Preparing for the 2015 CSSE Exam

[fausto]

Happy New Year. Worryingly this means my DS now has 9 months or so to prepare for the 11+. This is DS2 so in someways we are travelling a known path but the new paper format has certainly unsettled me in my preparation. I had time to review what DS1 was doing in the January before his exam and realised he had started to attempt timed VR papers and so on. We haven't even thought whether its worth trying anymore and really are a little lost.

Thoughts ?

[moved]

With you. I will have to take 11+ club. I've only just got to grips with CEM and now back to new Essex, so back to writing papers.

[Minesatea]

No idea. Wasnt going to enter DS but he is now adamant that he wants to try. Also he has decided he "doesnt believe in God", Darwin was apparently a cool dude and there is "no way he is going to the God school" so plan A is out of the window and I am suddenly trying to work out how to get his English up to standard in 9 months. My older two had fairly minimal home prep, mostly VR, so not really sure what I am doing. At the moment we are using My Maths and any reading comprehension workbooks I can get my hands on. I wasnt planning on doing much VR as it did not seem to be worth many marks in the sample English paper.

[KB]

Actually its an oversimplification to say that Darwin didn't believe in God and there are plenty of scientists who do believe in God.
If you want any advice on helping DS look at this in more detail before making his decision do PM me - don't want to go off piste re the topic.

[fausto]

Registration for the CSSE exam for 2016 entry opens on 19 May 2015, the 11+ exam date has been set as 19 September 2015.

When do you they release the paper sat in September 2014 ?

[ToadMum]

Registration for the CSSE exam for 2016 entry opens on 19 May 2015, the 11+ exam date has been set as 19 September 2015.

When do you they release the paper sat in September 2014 ?

The papers have usually gone on sale at the beginning of the February following the exam, so possibly in a month's time.

[eipi=-1]

I'm a scientist and have a PhD in maths and physics...and I believe in God!
Only a "fool" would believe that we can exist here on Earth for 70 / 80 years and then fade off into oblivion for an eternity! There's got to be something else out there
My DS didn't fair so well in the recent exam but we do have a Plan B
DS 2's got it in a few years time - gonna make sure he gets in!

[Kace]

I can't actually remember how much I had done with ds at this point two years ago. I keep telling myself that the new exam format is meant to be good for bright children who aren't tutored, so that I can do less with dd1 this time round...not sure I completely believe it though!!!

[fausto]

Hi Kace, thanks for the post. Oddly I had kept a notebook on DS1's progress, marking down areas of weakness etc. I found it at Christmas and realised that DS1 had tried a few practice papers at a similar time. DS2's school does help prepare and had sent home some work including a reading list. Do you think watching The Muppets Christmas Carol counts as having read the text itself ?

[Kace]

Absolutely!!! I hear the Muppets' version is Dickens-approved
Dd1's school doesn't do anything in the way of preparation so it will be up to me to try and persuade her that she will need to read a bit more widely than Dork Diaries and the World According to Norm...
When did your ds1 take his 11+? Your name seems familiar, so am wondering whether he is in Yr 7 now like my ds?