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JaysDarlin
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm

To All Previous Successful Tiffin 11+ Parents

Post by JaysDarlin »

Hello,

I'm in search of parents of children who have, in previous years, passed the Tiffin 11+.

ds just sat his Langley 11+ last weekend, and found the NVR hard, and guessed 8 questions. This worries me, as the tiffin NVR is reported to be much much harder.

I was wondering if you could share which resources you used with your dc to prepare for NVR? There seems to be such limited resources available for NVR - yet cant the real 11+ go much deeper than just the average standard questions that we have available to practice with?

Any help on this matter would be appreciated.
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Post by mad? »

Hi

We did the 4 NFER practise papers, some Bond 10 minute tests and I think one other (whichever of Learning Together, IPS or Athey do NVR). I think with NVR once they have the techniques to understand the question then that's all you can do really - I'm sure that makes it harder to tutor and is probably one of the reasons they use it. JaysDArlin after yesterday's fabulous support are you having one of your every two weeks moments? Remember what you posted yesterday, leaving out 8 questions may not be an issue, he may have got the rest right. Perhaps at this stage time is best spent reminding him to just put anything down when he has run out of time on the off chance that he gets some of them right? Either way don't worry, my suggestion would be to just take a step back now, what will be will be. There are only 3/4 weeks left perhaps it is just time to focus on trying not to have a breakdown (no insult intended - I remember with I felt like at your stage and edge of a mental precipice did not even begin to describe it!).
In case it helps, last week clearing out our study I came accross a paper that DD had done two days before her last exam. I had not marked this paper at the time (thank heavens!!!!) as it had been so near the test I thought I had better things to do (drink?). She had always scored above 90% in practise but when, out of curiousity I marked this paper last week she had only got about 65%. If I had marked this at the time I think it truly would have been the end of me. But, as you know, all was well in the end. My point being, don't panic (ha!) and that maybe there comes a time when you can't do any more other than support DS and that everyone can have an off day, let's hope it's not lots of off days!
Good luck
Mad
mad?
JaysDarlin
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm

Post by JaysDarlin »

Can the TIFFIN EXAM really be that easy to pass?

Image

Its just can't be!

A two week moment? I can't be - I had one on Friday (the day before the Langley exam)
geling
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:18 pm

Post by geling »

Hi, JaysDarlin:
1st: As you may already know, Tiffin tests uses " NEFER NELSON" version on both VR and NVR. So, make sure your DS is familiar with its "style". Yes, it is harder than the rest version, such as AFN, ect.

2nd: I personally found the book " How to do Non-Verbal Reasoning" by Bond Assenssent Papers helped. It is a step -by -step guide to all the different types of questions commomly set in non-verbal reasoning tests to 11+ exams. There are 45 types of questions al together. ( Yellow Cover)

Meanwhile, I send a PM to a friend of mine whose son took and passed both Langly and Tiffin exams last year. If my friend is in the UK now, hopefully , she will give you more support? :lol:

Oh, my fellow Tiffinian parents: please don't be panic. The test on the Dec 9th: your DS won't feel intimidated if he knows Nefer Nelson questions well enough like his Yu-Gi-Oh cards. My DS is just an average boy in term of academic study and far from super intellgent. If he made it, everyone gets chance to make it. Let's sing together now: " Bob Tiffin Builder, can we make it? Yes, we can! Yes, we can!"

Best regards.
geling
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:18 pm

Post by geling »

Oh, JaysDarlin, we can't see the picture! Just a Cross there.
JaysDarlin
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm

Post by JaysDarlin »

Image

It's so reassuring to hear from people who have been through it!

Thanks, Mad and Geling! Please can all the other vets who havent posted, please do?
sunnymummy
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:59 pm

to all previous successful tiffin parents

Post by sunnymummy »

Dear Jaysdarlin - I don't know if this is helpful but after your reply to me the other day, I just want to ... offer something back? ... even if it's not much.
Someone told me that the Tiffin NVR and VR are much the same as elsewhere, just a bit more foxy and often require you to (with NVR) put in the next 2, rather than 1, in a sequence.
Now that may be just hearsay, I've never heard anyone else say it. I feel deeply ambivalent about putting anything into circulation that might just be scaremongering gossip. However, I just feel this overwhelming urge to be of help ... even if this isn't helpful ... .
Well nothing can be done about the "foxier", save hope. But, in the interests of just feeling like you're rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic (I don't know why people think this is a pointless task, I find it bestows a calming feeling of order and control in the midst of implacable chaos and is thus quite personally beneficent,) you could try getting dc to draw in an extra thingy. Or not.
I'm sure it's just hearsay. But it'll give you both something to do. And then you'll feel like you're doing something.
Personally, I am now just doing the practice thing. Not very thoroughlly. I do feel that it must just come down to "a way of thinking" and (I hope) that will be gathered from acquaintance with existing materials.
Also, I think missing seven is not the end of the world. Dc has probably answered all the others correctly - children who go more slowly often do that. Now just instill in your child a "devil may care" ethic when the minute hand is a minute from deadline, so that dc just fills in anything for those last few.
Well, that's the approach we're taking at Sunny Towers.
P.S. - I haven't actually implemented the "draw extra thingy" myself; dc is just not fast enough yet.
Gilly
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:30 pm

Post by Gilly »

JaysDarlin,

My elder son did it 3 years ago. The NVR resources that he used at that time were NFER, Bond, Athey, AFN, CGP and couple of Books from the local library. He managed to get in with less than 3 months of practice with no prior familiarity to any of these things.

Another point worth mentioning is that during those days (as new to these secondary school selection etc), I tutored him, following the NFER tests, to complete 60 questions in 50 minutes. Only after the actual exam that he mentioned that there were 80 questions and he left around 15 questions unanswered. Luckily he got through. As we can imagine his score was near the cut off mark. He is now having a good time at Tiffin. Never had any extra tuitions or anything like that.

This time around, I have added Bond's How to do NVR, Bond's More Fifth Papers pack, AE Tutions 1 and 2, two or three books from the library and then some free NVR papers that are available from another site plus few sample papers downloaded from few publishers sites ( 11+ SWOT, Dynamite, etc)

The books that I refer from the library aren't for 11+ but they are general aptitude tests oriented. I identify the 11+ style questions from those books and give them to my son. This was done earlier as a preparation to get the different logics and types into him.

As we all know it is more competitive now than it was 3 years ago.

Gilly
JaysDarlin
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm

Post by JaysDarlin »

Gilly! You are a VET!!!! That's why you're so clever!

I thought you were a genius newbie! I can put the inferiority complex away now!
Gilly
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:30 pm

Post by Gilly »

JaysDarlin,

There is no need to have inferiority/superiority complex :)

I resisted this long not to reveal that, exactly due to the same reason of carrying the 'VET' tag on me. Just wanted to be like everyone - learning and helping.

Each child is different. Just because the elder one did it successfully does not guarantee a place for the younger. To be honest, I feel the pressure now. First time there was no pressure and had this 'nothing to loose' attitude. But this time the expectations are high.

As usual, fire away any questions you may have. I can't even remember most of the logics we worked out 3 years ago. So its all new learning experience all over again.

BTW, if you received your Athey pack I would like to know if you worked the logic to the question I posted on the NVR forum.

Have a good day.

Gilly
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