2016 exam

[sandunip]

Dear Members,

My DS is preparing for 11 plus this year. Tifin Boys is our first priority and then Sutton and so on. Could any one tell me list of are practice papers we should be really doing from now on up until the exam as there are so many range of books and papers which I am confused about at the movement.

Many Thanks

[PurpleDuck]

Hi Sandunip,

Sutton Grammar and Tiffin Boys have different exam formats - at least they did last year - so your DS will have to practice for both.

There is a lot of information on the forum regarding preparation materials - perhaps the best starting point would be to search through the forum index and look for relevant topics in the Surrey section. You could also search the threads for posts specifically about SGS and TB.

Good luck.

[tiffinboys]

Sutton Grammar and Tiffin Boys have different exam formats - at least they did last year - so your DS will have to practice for both.

Didn't both schools had 2 stage tests in Numeracy & Literacy in 2015 for 2016 entry?

[PurpleDuck]

Sutton Grammar and Tiffin Boys have different exam formats - at least they did last year - so your DS will have to practice for both.

Didn't both schools had 2 stage tests in Numeracy & Literacy in 2015 for 2016 entry?

Yes they did, but I was told that TB's test included some VR in their Stage 1 - was that not the case? If it did, that would be the difference. DS didn't do TB, so I don't know first-hand.

[tiffinboys]

The VR has both literacy & numeracy related questions. According to my dc2, Sutton SET and Tiffins' first stage had lot of similar type questions. Some of these were similar to questions in VR papers.

If some one is preparing for CEM VR, the distinction between English & VR would be too blurred.

And I think that this thread could be merged with the other thread on same topic started by OP.

[Goodheart]

...Sutton SET and Tiffins' first stage had lot of similar type questions. Some of these were similar to questions in VR papers.

Given that the Sutton SET is 'advertised' as English and Maths only, what sort of VR-style questions do you think creep in? I recall there was a question a couple of year ago which was along the lines of: "What is the middle of: lake, ocean, puddle, pond, sea" (or something like that), although I thought that was in the 2nd stage. Is that the sort of thing you're referring to?

[Ladymuck]

Plenty of multiple choice antonyms/synonyms in SET. Not codes etc as in the old GL types, but the English part of the VR covers a lot of vocab which can be tested by some of the traditional VR questions.

[PurpleDuck]

...Sutton SET and Tiffins' first stage had lot of similar type questions. Some of these were similar to questions in VR papers.

Given that the Sutton SET is 'advertised' as English and Maths only, what sort of VR-style questions do you think creep in? I recall there was a question a couple of year ago which was along the lines of: "What is the middle of: lake, ocean, puddle, pond, sea" (or something like that), although I thought that was in the 2nd stage. Is that the sort of thing you're referring to?

I never really found out what types of questions were included in the English SET paper, DS seemed to have had suffered some memory issues as soon as he walked out of the building after the test!

The "What was in the middle of...." question was probably more likely to have been in the SET; last September Stage 2 English for SGS and Wilson's was just an essay and nothing more; it could have been different two years ago, of course.

[Amoda]

My DS sat both Tiffin stage one and the SET for the Sutton schools and he too said that there were VR type questions in the Tiffin exam but only the vocabulary related ones.

For his prep, we did Maths and English papers. He also did VR practice papers (but he didn't do any of the codes questions) - this was because I felt it would help with his vocab/ antonyms & synonyms which tend to come up in the SET. At that time, we had no idea what was coming up in the Tiffin stage one papers.

