11 Plus Exams Forum

I have seen a sticky at the top of this section which discusses the exam content for
KE grammer schools (camp hill, five ways and the lot)

But is there a similar thread that explains a bit about the content for KEHS (independent one) exam?????

As far as I know, the format is different for them.

hi wildwest.thought id be first to try and offer you some help as you have not had a reply yet when you apply to KE grammar for exam sitting you will be sent a very brief explanation/sample of what it will consist of.i dont know how much you know but my daughter sat both grammar last autumn and KEHS end of january.the content of grammar was verbal reasoning,non verbal reasoning.maths and english.my daughters weakest subject is english she came out of the exam looking exhausted she said it was extremely difficult and that she left lots of questions unanswered.that was in the autumn as you know then in the january she was happy to sit the KEHS exam and only the KEHSexam she wasnt interested in any other independent school.the exam was spread over 2 days and when i collected her on first day she was smiling she said it consisted of english.writing a short story and maths.on the second day she was also smiling,she felt that it was easier than the grammar and nowhere near as stressful i was very suprised as i thought it wouls be more difficult.its difficult trying to get all of the details out of a child afterwards.but you ban look on the 11plus website and see the KE content for the previous years.as for the independents i believe they set their own targets and its all a bit of a secret it may be worth saying that my daughter was offered a king edwards fiveways place 1st march and also a KEHS place february;i am very lucky

Thanks champagnemoet....

I heard from KEHS recently who emphasized that they only concentrate on English and Maths and the other paper is just there without purpose.....meaning, wont be included in ranking.

Hence seeking advice here.

This thread http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... turtlegirl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has my recollections of my daughter's KEHS exam from a couple of years ago.

There are some sample questions on their website now but I wouldn't rely too heavily on those. However, if you look at typical independent school entrance exams (many have them on their web sites) you won't go far wrong. Generally speaking they all follow much the same format: a big chunk of English comprehension, a little creative writing, maths papers starting with very basic mental arithmetic building to complex problem maths.

Mike

It seemed like ages ago when dd2 sat the KEHS exam but that's probably because our attention soon after, quickly shifted to dc quintus -who will be sitting his first exam in 4 weeks time.

From memory, day 1: English comprehension- a passage about a captain (ship and crew members) during a storm. As part of the composition, you had to write a diary piece from the captain's point of view. Maths was fairly easy and VR.

Day 2: Fairly challenging maths, VR ok. English comprehension: a poem titled 'The Cold Woman' (see below). Tricky words were defined for dc, e.g. 'pinions'.
A short composition followed and was based on the poem. Children had to complete their own stanza at the end.


The Cold-Woman
by: Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943)

A NAVAJO LEGEND OF WINTER

NAYENGEZANI, Destroyer of Wizards,
Bearing the war club, the quiver and bow,
Sang as he strode through the roar of the blizzards
Over the road to the Mountain of Snow--


"There dwells the Cold-Woman, high on her barrow,
Sending the Winter to fetter the land;
Her shall I slay with the flint-headed arrow,
Freeing my race from her evil command!"


Deserts he traversed through perils uncounted,
Fearless of weapons, regardless of spells;
Threading the ice-cumbered cañon, he mounted
Clear to the crag where the Storm-Brewer dwells.


Wrinkled and agèd, unfed, unbefriended,
Lacking the lodge fire's comforting glow,
Shivered the Cold-Woman, tempest attended,
Shaking the robes of her pallet of snow.



Swept in a cloud through her frigid dominions,
Vague in the mists that enveloped her form,
Snow buntings fluttered on eddying pinions--
Spies for the Winter and heralds of Storm.


Loud spoke the Hero: "Thy harsh rule is ended!
Cruel my errand! The Spring to restore,
Ready to slay thee my strong bow is bended;
Men from thy rigors shall suffer no more!"


Tossing her tresses, she answered in sorrow,
"Loosen the arrow and slay, if thou wilt,
Blindly triumphant, forgetting the morrow!--
Mine be the triumph and thine be the guilt,


"When all the prairies, the forests, and mountains
Parch in a Summer that findeth no close!
When all the rivers and nourishing fountains
Fail for the lack of my bountiful snows!


"When not a breath of my blustering season,
Health-giving, freshens a pitiless sky!
When those thou lovest, undone by thy treason,
Thirsting shall perish and fevered shall die!"

Low spake the Hero, unnocking his arrow:
"Mine is the folly! Thou, Mother, art wise.
Rule as thou wilt from thy snow-shrouded barrow,
Sender of blessings that come in disguise!"


Nayengezani strode down through the ranges
Homeward, untainted with death-doing wrong,
Blessing the Year for its glorious changes,
Weaving his thought in a burden of song:


"Dark is the East Wind and yellow the West Wind!
Blue is the South Wind and white is the north!
Who hath the wisdom that knoweth the best wind--
Save the Creator Who sendeth it forth!"

In her rush, dd2 (state ed) completed it like this:
The cold woman spake,
"go through the abundant snow,
pass the icy, frozen lake
and you will know where to go."

It is a fairly, standard Indie style exam.
Btw, it's worth attending KEHS' Open Session in January (just 2 weeks before the exam) because when the teachers talk about the exam format, they're basing their comments on what they've just designed.

DIY Mum wrote:The cold woman spake,
"go through the abundant snow,
pass the icy, frozen lake
and you will know where to go."

Sounds very much like my favourite poet , Wordsworth...

It looks as though they're gradually making the process more transparent, maybe we can even hope to see past papers on the website in the near future?

mike1880 wrote:

DIY Mum wrote:The cold woman spake,
"go through the abundant snow,
pass the icy, frozen lake
and you will know where to go."

Sounds very much like my favourite poet , Wordsworth...

It looks as though they're gradually making the process more transparent, maybe we can even hope to see past papers on the website in the near future?

Honestly, Mike...not sure what you are trying to say. Wordsworth, really? Dd2 will be most pleased.

KEHS are not that transparent. This poem was only found via google only because dd2 recalled the title, 'the cold woman'. The point of posting her response was to give dps who have dc at state schools some idea of what is involved.

Oh! Thanks all. That's great recall DIY mum.....
What do you mean, the teachers are basing their comments on what they have just set????
Excuse my ignorance, but the school teachers set the paper themselves???

wildwest wrote:Oh! Thanks all. That's great recall DIY mum.....
What do you mean, the teachers are basing their comments on what they have just set????
Excuse my ignorance, but the school teachers set the paper themselves???

Why do you find this such a strange idea?