11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi,

This is my first experience of the 11+ exam. My son will be sitting the exam in November but as he is my eldest it is all new to me. Before now, to me the 11+ was something that people of my mother's generation went through. She'll never forget that it's "Once bitten, twice shy." and not "twice chewed" as she thought at the time!

I wonder if those of you who have gone through the process before can answer a couple of questions for me:

What do you do while your child is in the exam hall? My son will be sitting the exam at CRGS, if that helps.

Can a clean copy of the exam paper be obtained on the day or does this have to be purchased from the CSSE later as a past paper? I ask this for two reasons. One is that I will need a bank of past papers for when my daughter is in year 6. The other is plain old curiosity. The preparation for the 11+ has been something of a joint enterprise and I just know I'll be busting a gut to see the content of the paper!

For those of you who received both the exam results and the offer of school place by email - which arrived first?

Thanks

First-timer wrote:Hi,

This is my first experience of the 11+ exam. My son will be sitting the exam in November but as he is my eldest it is all new to me. Before now, to me the 11+ was something that people of my mother's generation went through. She'll never forget that it's "Once bitten, twice shy." and not "twice chewed" as she thought at the time!

I wonder if those of you who have gone through the process before can answer a couple of questions for me:

What do you do while your child is in the exam hall? My son will be sitting the exam at CRGS, if that helps.

Can a clean copy of the exam paper be obtained on the day or does this have to be purchased from the CSSE later as a past paper? I ask this for two reasons. One is that I will need a bank of past papers for when my daughter is in year 6. The other is plain old curiosity. The preparation for the 11+ has been something of a joint enterprise and I just know I'll be busting a gut to see the content of the paper!

For those of you who received both the exam results and the offer of school place by email - which arrived first?

Thanks

Hello ,
Am really not stalking you just happen to be on the computer a lot today for work ( really )
Whilst my two were in the hall (diff year groups), I walked around Chelmsford feeling queasy I didn't know anyone with the same exam time slot otherwise I would have met up with them.Go and have a latte.Afterwards we headed for a pizza but book if you can, because everyone does the same.Be prepared for them to over run as well.

No you have to wait some time before the CSSE releases the paper.I think the following year.
The E mail came in at about 12 10 a.m and the letter from the Authority the following day.The CSSE letter with exact breakdown of marks comes about two days after that.

Stalker -funny!

There are time slots? In my mind it was a gym hall with all the boys sitting the exam at the same time. I really do have a lot to learn.

First-timer wrote:Hi,

This is my first experience of the 11+ exam. My son will be sitting the exam in November but as he is my eldest it is all new to me. Before now, to me the 11+ was something that people of my mother's generation went through. She'll never forget that it's "Once bitten, twice shy." and not "twice chewed" as she thought at the time!

I wonder if those of you who have gone through the process before can answer a couple of questions for me:

What do you do while your child is in the exam hall? My son will be sitting the exam at CRGS, if that helps.

Can a clean copy of the exam paper be obtained on the day or does this have to be purchased from the CSSE later as a past paper? I ask this for two reasons. One is that I will need a bank of past papers for when my daughter is in year 6. The other is plain old curiosity. The preparation for the 11+ has been something of a joint enterprise and I just know I'll be busting a gut to see the content of the paper!

For those of you who received both the exam results and the offer of school place by email - which arrived first?

Thanks

Hi, First timer

My son did the exam in the afternoon at Chelmsford and it was a very cold day. After saying good luck and good bye, my husband and I went to a local pub for lunch and tried to do some X'mas shopping to relax ourselves . It was difficult though because I kept looking at my watch and thought he should be doing VR now....

You cannot really get the exam papers until March next year from the CSSE. I think there will be another exam date in Dec for those children who cannot do it on the Nov date due to illness or religious reason.

Edit.
I think the exam paper are the same ?? ( Not 100% sure), That is why we are not allowed to discuss any paper on the forum straight after the exam. The moderators always monitor the situation and will delete any info that may cause unfairness to the other children

First-timer wrote:Stalker -funny!

There are time slots? In my mind it was a gym hall with all the boys sitting the exam at the same time. I really do have a lot to learn.

Just two slots morning and afternoon on the first test date.
But as essex mum18 says there are other dates.This year CCHS had three sittings because of the increased numbers.The second is designed for those who were ill or new to area and the third was just an overspill.

Chelmsford mum wrote:

First-timer wrote:Stalker -funny!

There are time slots? In my mind it was a gym hall with all the boys sitting the exam at the same time. I really do have a lot to learn.

Just two slots morning and afternoon on the first test date.
But as essex mum18 says there are other dates.This year CCHS had three sittings because of the increased numbers.The second is designed for those who were ill or new to area and the third was just an overspill.

Hi, Chemsford mum

How are you and your DD2? I hope she enjoys her new school. WOW! I did not realize that there will be 3 sittings this year due to increased numbers. I read your post on the other thread re open evening last night. It is really incredible that the number of applicants increased so much each year. It is frightening .

Hi,
Am fine thanks and yr 7 daughter is absolutely loving it.
She has only done a couple of bits of serious work but has fared o.k so far.Many, many more in her class from London boroughs and travelling distances.
Last year was the first year with 3 sittings but if last night was anything to go by, it will be even more oversubscribed this year.
It is all such a great shame that there can't be more places.
Thanks for asking

We went off Christmas shopping! Supposed to be a bit of a distraction, but we had another mum with us who was in serious fretting mode - wonder what she'll be doing now, wonder if she is stuck on any questions, hope she isn't crying, did she have enough water with her etc etc etc ....

DD sat the test in the morning along with one other from her class, then later in the afternoon the two families went off to the West End in the evening for a lovely meal, then a theatre trip - with champagne toasts to the girls (OK, so we had champagne and they had lemonade - but it is the thought that counts)! This was meant to show that we believed that they had both worked hard (all those practice papers over the summer holidays) and that we were proud of how they had done their best - regardless of the results.

For us, it was important that we recognised the effort, rather than focussing on the final outcome and we did all have a really lovely evening!

We walked through Southend, where we met other stressed parents, then hid at home so as not to be cross questioned anymore. I wanted it to be my turn to be a mummy and not someones tutor. I remember feeling sick, worrying how she was feeling and wishing I didn't have to put her through this. Afterwards was somehow worse as she was so flat. Anyway a year on and she is loving GS so in a way it was all worth it. It was much worse with DD as DS had swanned through it in the way he always does. DD put herself under far too much pressure.

[quote="Chelmsford mum"]Hi,
Last year was the first year with 3 sittings but if last night was anything to go by, it will be even more oversubscribed this year.

Hello Chelmsford mum.
We were at the open evening for CCHS as well and it was rather busy. Nice tea though!! We also viewed Colchester last week which will be our 2nd choice, that was by appointment only with a tour of the school by year 8 pupils. We never got to see the head though which we were a little disappointed by.