Advice on preparation

Don't forget to request a FREE copy of our 11 PLUS SURVIVAL GUIDE using the CONTACT US FORM and a member of our team will email it directly to you!

The right preparation for any exam is likely to improve your chances of success.

In this section our aim is to provide some guidance to help with preparing your child for the challenge of the 11+.

It seems that more and more parents (whether they choose to admit it or not) are starting to prepare their children up to 2 years in advance of the exams. However, if your preparation is not effective the time and effort invested may not produce the desired result.

We have listed below some points that you may want to consider when preparing your child for the 11+ exams.

Time

• allow your child enough time to prepare
• your child may not perform to his/her potential if they cram preparation into a short period of time

Gradual

• build up to tests being done under formal test conditions e.g. start with topic specific worksheets or sections of test paper

Realistic

• when tests are done create realistic test conditions
• when your child is doing a test try to organise it so that everyone else in the house is doing some form of quiet work

Review / Feedback

• spend some time reviewing work and providing feedback on areas done well and those that could be improved

Resources

• if you need to repeat tests, ensure a long enough gap has been left so that questions cannot be answered from memory

e.g. if your child did 2 tests per week, 15 test papers would last approx. 4 months if they were repeated once.
This would leave a 2 month gap between repeating tests which should be sufficient to avoid tests being answered from memory.

(Please be aware that the points are not intended to be prescriptive as they are based on our personal experiences . In addition, you will probably need to vary your approach from one child to another.)