11 Plus Exams Forum

We have both Bond & Nfer papers - the Bond NVR allows 10 minutes for 12 questions, but the NFER allows only 6 minutes for a similar set of 12 questions. This makes no sense to me at all! Someone had previously mentioned that the NFER papers allow 4 minutes for the practice questions but it makes no mention of this in the instructions. Also 4 minutes for 1 example and 2 practice questions seems ridiculous to me.

Another question - in the real exam when they do the practice questions and it says "wait until you are told to go on", can they see the first few actual questions like in these books, or is it different? If so then it seems to me that the truly honest and obedient children are at a disadvantage!

I think the answer to your questions will depend on the area in which your child is taking the 11 plus.

In Lincolnshire we had a NVR test for the first time this year and as it was set by NFER we were expecting the 5 sections of 12 questions, each to be completed within 6 minutes, especially as this is what was given in the practice test. However, the actual exam had 65 questions, 4 sections, three with 16 questions, one with 17 questions, each to be completed in 8 minutes.

My son cannot remember if they could see the real questions when they were doing the practice ones at the beginning of each section. I suspect that he and many others, if they were tod to wait before going on, would do exactly as they were told!