Mock exams
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- Location: South Trafford
Mock exams
Could anyone advise me where to find details of mock exams being held in Trafford? I am tutoring our daughter myself and heard from a neighbour that there is one at North Cestrian this weekend which we have obviously missed, but I'm sure there must be others.
Dear Ermintrude
Firstly Welcome to the forum.
Although I am not from your area, I would point out that there are various 'mock' exams held around the country, some of which are very dubious.
Please ensure that the exam being used is applicable to your area. Also ensure that if for example your area uses the 21 types for VR that the exam being offered is covering those types and not others.
I know of one company that offers these mock exams, which gets the child to sit VR , NVR , Maths and Englsh, when in fact that area ONLY uses VR. This company then gives feed back on all disciplines, encouraging the parent to enrol for tution [ teachinfg all 4 exams...]
Of course, the one in your area, may be totally legitimate. I guess, I am just saying, please do some research before you enter your child.
Patricia
Firstly Welcome to the forum.
Although I am not from your area, I would point out that there are various 'mock' exams held around the country, some of which are very dubious.
Please ensure that the exam being used is applicable to your area. Also ensure that if for example your area uses the 21 types for VR that the exam being offered is covering those types and not others.
I know of one company that offers these mock exams, which gets the child to sit VR , NVR , Maths and Englsh, when in fact that area ONLY uses VR. This company then gives feed back on all disciplines, encouraging the parent to enrol for tution [ teachinfg all 4 exams...]
Of course, the one in your area, may be totally legitimate. I guess, I am just saying, please do some research before you enter your child.
Patricia
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- Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:40 pm
- Location: South Trafford
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Patricia gives excellent advice but, to be fair, the mock this weekend at North Cestrian appears to be well thought out and relevant to the Trafford exams that test Maths, VR and NVR.
As far as I am aware (one daughter at AGGS and a second going in September this year) this *real* experience is the first one of its kind in Trafford. I think it has immense value in terms of showing the kids exactly what they have to expect in terms of how long the whole thing takes and the format, although I have reservations as to how early it is being held since, from my own point of view, I wasn't doing NFER tests with my daughters in April but kept them until later on. I worry that exposing the kids to NFER level stuff this early on may cause a lot of stress.
I am aware of mocks held by a local tutoring agency (which gives priority to its own tutees but also has spaces for non-tutees). If you want details please PM me, ermintrude. These usually take place later on in the summer and are spread over a weekend with a teaching session for each subject followed by a mock exam in each.
Other than that I know that individual tutors hold mocks for their own pupils.
A friend and I swapped kids so that we could administer a mock exam morning. We got our other halves to remove all other children, dogs, cats and goldfish from our houses and then I took her son and she took my daughter and we sat them at our respective dining room tables and gave them 3 papers that we'd kept back from the normal revision process along with short breaks. That worked quite well, although you obviously can't compensate for a classroom full of total strangers.
As far as I am aware (one daughter at AGGS and a second going in September this year) this *real* experience is the first one of its kind in Trafford. I think it has immense value in terms of showing the kids exactly what they have to expect in terms of how long the whole thing takes and the format, although I have reservations as to how early it is being held since, from my own point of view, I wasn't doing NFER tests with my daughters in April but kept them until later on. I worry that exposing the kids to NFER level stuff this early on may cause a lot of stress.
I am aware of mocks held by a local tutoring agency (which gives priority to its own tutees but also has spaces for non-tutees). If you want details please PM me, ermintrude. These usually take place later on in the summer and are spread over a weekend with a teaching session for each subject followed by a mock exam in each.
Other than that I know that individual tutors hold mocks for their own pupils.
A friend and I swapped kids so that we could administer a mock exam morning. We got our other halves to remove all other children, dogs, cats and goldfish from our houses and then I took her son and she took my daughter and we sat them at our respective dining room tables and gave them 3 papers that we'd kept back from the normal revision process along with short breaks. That worked quite well, although you obviously can't compensate for a classroom full of total strangers.
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- Location: South Trafford
Thanks TraffordMum that's really helpful. It's a shame we missed the one this weekend, I guess that comes of us not having a professional tutor - it is all so clandestine at school, no-one speaks about 'it' at all, puts me in mind of Voldemort! As someone who grew up in a region without secondary selection I'm finding the whole thing fascinating.
It's that concept of concentrating for a whole morning that that my 10 year old is going to stuggle with but I will pm you (just going to work out how to do that now!) for the details you mentioned.
It's that concept of concentrating for a whole morning that that my 10 year old is going to stuggle with but I will pm you (just going to work out how to do that now!) for the details you mentioned.
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- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
- Location: Trafford
I know what you mean about the secrecy in the playground. Drives me mad, especially for the few parents each year who have no idea that tutoring is such big business and whose kids miss the passmark by one or two points.
For the North Cestrian-held sessions this weekend just gone I believe that flyers were sent to all the primaries a few weeks back and the heads presumably decided whether or not to send them out in bookbags. Certainly, the two children I know of who attended received the info by way of bookbag (2 separate schools).
I shall go and read my pm now
For the North Cestrian-held sessions this weekend just gone I believe that flyers were sent to all the primaries a few weeks back and the heads presumably decided whether or not to send them out in bookbags. Certainly, the two children I know of who attended received the info by way of bookbag (2 separate schools).
I shall go and read my pm now
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- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:31 am
- Location: Trafford
Grammar school entrance papers
Hi ermintrude.
I used the Kip McGrath centre in Timperley last year for my son, as they not only get the children to sit the papers but also tutor them and go through the papers after they've sat them.
The lady who runs the centre also currently teaches at Loreto and is very up to date on all the exams.
The children sit the exams which are only relevant to them.
So my son sat the English test rather than NVR, as we wanted Ambrose.
The course was very popular so I'd be quick.
By the way we didn't have to be enrolled at the centre, but in hindsite wish we had been.
I used the Kip McGrath centre in Timperley last year for my son, as they not only get the children to sit the papers but also tutor them and go through the papers after they've sat them.
The lady who runs the centre also currently teaches at Loreto and is very up to date on all the exams.
The children sit the exams which are only relevant to them.
So my son sat the English test rather than NVR, as we wanted Ambrose.
The course was very popular so I'd be quick.
By the way we didn't have to be enrolled at the centre, but in hindsite wish we had been.
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:40 pm
- Location: South Trafford
Mock Exams
Hi Ermintrude
could you PM me the details as well please, if you could?
The North Ces exam was te worlds best kept secret! I looked on the internet but couldn't find anything!!!!
thanks, hope you don't mind me asking!!!!
Julie
could you PM me the details as well please, if you could?
The North Ces exam was te worlds best kept secret! I looked on the internet but couldn't find anything!!!!
thanks, hope you don't mind me asking!!!!
Julie