11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi eveyone

We found out yesterday that our son has been granted leave to sit the 13+ (yay-first hurdle cleared). As this was his suggestion, he's been really keen on practising, and to me he seems to be doing well. However, given his increased age, I was wondering if anyone had any clues on the sort of percentages we should be aiming for to make him to feel more comfortable about the possibility of passing? He's been using the tutors full length practise papers. Are these around the same level of difficulty? Any advise would be very much appreciated.

Hi Sharon

I'm glad to to hear that he has the green light to take the test.

It is hard to tell what percentage he should be aiming for, but I would think 90% should be completely safe?

The Tutors papers are not quite at the standard of the real thing. Try Susan Daughtrey's practice papers instead and also the NFER papers. It doesn't matter if he has used them before, because he almost certainly won't remember many of the questions, if any at all.

Good luck with it all - do let us know how it is going.

Sally-Anne

Thanks Sally Anne. He was doing quite well with the Tutors papers, and at least that's built up his confidence. I'll try him with the one's you've suggested...

Will keep you posted.

Hi again

I got hold of the NFER papers (which he's been practising on now), and also the Bright Sparks ones for later. He's keen to practice, and finishes way within time (with the 85 questions in the NFER) and is consistently getting over 90%, which is promising, I hope. My main concern now is of burn out. He wants to practise, but as it's still a few months away, I don't want him to get bored, and I think some of the problems we had with the original 11+ was of peaking too soon. Is a test once a week too little, or about right? I guess it's a compromise between building up his confidence (and highlighting the odd word he's not come across before) and boredom....

Thanks for any advice.

Dear Sharone

I think a paper a week is within the bounds of acceptable.

Perhaps you could alter a few of the anwser sheets and question booklets for tests you give him nearer the time.

The question booklet could be for a compound word.

[a] dig spade [c] not

[x] shovel [y] thinig [z] it

Your child would have top stike through the answer: a and z on the answer sheet.

a x
b y
c z

Also do not forget you CANNOT write on the question booklet, get your son to complete all workings out on a separate piece of paper. You should create a box in the corner of the sheet to put all question numbers that your child finds difficult and wants to go back to at the end.

You could try some Madeleine Guyon..

Patricia

Thanks Patricia, that's helpful, and I'd forgotten about the not writing on the question book issue!

Good luck to everyone's children due to sit their 12+/13+ next week. I'm really hoping it doesn't snow or anything untoward.

Sally-Anne: he's been practising with the Susan Daughtry's papers and getting good marks. It would help his confidence if I could let him know that they are of the level he should expect. I remember you saying this, but hearing it again would make me worry less.

Patricia: Lately I've also gotten him to practise using scrap paper rather than the exam paper. At first he found this a pain, but seems to be back up to speed.

Any other hints? He wants to praticise some more papers over the weekend, but I thought it might be better for him to relax over the next few days? If I tell him that that's what the experts suggest, it may make him heed my advice.

Fingers crossed for everyone

Hi Sharon

The SD papers are pretty close to the real thing, and she puts some real tricks and twists in that are designed to trip the kids up.

I would let him dictate the pace over the next few days - if he want's to do more, let him.

(What am I writing - he's a BOY!)

Very good luck to him and to you next week.

Best wishes
Sally-Anne

Thanks Sally-Anne, it gave him a confidence boast to know that the SD papers have little tricks, and that it appears that he's spotted them. I've just left him to do what he wants inpreparation as suggested (PS3, as it turns out), but did sjust ee him in his room reading a dictionary. Fingers crossed, all goes well, and thanks for your support.

Hi Sharone

Was the test today? Just wondering how it went?