11 Plus Exams Forum

my son is in yr 5 and will take test December 2008 i rang a tutor and told me it was too late i should have started 18 month to two years ago
which now i am getting quite worried about. I started doing a bit of practise with him myself around January. We do find the verbal reasoning a bit tricky though

thanks rach

That was very unhelpful of the tutor, and I think quite wrong. How can he possibly know without having assessed your son how much tutoring he needs? From my own experience and looking at other threads on this forum, I would think that starting in January as you have done - i.e. 12 months' preparation - is about right. Some parents leave it much later. Keep working with your son and try to find a better tutor. Are they in short supply where you are?

You need not worry, if you get the NFER Multiple choice papers for Verbal and non verbal reasoning and start to work through these you should be fine

Hi,

I know that this post is late, but having read your comments, I wanted to reassure you that you won't be doing your child a disservice if you don't over-coach! In fact, my experience of both my son, several of his friends and 2 cousins, is that those who are over-tutored are not the best performers at GS. My son has just completed Year 7 at a Birmingham KE Grrammar School and he did brilliantly with no tutoring - at his Parents' Evening, most teachers told us that he was very comfortable and capable - he engages in lots of school extra-curricular activities and doesn't spend lunchtimes in the library (unlike many of his friends), neither does he have to start revising for Year 7 exams 3 months before (again like many of his friends who seem permanently stressed).

Remember that to get a good job - self-confidence, good teamwork, initiative, communication skills and diligence are most sort after, a degree is a normal expectation these days and so... just let your son get into the school which suits him best - good luck and hope he's happy!