Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Advice on 11 Plus NVR papers and problems

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littlebopeep
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Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:08 am

Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by littlebopeep »

Does anyone know if the GL NVR assessment packs are difficult. My DD does so much better on the Bond assessment papers. As her actual test is set by GL I'm panicking!
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by mystery »

Yes, they're difficult but they're intended to be a thorough introduction to all the types of question that might come up in the real thing if it's set by GL, not a test of a particular standard. Which area test is your child doing and when? If it's set by GL and it includes NVR I would recommend building up technique, speed and accuracy by using the book by GL on how to do non-verbal, also Practice and Pass series (not GL, but written by a tutor to help children learn GL style technique) - books 1 and 2 for non-verbal, and the 8 familiarisation papers on sale published by GL for non-verbal. You can't prepare better than that really. Don't use poor photocopies of anything. With shading etc missing the questions will be impossible!
Tinkers
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by Tinkers »

Some years ago now, but my DD found the bond NVR papers slightly harder to start with.
She didn't think they were harder as such, just ever so slightly different. Subtle changes in what they were looking for.

TBH it's good for them to do a few different papers anyway, but if your DD is going to be doing GL in the real thing, then it's worth spending more time on those than others.

One of the first pack of NVR (I think paper 2) is apparently a toughie. There's even a sticky in the NVR section solely devoted to that paper I think.
littlebopeep
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:08 am

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by littlebopeep »

Her test is set by GL assessment. Her tutor has given her lots of Bond papers as well as GL so she can do GL types but never gets as high a score on them. Do you think the actual test will be as hard as the ones in the GL pack?
Tinkers
Posts: 7243
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by Tinkers »

My DD thought her actual test was about the same. If her score was anything to go by it was slightly easier as she scored better in the real thing than at home (she never had problems with NVR though tbh).

I'm not sure what region you are in though, so difficult to comment as to whether it will be harder or not. However if it is, everyone else is on the same boat.

Some DCs just 'get' NVR.
littlebopeep
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Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:08 am

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by littlebopeep »

Thanks. We're in Lincolnshire. My DD prefers Verbal so hoping scores will balance out if she doesn't do so well in NVR. Can't wait until it's over. Luckily DD is quite calm - it's me who's stressing!
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by mystery »

When is the Lincolnshire test?

Never did any Bond NVR so couldn't really say how they compare. I'd just say that my own children's scores varied a lot from GL paper to GL paper, probably for no rhyme or reason. The only score that matters is the one on the day so the focus at home is making the work they do a valuable learning experience in some way which hopefully contributes in some way towards a successful run on the day.

The percentage which needs to be correct to pass is low in Kent - around 50%. I presume GL sets the Lincolnshire paper on a similar basis. Really not sure that a child will feel the difference between, say, a 40% to pass paper or a 60% to pass paper, if you see what I mean.

How "hard" the paper is doesn't really matter - harder is better. Worst thing was when Kent first set English recently and the raw score to pass was pretty high - it meant that careless slips could cost you dearly in terms of whether you passed or not.
littlebopeep
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:08 am

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by littlebopeep »

This Saturday!!! Was having a panic at the beginning of the week but I think her brain was still in Verbal Reasoning mode. She's doing much better now. We are working through pack 2 again and trying to look at some spatial awareness stuff in case anything unexpected crops up :roll:
Exams2018
Posts: 207
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:56 am

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by Exams2018 »

Please can anyone help?
We went through "How to do NVR (Bond)" book. Then finished bond 9-10 and 10-11 books. She scored over 80% in all these papers.
She did GL paper1 today and :shock: !! 39/60 !!

Where to go from here? What to do?
femalemidlander
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:06 pm

Re: Non Verbal Reasoning GL assessment packs. Are they hard?

Post by femalemidlander »

Exams2018 wrote:Please can anyone help?
We went through "How to do NVR (Bond)" book. Then finished bond 9-10 and 10-11 books. She scored over 80% in all these papers.
She did GL paper1 today and :shock: !! 39/60 !!

Where to go from here? What to do?
.

Don't panick!! My daughter did not score very high on any of the 'packs' sat them all over the summer and always scored 60-65%. Ten kids all sat and were scored and we received the scores in a table she was always 3rd or fourth with the same kid always scoring above 80%. Never improved despite more input and more testing.
Just had her results and she 'smashed' it she scored higher than the kid who constantly scored 85%. What was good to note was that all the kids that scored above 60% in those 'packs' are secure for a place....so chin up and keep going :D
One last tip- I put a lot of time thinking about exam day and preparation to get DD in the 'mood' and it worked for us this was our strategy:
day off school
maccys breakfast (this is a treat!)
dog walk/ dc bike ride
Nice relax in the bath
Hair done
Lots of laughter on the way in
No work on 11plus for the entire weekend prior.
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