Speed
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Re: Speed
The Ten Minute Tests are good, nice and short for focus. Get them to look at the clock, work out when the start/finish times are and how much time they have per question.
If they don't finish all the questions in the time, mark where they got up to and allow them to finish.
Then say look, you got 10/10 which is fabulous! But in the real test you would have got 7/10 so next time let's see if you can get to number 8.
If they don't finish all the questions in the time, mark where they got up to and allow them to finish.
Then say look, you got 10/10 which is fabulous! But in the real test you would have got 7/10 so next time let's see if you can get to number 8.
Re: Speed
I think they generally get quicker as they get more familiar with the question types / process and having done a couple of mocks. They do have to learn however to move on if they're spending too much time on a particular question. I think that does come from experience.
Contrary to the above, my DD's teacher told us to start longer tests fairly early - not just the 10 minute tests. She said children find it much harder to concentrate for 45mins / 1 hour than they do in a 10 min test so they need to get used to that. They don't have to be particularly hard, just longer. You can build up gradually but if your child in sitting in September and isn't speedy now, try longer timed times. Agree with the advice to stop after the allocated time, then carry on and talk about the difference in score.
Contrary to the above, my DD's teacher told us to start longer tests fairly early - not just the 10 minute tests. She said children find it much harder to concentrate for 45mins / 1 hour than they do in a 10 min test so they need to get used to that. They don't have to be particularly hard, just longer. You can build up gradually but if your child in sitting in September and isn't speedy now, try longer timed times. Agree with the advice to stop after the allocated time, then carry on and talk about the difference in score.
Re: Speed
I think they generally get quicker as they get more familiar with the question types / process and having done a couple of mocks. They do have to learn however to move on if they're spending too much time on a particular question. I think that does come from experience.
Contrary to the above, my DD's teacher told us to start longer tests fairly early - not just the 10 minute tests. She said children find it much harder to concentrate for 45mins / 1 hour than they do in a 10 min test so they need to get used to that. They don't have to be particularly hard, just longer. You can build up gradually but if your child in sitting in September and isn't speedy now, try longer timed times. Agree with the advice to stop after the allocated time, then carry on and talk about the difference in score.
Contrary to the above, my DD's teacher told us to start longer tests fairly early - not just the 10 minute tests. She said children find it much harder to concentrate for 45mins / 1 hour than they do in a 10 min test so they need to get used to that. They don't have to be particularly hard, just longer. You can build up gradually but if your child in sitting in September and isn't speedy now, try longer timed times. Agree with the advice to stop after the allocated time, then carry on and talk about the difference in score.
Re: Speed
Most 11+ papers are 20 or 30 minutes, even less for some as they are broken up into sections.
With one child we did mainly 10 minute tests and with the other did mainly long papers of 45-60 minutes. The short test approach was better, the longer ones are too dissimilar to the real thing and we found them quite demoralising.
With one child we did mainly 10 minute tests and with the other did mainly long papers of 45-60 minutes. The short test approach was better, the longer ones are too dissimilar to the real thing and we found them quite demoralising.
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kenyancowgirl
- Posts: 6738
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm
Re: Speed
Agreed. With CEM 11+ in particular, the sections are short and sharp - some as short as a few minutes - and you can’t go back to sections that have gone before.
Working on shorter 10 minute tests, and trying to increase speed, and then doing a couple back to back (swapping from VR/NVR/Numeracy) is more akin to what happens in the CEM test. Throw in a brief toilet and snack break, and go again...!
Working on shorter 10 minute tests, and trying to increase speed, and then doing a couple back to back (swapping from VR/NVR/Numeracy) is more akin to what happens in the CEM test. Throw in a brief toilet and snack break, and go again...!
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Starfish99
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:42 pm
Re: Speed
I had this issue with my daughter. I couldn't really find any techniques to help her speed up, and she would get a bit panicky if I gently hinted that she needed to be faster, but in the end she speeded up naturally with practice and was absolutely fine when she came to take the test (and even had 10 mins to spare in the English paper, which is only 25mins long!).
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PettswoodFiona
- Posts: 2138
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
- Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent
Re: Speed
Also get them used to moving on if they don't know a question.
There tends to be several categories of certainty
a) I know the answer
b) I think I know the answer but not 100%
c) I will have to work on this but will get to it with time
d) whaaaaaat
It is fine to have whaaaat moments, let them inform you of the gaps in their knowledge. It is a great skill to take into secondary school and later for GCSEs. It also means that if they know answers 8,9 & 10 they haven't got stuck on number 7 without the opportunity of answering the later questions. Also if they answer it as it is category b but run out of time at least they have answered it.
Always leave 30 seconds at the end to quickly go back and mark the unknown ones with at least an answer, even if you agree 'always tick b', odds are that some of them will be correct guesses.
DD used to put a dot next to ones she wanted to come back to but had answered, these usually fell into the category of not knowing 100% but she had to move on.
Good luck
There tends to be several categories of certainty
a) I know the answer
b) I think I know the answer but not 100%
c) I will have to work on this but will get to it with time
d) whaaaaaat
It is fine to have whaaaat moments, let them inform you of the gaps in their knowledge. It is a great skill to take into secondary school and later for GCSEs. It also means that if they know answers 8,9 & 10 they haven't got stuck on number 7 without the opportunity of answering the later questions. Also if they answer it as it is category b but run out of time at least they have answered it.
Always leave 30 seconds at the end to quickly go back and mark the unknown ones with at least an answer, even if you agree 'always tick b', odds are that some of them will be correct guesses.
DD used to put a dot next to ones she wanted to come back to but had answered, these usually fell into the category of not knowing 100% but she had to move on.
Good luck
