Tips for slowing my son down

[lea2124]

Typical boy apparently but he works so fast in tests. He just did half a practise English 11+ paper and had 25 minutes to do it. He did it in 8! He then only got 60% correct. When going through it with him it was clear he didn't re-check or question himself whether he had got the right answer. He frustrates me. He's perfectly capable - working beyond in all subjects - but never puts any effort in for me. How do I slow him down? Do I get a timer and divide the paper up into minutes and tell him until the timer goes off he needs to be re-checking the answers?
I am not over working him. 8 minutes is all we'll do today. He rarely has any homework. He reads a lot and he wants to go to a grammar school but he isn't putting the work in.
Any tips to help get us through the summer holidays?
Thanks

[Guest55]

Do fewer tests - he needs a break - he is bored.

You could say he must spend 25 minutes [or whatever the time is] on it and, if he does then no work tomorrow.

[lea2124]

We rarely do it everyday. Maybe 3 times a week at most. And then it's only short bursts, never more than 15 mins.
Have spoken to him so many times about slowing down and to re-check his answers but it falls on deaf ears.
I'm at the point of just giving up and what will be will be but the thought of him going to our local secondary school fills me with dread (personal reasons not going to go in to).

[Guest55]

Then try what I suggested - if he spends the right time on it then skip a scheduled test. He need to feel in control of the work and he does need a break.

[PettswoodFiona]

DD was like this. We added a second answer sheet with the question numbers and columns of ‘certain, confident, iffy, ?’ and once finished (not as she went along) she would most times fill out that table - it was a way of forcing her to revisit the questions and make judgements on how certain or not she was of the answer. In the end the table wasn’t needed as she got better used to making judgments and moved onto marking with a dot as she went questions she wasn’t certain of so she could go back and spend more time on those.

[lea2124]

Oooh that's a good idea. I could do a generic sheet and give it to him once he's finished.
Will try that. Will do nothing with him till at least wed now (due to work and giving us both a break!)
Thanks PettswoodFiona.