KE Birmingham

Eleven Plus (11+) in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Wrekin

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Guest

Post by Guest »

Congratulations, we are aiming for the same school. I am nervously waiting for the postman. I know what you mean about expressing your feelings to a computer screen but this forum has been a remarkable shoulder for many of us. Makes me wonder what previos generations of 11+ parents did? :wink: Come on postie!
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

Wow your postie's late. I thought ours was bad enough. Good luck - hope you get good news, as it is a fabulous feeling. Can't believe our luck.
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

Guest - has your postman been yet? I am sitting here waiting to see if your son/daughter has got in too!! Silly really as I don't know you, but it is such a brilliant feeling that I want everyone to feel the same. I am full of the joys of spring on such a horrible cold day.
CBissel

Post by CBissel »

Guest wrote:My only reservation about giving this information, is that University of Durham are bringing out a new entrance test in January 06, according to their website. So be wary about concentrating on limited elements for next year, as the test could change again - who knows.
Thanks for the info - who knows, indeed?- I've had a look on the Durham website in an (almost certainly ill-advised and futile) attempt to confirm - can't find the reference to a new test as suggestsed above - can you confirm and/or post a link?

Thanks
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

Go onto the University of Durham website and go through the entrance tests link. There is a powerpoint presentation that suggests a new test for January 06. Is your child sitting the test this November?
CBissel

Post by CBissel »

Yes - I’ve seen that presentation via a link on another thread (KenR’s posting I think) – it refers specifically to computer based testing – but I can find no specific indication that this means that the KE tests for next November will be changing in this way……I’ve checked on their website and it’s disappointingly out of date, still giving details for the November 2005 test. Yes, my daughter wants to take the test later this year but I have very mixed feelings about the whole deal.

Anyway, many thanks for your contributions.
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

When we prepared our daughter for the test, we followed the same material as if we were preparing for the old NFER tests. She used Bond books and did the NFER 11+ tests. We didn't do a lot of timing, but she is pretty quick anyway, so I wasn't really worrying about this aspect of it. I think it is important that they are good at maths and read books. She reads a lot of books. I don't think it matters too much which books they read either, so long as they enjoy it. I know some people like to tell you how their children read the Lord of the Rings at age 5, but it is more important that they understand what they are reading - in my opinion.

I liked the Bond books because they have such a variety of tasks in them that require some thought. Sudoku puzzles are good too - she enjoys games and had a craze on these - only the easy ones as she kept making mistakes if they were too hard.

We only really started to hot up with the practise in the final 3 weeks before the test and did all the NFER exam papers and the Bond test papers (which were awful and had mistakes on them). To time her and keep it fun - my husband and I did the tests too and she loved that because she could beat us!

If your daughter is bright, I would definitely go for it. I think it is hard to coach for the tests because we don't know precisely what is in them. Get the First Aid in English too, because that is brilliant - use it as a quiz book. We also did lots of comprehensions by my reading a passage to her and then asking her questions about half an hour later! She loved this and we are still doing them - how can I tell her she doesn't need to do them anymore!! She is a very highly motivated girl though and that does help.
wink

author of recommended book

Post by wink »

I am interested in your recommendation "first aid for English"could you provide me with the author and publisher please,many thanks.
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

I had to get it out of the bookcase! It is the New First Aid in English (Revised) and is by Angus Maciver. There is an answer book too, but we didn't get it and regretted it because some questions were quite hard for us oldies too.

We bought it from Waterstones, but I am sure you could get it on Amazon.
wink

Book recommendation

Post by wink »

many thanks for your speedy reply!
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