How did your child find the Tiffin exam?

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:38 pm

My son found the Tiffin exam harder than the Langley exam (the only other one we have done)but felt that he had done much better. He guessed 3 on the VR paper and completed all of the NVR paper. He said he felt more prepared than Langely as we had only done one Nfer paper at that point (we had done other papers) and we had not practised timing the 5 sections on the NVR which threw him. He has been scoring over 90% in the last couple of weeks on both Nfer papers, so we are hopeful, but he can be unpredictable at times.

Langley was never a realistic option for us as it's too far to travel and it wouldn't have been good for him to balance his school and social life. Tiffin is our preferred option. I have my fingers crossed for him.

We have 2 more exams to go - Hampton and Kingston Grammar - so it's onwards and upwards with our preparation for those.

Thea · Post by **Thea** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:27 pm

Feedback from 3 friends was cosnistently that VR okay, non VR very hard

ElevenplusParent · Post by **ElevenplusParent** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:04 pm

Roger that Thea.

NVR was,apparently, tough(er) than VR.
Epp

Thea · Post by **Thea** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:16 am

\Prhaps this is a deliberate plan - NVR harder to tutor for than VR, and requires more innate intellingence? ( I have no idea if this is true, and as someone who is hopeless at NVR - ca't even read instrcutions from IKEA

, it would count me out...)

ElevenplusParent · Post by **ElevenplusParent** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 9:07 pm

Copy that!

If it is VR I understand it is based on Vocabulary, technique and speed.

I am not very sure how NVR really measures a child's intelligence.

In a given time one has to go through atleast 80*5 shapes and determine right answers!

Epp

huntlie · Post by **huntlie** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:26 am

Both NVR and VR tests were originally designed to spot potential, but the assumption was that there woild be no intensive tutoring - when I and my brothers took the 11+ in 1957 and 1960, we did it in our own primary school classroom and were not told when it would be. Under those circumstances, both NVR and VR surely would indicate potential - however nowadays there is clearly a need for re-thinking, since they are now indicative of how much coaching children have had.

JaysDarlin · Post by **JaysDarlin** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:46 am

Which is such a shame, huntlie.

I think that now the children are just not getting the kind of education the need in primary school. The 11+ has been a big eye opener for me. I didn't know my children lacked so much knowledge of the world. Books these days have been watered down so much and don't expand a child's mind as much as they used to.

I just ordered my children the old versions of "Stories for ___ Years Olds" by Sara and Stephen Corrin. I used to read these books as a child. The quality of language in those books, compared the language used in the latest "Stories for ___ Year Olds" is completely different. The old series had Greek myths, and Aesop's Fables, the new series has aliens from space.

I think this all comes out when attempting questions in VR. The more general knowledge you will have the better you will tend to do. My ds had hardly any general knowledge before preparing for the 11+ and I'm so glad I coached him so extensively. It wasn't just needed just for the 11+, but more so as a preparation to venture into Secondary School life equipped with the the power of the mind.

I don't think the 11+ needs evaluating as much as schools need to evaluate what they are teaching our kids at PS level. I see my little ones bound and boxed by their "yearly targets" set by the National Curriculum, where at KS2 all you need to know is what the heart and lungs do, and "forget your liver, kidneys and bladder until your at KS3."

Personal opinion here, and don't mean to offend anyone.

â€œManâ€™s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.â€

Too much too young · Post by **Too much too young** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:06 am

Hi just discovered this forum. a little late for my son in terms of prep, he sat the Tiffin test in December, however still a lot of valuable information available if things don't go to plan and certainly for our younger children.

Son found the exam hard. He guessed a couple on the verbal and as many as 10 on the non verbal. This seemed to be consistent with his friends, some comfort I suppose that it was universally difficult and not just for him.

Certainly the non verbal is difficult to guage but there seemed to be a lot of guesswork !