11 Plus Exams Forum

We are bought these papers thinking becuase there are based in Bucks they would be good practice papers.

They are too easy, and are not representative of the school practice papers or actual papers.

My daughter would get percentage marks in the high 80s and into the 90`s as she progressed, and finished with time to spare.

When we compared these questions, with the practice paper that was done at school last week, (she got much lower percentage especialy in practice paper 1 right back in the 70`s) we were amazed at the difference the vocab was much more difficult in the practice papers and the maths in the AFN papers a piece of cake.

She reported back that the real test was fairly as the school practice papers except for the last question, but at least she completed all sections, which she hadnt done in the school practice papers.


ps We also had the IPS booklets, but they havent got a full 50 min test in them, they have been invaluable, even though we have found some other better methods.

Dear Mary Poppins

Totally agree, if you look at my posts concerning which papers to use, I always say AFN are easier!

IPS are good in the beginning, less time, but NEED to get onto those 50 minute tests as soon as possible

Patricia

I should learn to proof read!

The reason I posted this message is because I hadnt seenon this forum anything about how easy AFN papers are, and others need to be warned.

If only we had seen it. We thought from the results, she was able to pass, and therefore good enough to go to a grammer school, we had been hood winked, and her hopes had been raised( I just wish this was reason enough to sue them).

We have then subjected her to practice and tuition that was actually pointless, we may have improved her score in the real test by 10 percent, but she is likely to be still short of a pass. She was born on the in the last couple of days of August, which may help her, but I feel she will fall just short. We would have rather just accepted she wasnt good enough, and left her to enjoy herself.

I am glad someone else has raised this topic.

Sadly there are many papers available in the shops that instill a false sense of security. I do not consider AFN is unique in this. The Slough shop that I brought my papers from also advised me against relying on IPS papers. They said that although the standard of questions was better than AFN, the IPS books of 10 and 30 minute tests was inappropriate for children who need to sit real exams of 50 minutes in verbal reasoning and, if you live in Slough like we do, upto three hours of exams back to back. Locally in Berks we have AE, but they only produce workbooks and not papers.

There is a real need in the shops for NFER quality and style papers of 50 minutes with 80 to 100 questions. Although the shops recommended Bright Sparks and Bond Assessment we found Dynamite and some of the downloads on this website were the best practice.

Good luck to everyone in the next round of Bucks papers.

One more word of caution, the school my daughter attends, has given her a reading age of 13(she has been reading from a young age and reads constantly), bearing in mid she has only a month ago turned 10.

We thought she would find the vocab sections easier, becuase of this of this excellent reading ability.

We have learned a lesson here, sadly too late to do much about it, she may be able to read long words and complicated stories, but she doesnt understand every word!!!! Thus causing big problems in the vocab sections, because you have to know the meaning of every word in the question.

Please anyone else who has a child with a supposedly high reading age, please make sure when they read, you either test them after on the meaning of words,or you select words for them to look up in a dictionary. The school when asked about this said we only test there ability to read . Aghh.

We have learnt this for the younger child, but he is two years younger and shouts out the answers as he runs past my daughter doing a test!

Dear Alice

I have, moaned consistently about the lack of NFER style papers.

It makes me mad when Bucks shops recommend Bond, when their questions are not Nfer relevant.Have to say Dynamite publishing are also non Bucks related, they do not cover the exact 21 types.

Dear Mary Poppins

Totally agree re vocab, I have non stop harped on about the meaning of words, especially out of context.

Patricia