2022 entry preparation

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annam2013
Posts: 98
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:37 pm

2022 entry preparation

Post by annam2013 »

Hello, thought to start a thread on 2022 entry in case anyone else have queries as well. Preparing my DD for 2022 entry. CEM and CSSE. Already seeing various institutions publishing mock exam dates, ranging from now till August. Any suggestion how many times taking these mocks is considered ideal? How did the online mocks go for 2021 entry?

Many thanks
practisehard
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2019 10:00 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by practisehard »

And they are pricey too. Even the online ones. Surely online mocks will not give the exam day experience. Hopefully will get couple of physical mocks as well later in the summer.
CM3_dad
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:13 pm

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by CM3_dad »

DIY parent here with recommendation based on personal experience
For CSSE, i would buy the papers 2018-2021 that CSSE sell for a fee. This coupled with the freebies should give you a good idea of what kind of questions come up. Use these as mocks. The papers vary in difficulty. Pay particular attention to 2020 english comprehension. The format was very different to previous years. That in my opinion is the cause of the average mark in english being the lowest since the format change in 2015. This format again reappeared in 1 of the 2021 sittings, and was the cause for much of the grievance parents had. The comprehension texts are no longer difficult to read 19th century text, but instead adult books. I got a feel for the kind of questions they are likely to ask and read through books aimed for older kids/adults, and asked comprehension questions as we read. Practice writing short writing pieces. The weaker you are, the more often you should write. The marking criteria is up on CSSE website.
Pay particular attention to maths 2019 and beyond. Before then, it was really easy. For 2019 and beyond, it is worth learning advance maths (permutations/combinations, more complex algebra, gradients, linear simultaneous equations...at least look at it and see what your kids can take in.)
With CEM, theres a tutor form chelmsford, who runs mock tests, which are reasonably priced, and very popular, and my dd felt these were the closest mock papers to the actual thing. Not mentioning the name, as this might not be allowed. Its a little bit easier than the actual one. DD sat other mock tests from other companies, that were priced at £100/mock, and were overly hard. Look for mock tests that are similar in difficulty to the sample questions in CCHS website. CGP/bond stuff would have been a good starting point back in september, but at this stage, you should be targeting material which is a closer match.
pm me for more specific info.
annam2013
Posts: 98
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:37 pm

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by annam2013 »

Many thanks for such valuable input. Really appreciate it.
MissMo
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 8:52 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by MissMo »

Thanks for the great tips.
My son did the CSSE a few years ago but now with my DD , I need to prepare her for CEM. Is there a facility to buy past CEM papers? I can't seem to find any anywhere!
Nella
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:56 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by Nella »

Hi MissMo,
CEM do not publish past papers. ‘CEM style’ papers can be purchased from several publishers. The school will have a link to a familiarisation paper so your child can see the layout etc.
CM3_dad
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:13 pm

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by CM3_dad »

some more advice for CEM test,...you need to do realistic practice papers. Timing will be a big issue for most. They separate it out into several sections, each with its own time limit. If youre quick in 1 area, you dont carry the time saving into the next section. Be wary of going out of sync, fill in an answer even if you dont know. You have 1/4 or 1/5 chance of getting it right. Put an identifier mark next to it to come back to it when you have time. You need to work out how quickly to work. If you do it too quick, you'll make mistakes/oversight. Too slow, and you'll miss too many questions at the end. Hence practice papers help a lot.
MissMo
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 8:52 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by MissMo »

Thanks for all the info.
GOsh, it seems like a totally different ball game to CSSE. She's not sitting the exam till 2023 but just trying to start working with her. I did most of my son's myself - although he went for an hour's tuition once a week. DD is not as academically strong or confident as DS so just trying to get a feel for whether the grammar route is for her. We are OOC for all Essex grammar but would CCHS or SHSG/WHSG would be the practical options. Colchester would be too far
tyang
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:51 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by tyang »

CM3_dad wrote:DIY parent here with recommendation based on personal experience
For CSSE, i would buy the papers 2018-2021 that CSSE sell for a fee. This coupled with the freebies should give you a good idea of what kind of questions come up. Use these as mocks. The papers vary in difficulty. Pay particular attention to 2020 english comprehension. The format was very different to previous years. That in my opinion is the cause of the average mark in english being the lowest since the format change in 2015. This format again reappeared in 1 of the 2021 sittings, and was the cause for much of the grievance parents had. The comprehension texts are no longer difficult to read 19th century text, but instead adult books. I got a feel for the kind of questions they are likely to ask and read through books aimed for older kids/adults, and asked comprehension questions as we read. Practice writing short writing pieces. The weaker you are, the more often you should write. The marking criteria is up on CSSE website.
Pay particular attention to maths 2019 and beyond. Before then, it was really easy. For 2019 and beyond, it is worth learning advance maths (permutations/combinations, more complex algebra, gradients, linear simultaneous equations...at least look at it and see what your kids can take in.)
With CEM, theres a tutor form chelmsford, who runs mock tests, which are reasonably priced, and very popular, and my dd felt these were the closest mock papers to the actual thing. Not mentioning the name, as this might not be allowed. Its a little bit easier than the actual one. DD sat other mock tests from other companies, that were priced at £100/mock, and were overly hard. Look for mock tests that are similar in difficulty to the sample questions in CCHS website. CGP/bond stuff would have been a good starting point back in september, but at this stage, you should be targeting material which is a closer match.
pm me for more specific info.
Thanks for the info. My DD is preparing for the exam this year for admission 2022. Could I have the reference? I can’t PM you as this feature isn’t available for me.
tyang
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:51 am

Re: 2022 entry preparation

Post by tyang »

Any idea when the registration starts? CCHS website states March 2021 but there isn’t any more info on their website then the standard admission policy.
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