11 Plus Exams Forum

A local tutor company in East Sheen is offering mock exams on 5 December, which sounds tempting (open to all who want to pay the fee). Sounds like a good idea, tho unsure as to whether it is just a vehicle for them to get more tutees, by pointing out weaknesses, advising the kids have tuition in those areas?
Any views welcome.

No idea.

We went for the Sutton Mock Test run by the Sutton GS PTA; there was no hidden agenda except for familiarising the potential candidates.

The people who arrange these mock exams, obviously have to cover their expenses, time and effort. It is worth it, as you get a chance to see how your child measures up against other candidates.

I think I know the company you mean (if I'm correct, the woman who runs it had/has children at the same primary school as mine and stacks of the kids there take these mocks, though I didn't know that until we turned up on the day!).

Neither of my daughters had outside tutoring so they both did these exams - I found the mocks a valuable way to give them exam practice under the correct conditions.

My elder daughter managed to turn over 2 pages at once in the first maths exam so got a pretty low score having missed a chunk of questions. That lesson alone made the mock exam worth it in my opinion (telling them to make sure they've answered all the questions doesn't necessarily sink in when it's just Mum saying it yet again).

Feedback was detailed and helpful, with absolutely no suggestion made about using the company for extra tutoring.

Incidentally, the children sitting the mocks were trying for a variety of independent schools, from the highly selective to the not as academically demanding.

Cinammon - thanks - when they came to do the 'real' exams' were they similar in content?

They were broadly similar to the real thing (though only maths and English are included, no reasoning) and I thought the marking was pretty stringent.
I don't think my daughters had any unwelcome surprises during the actual exams, but we'd also worked through sample papers from most of the schools at home.

My son took the mock test in Bucks, and i think it was a great ice breaker and would recommend it, even though we live in West London.

hmm interesting to take in another area, no pressure as truly mock - what a good idea !!!!!!

We were really pleased our boys sat the Sutton mock test as it meant they had sat a practice exam in one of the places they would be sitting the 11+. I just think the whole experience of lining up with a group of equally scared kids with their see-through pencil cases and having to sit still for the exams is a really useful experience and it means there are unlikely to be surprises on the day.

I never told my sons how they had got on in the mock-if they had done well I didn't want them to be overconfident and I didn't want them to fret if they had done poorly-we really did just use it a practice. I told them before they sat it they wouldn't be getting their marks. (one did really well, one ok and one failed part of it quite badly-all got a grammar place )

By the time they sat the Wilson's test they were really almost blase about going off for exams.