11 Plus Exams Forum

In an attempt to try & get my DS to start organising himself, I thought I'd suggest he draws up a list of topics for each subject. To show (ahem, suggest!) how to do this, I thought I'd quickly bash out a couple myself.

Yikes I looked at the school website first which did have what I took to be headline topics & pointed me to the exam board websites. So I looked at Edexcel - was totally confused at first but did find the Geography spec (am hoping my DS knows if it's A or B!). But it's 86 pages! Gave up on that & looked at AQA for Biology. Beautifully set out spec, but 83 pages (a slight improvement).

Am I looking completely in the wrong places? Or being naive - I fondly imagined an A4 sheet of topics?!

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you.

For some boards/topics there is an outline spec. I have printed out whole specs but I'm not sure they are ever looked at again

The specifications include a lot of stuff other than the course content. Find out exactly which version it is then look again at the 'course content' for the written papers.

It's also worth googling [other search engines are available] for "[specific syllabus] revision notes" - some schools have amazing content on their websites.

Does the school not provide a scheme of work for each subject? Or could you/he contact the subject teachers? If not I know that in DS GCSE options booklet there was an overview of each subject.

Hi Tense,
Did you find what you were looking for?

I'm just about to scan the contents pages of my DS text books to provide a check lists for him.

As has been pointed out you only need the course content of the specifications which can be about 10 or so pages to 20 plus.A lot of children are taught material which is not directly examinable.Even then in the course content which you will need to read very carefully everything doesn't necessarily have to be learnt.This is particularly relevant in subjects like Geography where in particular areas they may have learnt a number of case studies but only one may be required.The core content will state how many case studies you need to know.It depends on the child as to what they can learn.Sticking to the course content and learning according to it, is the easiest way of ensuring all the material which can be examined is learnt.

A lot of schools give this course content at the beginning of year 10 or whenever they begin study of the course.

AQA, specifications/syllabuses are almost textbooks in themselves, they are so detailed.

Edexcel , CIE- much more brief in comparison imo.

Dunno about the other boards.

Hi Catseye,

Where can get he AQA detailed specifications for the subjects? as mentioned in your previous reply.

Thank you!

All the specifications are on the relevant exam board website - you need the exact syllabus code.

http://www.aqa.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You are a saviour Guest55,

Amazing stuff at this website. I found the options booklet too with codes.

Is your DC also giving GCSE in 2017

Thank you so much.