Newport AGS

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Lemonsqueezy
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:29 pm

Newport AGS

Post by Lemonsqueezy »

Hi, I was wondering if there was anyone on here who is currently preparing their ds for AGS and if so if they would be prepared to share their experience?
My ds will hopefully sit the test later this year and I am home-tutoring him at the moment. I would be interested in finding out what sort of prep you are doing with yours? Ie content, how often etc...
Thanks
Lemonsqueezy
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:29 pm

Re: Newport AGS

Post by Lemonsqueezy »

Anybody??? I really would appreciate any other people's ideas and experiences
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Newport AGS

Post by um »

Unfortunately this is such a Birmingham centric forum...I admit I'd never heard of Adam's until ds1 went there for a rugby match!

My memory is that Mike 1880 said once that the AGS exam is very similar to that in Birmingham, Warks and Walsall - a CEM exam - if you/someone can comfirm that this is the case, then you could presumably compare your efforts directly with other Birmingham (and Warwickshire) parents, as you are preparing for exactly the same type of exam.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Newport AGS

Post by mike1880 »

That's right, they changed over to the University of Durham CEM test last September.

That means the experience of people who have taken the exam in previous years will be of very little use to you, but fortunately the experience of people who've taken the Birmingham and Warwickshire exams in recent years is available instead!

The obvious place to start is this summary of the types of question that have appeared in B'ham tests over the last few years:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 11&t=14423

Then if you skim through the last couple of years posts on the Birmingham forum (and perhaps also Warwickshire) looking for threads on preparation I think you'll probably find everything you need.

Good luck,
Mike
Lemonsqueezy
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:29 pm

Re: Newport AGS

Post by Lemonsqueezy »

Thanks Um and Mike for your responses and link, it is very useful to be pointed in the right direction as there is so much information on the forum it is sometimes difficult to know where to look without feeling lost and confused!
One thing that I am not very clear about is that AGS said the exams aim to test literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills. Now looking at the entrance test sample on their website it says 2 tests of 45 mins on numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and non verbal skills. I started preparing my son using the Bond's How to do... NVR and Maths but I am not sure wether I should do Verbal Reasoning or English or both? :?
Would it be correct to assume that as AGS and KE's tests contents would be similar because they are both made by CEM Durham? Or could there be variations?
Thanks again for your time.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Newport AGS

Post by mike1880 »

The content will be similar, but not necessarily identical (e.g. I don't know if the "jumbled sentence" question type that appeared in the B'ham test this time was in any of the other LEA's exams - or whether it will make a regular appearance in future years). There are a few "old favourites" - cloze, comprehension and synonyms/antonyms in the verbal sections; tiling/area type problems, timetables and time zones, sports leagues, etc in the maths section.

As far as I remember Bond VR and English isn't all that suitable as prep but I'll leave um to advise on that, she knows a lot more about it than I do.

Mike
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