Hi everyone
Time passed so quickly since my DS has 11 plus exams. I remember taking him to practice 11 plus exams to different centres. Is there any such revision mock GCSE exam in North West area?
Thanks

No, they are not needed. I would expect his school will provide revision classes and mocks.

I am also curious if there are such mock exams for GCSEs outside school?

I've never heard of any (doesn't mean they don't exist but I don't think they can be common).
I can't imagine they would be popular - what would be the point of them? Schools are very good at preparing children for exams - I know for example that at my children's school they start putting exams in the "GCSE environment" (ie single desks in the sports hall etc) gradually from year 8 - this is the exact setting in which they will be sitting their real GCSEs.
I cannot imagine what value external mocks would hold.
I can kind of see what people think the benefits of 11+ mocks are (exams with lots of children - not experienced before - and some idea of where in the cohort one is) but neither of these apply to GCSE mocks because they would only take a fraction of children across the country.

They already have mocks in school- why do more?

I actually think there would be a great demand for them among home educators, who don't have access to mocks at school.

I've had a look at a company called Tutors and Exams in Coventry who provide an exam centre for home educators as well as other services, but they don't appear to provide mocks. I'm sure it's a gap in the market that needs to be filled!

If you really want to access mocks outside school, why not link in with some home educators and see what they do?

The market would be small - it needs to be the same board and same specification to be useful.

I cannot imagine why anyone would inflict this on a child who is in school. Verging on cruelty and definitely helicopter parenting of the worst order. I imagine it would do wonders for breaking down the relationship between school and home to boot.

Home educated a different matter.

There’s also the risk that an external mock provider would use the same past papers as the school anyway, so completely negating the benefit. If done before the school one, then the school is going to get a false impression of how the student is doing (and so not offer additional help, when in fact it may be needed).
If it’s after the school mock, then it’s been a complete waste of money.

I know DD went through loads of past papers and practice question in the run up to her GCSEs last year. Since the school was giving them out, at least we all knew they were appropriate for the boards she was taking.

Yes I can see how this would be useful if home educated.