11 Plus Exams Forum

From the past test (burmingham section) that there are many questions/limited in the synonyms/antonyms sections -
year 2011 : 24 questions in 8 mins
year 2010 : synonyms 25 - 32 questions 8 mins , antonyms 25 - 30 questions, 7mins
year 2009 : synonyms 28 -30, antonyms 20 - 22, 5 mins
Year 2008 : synonyms 36 -38, antonyms 20, (56 questions in 12 mins)
Year 2007 : 56 words, 12 mins
Year 2006 : 81 antonyms, 10mins
Year 2005 : 80 words, 10 mins

I am sure CEM knows that the DCs cannot cover all questions. Is this a strategy to give a wider choice to the DC's so that they can choose any 10-20 (whatever marks the questions carry) words they know the right answer to ?

There is no definite guideline to Year 5 vocabulary expectations (or have i missed it). Abundant reading doesn't guarantee appropriate/complete coverage.
Is there a way to teach the DCs to find the meanings using associated sounds? Is a word sound related to it's meaning in English language (apart from onomatopoeia) ?

Finally, a test of vocabulary seems to be a test of knowledge/attainment rather than ability. Correct me if i am wrong.

I personally do not think a ten year old is able to do selective answering under test pressure to that degree, and they all said that using tricks like comparing tenses, word type, word formation were useless because they felt too rushed. The conclusion was you knew them or you did not. I guess this is where untutorable comes into play. Simply read read read, and turn your parents into loonies, as in every conversation they start automatically using three similar words in a row when only one is required, necessary or called for... A bit like pointing out tractors and trains to unsuspecting adults when you have toddlers.

CEM papers do contain an awful lot of questions and, many children struggle to finish them. Conversely, other children do finish the whole paper - ds1 finished and had time to go to the toilet in the middle of his! The "trick" is to work as fast as possible, as accurately as possible. Technique is as important as knowledge. Your child needs to know it is ok to move on if they can't do it or don't understand - they can come back, within the section, if there is time at the end of that section. If they run out of time in a section, they need to mentally move on, and fast. This in itself is a trick - they can't think back and be worried. If they notice they are running out of time in a section they can guess (it's multiple choice) - certainly, my ds2 finished all the sections except for one nvr one - he had seven questions left and less than a minute - he guessed and it didn't appear to do him any harm! As far as my boys could remember, there was NO mark scheme on the CEM paper so I think you just have to encourage them to move on, move on, move on if they can't do something.

As southbucks says, read, read and read some more - obviously reading is part of it, understanding the words that are being read is another (don't underestimate this - check that the vocab has been understood!!) Word puzzles are useful practice too as it is often the manipulating of the words that helps get to the answer.

Thank you for your inputs SB3 and KCG.
Are the Synonyms and Antonyms multiple choice or the DCs have to dig them out of their brain treasures ?

They can be multi choice or missing letters e.g..

generous f _ _ g _ l (frugal)

Glad you put the answer !!

Synonyms were very similar in bucks and asked for the closest, in multi choice format.

Frugal:

a.Daddy
b.Miserly
c.Thrifty
d. Mean
e. Poor

Answer....c., although all the words all have connotations with the given word frugal.

Of course it changes yearly though...So who knows?