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What are the timings for each paper & how to improve speed

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:38 pm
by Mamabear75
We’re at the stage in our 11+ prep where I just want to replicate the actual exam and try and improve speed, but I can’t find details of how long each paper lasts, how each section is split up and the sort of time warnings they get.

My son is also struggling to finish in time so any suggestions for improving speed would be great - untimed he’s hitting 80%+ across the board, but timed is barely scraping a pass.

Re: What are the timings for each paper & how to improve spe

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:43 pm
by Sorrel
I can't swear to how closely these papers resemble the Kent Test but they're supposed to and they come with online audio which takes you through them like an invigilator would - gives 5 min for the practice questions etc

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practice-Paper ... 164&sr=8-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is your son slower even with questions he's very confident on, or is it that he still needs a bit more thinking time at this level of question?

Re: What are the timings for each paper & how to improve spe

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:00 pm
by Sorrel
Also you've seen this presumably?

https://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/p ... ooklet.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: What are the timings for each paper & how to improve spe

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:54 pm
by olucares
Maths 25 mins for 25 questions
English 25 mins for 25 or 26 questions
Verbal 20 mins for 32 questions
Non-Verbal and Spatial are in small chunks with practice questions for each sub-section

Re: What are the timings for each paper & how to improve spe

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:06 pm
by Sevenoaks mum
He doesn't have to answer the questions in any particular order. Get him to answer the sections he finds easiest first. for example in the English test the comprehension section is first but is very time consuming. Both my children could easily answer the other English questions in good time, the spelling, punctuation etc. So I told them to go straight to those sections and get those quick easy marks. Then to go to the comprehension and spend the rest of the time doing that.

same for the maths paper, get him to look at the questions, if he can answer it quickly then do so but if it is a hard question then mark it on the paper so he knows to come back to it. go through the paper getting as many questions right as he can and then come back to the harder questions. when he is given the 1 minute left warning make sure he puts and answer in every box. A pure guess has a 20% chance of being right so do make sure every question is answered at the end and nothing is left blank.