[pii]

The books we used for preparing 11+ (NVR is omitted from the list as not needed for Tiffin). This is apart from the basics needed for maths and English papers.
Tiffin stage 1 has VR in it.
• Schofield and Sims mental mathematics 4 &5
• 11plus exams Numerical reasoning BOOK 1 & 2
11+ Essentials comprehension BOOK 1 & 2
• 11 plus exams CLOZE tests book 1 &2
• GL multiple choice Maths 1 &2
• GL multiple choice English 1 &2
• CGP English 11 plus practice and assessment
• CGP Maths 11 plus practice and assessment
• CGP 11+ Practice Tests for the CEM Test - Pack 1
• CGP 11+ Practice Tests for the CEM Test - Pack 2
• CGP 11+ Practice Tests for the CEM Test - Pack 3
• BOND 11 plus VR Assessment papers 1 &2
• BOND 11 plus Maths Assessment papers 1 &2
• BOND 11 plus English Assessment papers 1 &2
• IPS Eleven Plus Mathematics Papers: 10 Mathematics Papers
• Athey Test Pack 6 - English STANDARD VERSION
• Bond 11+ practice papers, Maths pack 1, standard version
• Bond 11+ practice papers, Maths pack 2, standard version,
• Bond 11+ practice papers, English pack 1, standard version
• Bond 11+ practice papers, English pack 2, standard version,
for Tiffin stage 2: KS2 Sats papers in English (2012 and before specially because it is prepared by NFER (who previously made 11+ papers. defiantly look for their marking scheme. Others have recommended some more. check the forums

Creative writing: collected the following from various posts by 11+ forum members
For creative writing, the topics set for 11+ essays tend to have the same common themes, and it is worth having a “stock” story that can be used in each of these settings:
• Being lost, scared or alone
• Doing something exciting or achieving something (’the best day of my life was . . . ’)
• Animals
• Taking a holiday
• Having an adventure
• Being in a city or in the countryside
These are topics that have come up on past 11+ papers around the country, with a few additional titles contributed by various 11+ Forum members:
• A surprising spy
• Break time at school
• Write a story about a lost key
• Is life too hectic to enjoy fully?
• My favourite memories
• A farewell party
• An attempted robbery
• It was a while before I realised my cat could talk
• Moving Houses
• I don’t know what that noise was …..
• The new pupils
• The storm
• The Burglary
• My Brilliant Idea
• Visiting Relatives
• The Balloon
• The school rules
• Panic
• A place that inspires you
• Your favourite day out
• Are Jamie Oliver’s new school dinners a good idea.
• What makes a good friend?
• Describe the scene and the activities at a bus station.
• What are your reactions to discipline? How far is it necessary both at home and at school?
• How does the life of your generation differ from that of your grandparents?
• Discuss the good and bad effects of competition in modern life
• Is life too hectic to enjoy fully?
Typical Essay Titles
• Write a story with Alone as the title, where you suddenly realise that you are on your own. It may be true or entirely made up, but it should include your thoughts and feelings as well as what happened. (Question from Merchant Taylor School , Northwood, London )
• Write a story (true or made up) about a visit you make to some relations of your own. (Question from Merchant Taylor School , Northwood, London )
• Write a letter to a cousin inviting him to stay with you. You should try and interest him in some of the varied and unusual activities he can take part in. (Question from Merchant Taylor School , Northwood, London )
• Describe a situation which you have experienced which might also be called A Magical Moment, showing what your thoughts and feelings are. (Question from Merchant Taylor School , Northwood, London )
• Write a clear description of an animal you know well. Make sure you describe what it does and how it behaves as well as what it looks like. (Question from Merchant Taylor School , Northwood, London )
• I prefer Winter to Spring ( Dulwich College , London )
• The door and what was behind it ( Dulwich College , London ) ( Sounds familiar: Tiffin stage 2--2015 --a picture of an eye ( man )looking through a hole in the wall ?? at you .)
• The prince of Darkness is a Gentleman ( Dulwich College , London )
• Ash on an old man’s sleeve ( Dulwich College , London )
• My hobby ( Emanuel College , London )
• Write a story that begins with the words, I had been waiting for such a long time for this to happen ( Emanuel College , London )
• Write a description of someone you admire. (You may choose someone you actually know, or someone you have never met. Describe them and explain why you admire them.) ( Emmanuel College , London )

This list for creative writing is created from the contribution of 11 plus forums members. I digged it from all over this forum and hope it will come handy to other parents and their DC's who are preparing for Stage 2 papers in coming year.