'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick (Now Berkshire)

Eleven Plus (11+) in Berkshire (Berks)

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Tinkers
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Tinkers »

Don't worry if some take longer than others, as long as there are types she can do in seconds, overall it will average out. Just make sure she learns to not spend too long on a question and moves on. Try and get her down to about a minute for the longer ones.
My DD put a big asterix next to any question she left or was unsure about, so if she had time she could come back to it.
jillybean
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by jillybean »

Thanks again for the tips. My daughter is getting pretty good at judging when to put an asterisk next to a question and come back to it later!

We are working our way through various guides and practice books. She's doing really well and just needs now to get a bit quicker at some of the harder questions.

I am fretting a bit about something you wrote in the original post, that "not all the question types that come up on the Kendrick test are covered in the GL/Letts practise papers. There are girls I know who won't get a place, not because they weren't bright enough, but because there were question types they hadn't come across before."

Could you share what those questions types were? I am trying to make sure we cover as big a range as possible, and my daughter understands that if there is a question type she doesn't recognise, she should just read the instructions carefully and do her best. But it would be such a shame if she were to miss out because I have not shown her all the likely types of question!
Reading Mum
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Reading Mum »

we did most (ran out of steam towards the end) of the 35 plus types in the Susan Daughtrey books. My DD still said there was one type in the exam that she hadn't seen before but she worked it out any way - and she couldn't remember what it was so that is no help to you. We did a few other free papers over the summer to give breadth of questions - some I downloaded from schools like Pates, some I found on here. We didn't do them as whole papers but just talked through how to tackle questions and cherry picked examples of areas she was less confident with

good luck
Tinkers
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Tinkers »

The main ones I remember that came up in last years exam that I didn't see on the GL/Letts practice papers (and that the DD of a friend of ours couldn't do). They had done Bond VR, which really doesn't cover the right types.

The maths ones, 3(12)4, 4(20)5 6(?)3 type. Answer is 18.
I think, (need to check with DD) that (1,3,5: 15) type question, not sure I have the format correct but I don't have any VR books any more.

Also the type where you have 5 words, such as dry, soaking, saturated, moist, wet and you have to underline the middle one if you put them in order so in is case wet.

There was another type, but I can't remember which one. If you cover the SD 35 types you shouldn't need to worry. My DD had looked at all 35 types and there were no question types on the real thing she hadnt seen before.

The SD practice papers and IPS practice papers cover more types than the GL papers, but the GL papers look like the real thing.
jillybean
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Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by jillybean »

Thanks to you both. We only have the first SD book but we do have the IPS practice papers as well as GL / Letts, and I will make sure we cover the examples you mention here. No doubt I will be back with more daft questions! :)
Tinkers
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Tinkers »

Sent you a pm Jillybean.
jillybean
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Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by jillybean »

Hope it's Ok to continue to post the odd question in this so-helpful thread. We're doing OK - less than a month now till the test and plugging quietly away.

Two (probably daft) questions:

1. Is DD allowed to write on the test paper?! She regularly makes little notes about options etc and I just encourage her to make sure her final answer is really clearly indicated. Then I read somewhere else on these forums that one child was thrown by NOT being allowed to write on the paper. As far as people know, does Kendrick allow kids to make notes on the paper?
2. I am suddenly struck that, while everyone says the Kendrick tests are standard rather than multiple choice, all the NVR tests we are doing are in fact multiple choice - the 10 minute Bond tests and even the GL Official 11+ NVR Practice Papers that are clearly labelled "standard format." Can someone shed any light on this? Are we doing the wrong style of tests?!

I'm also surprised by how quiet these forums seem, with tests looming for everyone. Is it only me who's getting a bit jittery...?
Tinkers
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Tinkers »

Yes they can write on the paper. (That's all they get, no scrap iirc)

NVR is essentially MC, but on standard form they circle the answer on the paper and MC it's a separate answer sheet.
jillybean
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Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by jillybean »

Tinkers, many thanks. Yours is a voice of calm experience and reason!
Tinkers
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
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Re: 'Duffers' Guide to Kendrick

Post by Tinkers »

jillybean wrote:Tinkers, many thanks. Yours is a voice of calm experience and reason!
:lol: that's funny. Only because its all behind me.
Today DD started at Kendrick. I'd asked her to text me when she got to school. Did she? No she forgot. Thankfully I know she got on the bus as the father of the girl she is traveling with took a photo and sent it to me. Was definitely not calm for a while, but I'm guessing they would have phoned by now if she hadn't made it.

I'll add a note about writing on the paper in the guide...
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