed them).

A quick flick back through the threads does, however, turn up people saying that you definitely CAN mark the papers. That was certainly the case when my, in county, child sat the tests. I'm not clear from Bexley Mum 2's post whether her out of county son had a different experience or if her view is just based on this forum.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

For your own peace of mind, Westerham mum, why not ring up the Kent Admissions people - 01622 696163. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you definitely what is allowed.
dadofkent
Posts: 515
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:05 pm

Post by dadofkent »

In exam conditions there is no reason why you cannot write on the paper. In fact you need to be able to write on the paper for some questions, such as codes in VR, mirror shapes in NVR, and various maths questions. If I recall there was a request not to mark the papers in the practice tests, because they ar ereused. But I gave DS explicit instructions to ignore any requests not to mark the papers in the proper exam.
perplexed
Posts: 490
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:18 pm
Location: kent

Post by perplexed »

I am 99% certain you can write on the question paper in the real exam.

As someone else has suggested check with Kent admissions. e-mail them for a definitive answer.

Someone earlier in the thread suggested that question papers are re-used. I hope that is not the case. There are teachers in schools who invigilate the 11+ exams who also tutor; there would be nothing (apart from honesty) stopping them photocopying the papers each and using the material for their tutorial clients to practise with.

I am sure whoever sets the papers would be wise to this.
WesterhamMum
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: Westerham, Kent

Post by WesterhamMum »

To anyone who is interested, I have just had a reply back from KCC about whether or not the children are allowed to write on the question papers. They have said that although the invigilator will tell them at the beginning of the exam not to mark it, there will be no penalties for children who do and they will not have their paper replaced.

That's a relief, I did not really have to start teaching DD new techniques at this late stage!

Good luck to you all for next week.
perplexed
Posts: 490
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:18 pm
Location: kent

Post by perplexed »

I'd love to ask why they tell the children not to mark the paper if it does not matter.
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