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Anybody want to come and fret about 11+ with me?

8 replies

KnockKnockKnockPenny · 27/03/2013 19:52

Dd will be taking it in September, we're in Kent.
Dd doesn't have a tutor so we are practising at home. We've been doing bond 10 mins papers and 30 min maths papers but now have moved onto the Letts multiple choice ones.
One of the main problems dd is having is timing - I'm hoping lots of practice will help that.

Because of where we live dd can't just pass, she has to get top marks (although she doesn't know this) to have a chance of getting a place.
I'm trying to keep a cool head about this but am really, really worried for her - our nearest non-grammar school is dire, poor results, poor discipline, dd will NOT be going there. I'm not discussing it with other parents in dd's class as people are very cagey about it (who is getting tutored etc) and I don't want to get into competitive level comparisons etc.

Anybody else want to fret?

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Marni23 · 27/03/2013 20:46

Can't fret with you as my DS did his 11+ exams this year (and we're not in Kent).

But just wanted to say, don't panic. I thought we'd never get there to begin with wrt timing but by the end it really wasn't a problem. We didn't use a tutor either, and it really is a case of practice makes perfect.

Good luck!

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KnockKnockKnockPenny · 27/03/2013 21:06

Thanks Marni! That is what I keep hoping. This process is torturous. I don't want dd to get utterly fed up of it (she's already grumbling a bit about doing practice) but I think we need to keep the level of familiarity up so the speed will be second nature.
It just seems a gigantic waste of time - when will she EVER see a non-verbal test again? I honestly believe (and her school do) that dd should be at grammar school but putting it all down to one test with no reference to her teachers/progress etc seems mad.
My friend's son failed his maths paper last year despite everyone believing he would and should pass.
Wow! Full fret! Will reign myself in and have a nice cup of tea instead Blush Grin

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sallysourire · 27/03/2013 23:49

We went through this the last 2 years with DS and then DD. DD really struggled with timings to begin with, but we just focused on the accuracy and only really worried about the timing in the last month before the tests to avoid getting her stressed.

It worked for DD as by that time she'd has enough practice to know she could get the answers right and started to speed up.

Good Luck!

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superpushymum · 28/03/2013 17:24

Make sure your daughter knows that during the exam she should continue working on her questions no matter what! There will be kids crying in the class, one even vomited during DS's exam, but she should know to just keep working. Another advise - toilet breaks. Make sure she knows she must go before the exam and during the break. DS almost failed a mock because he had to go in the middle of the maths paper. Good luck!

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KnockKnockKnockPenny · 28/03/2013 17:44

OMG Superpushymum!! That sounds horrendous Shock I can't believe we do this to our 10yr olds...Sad

Dd is easily distracted but has a bladder the size of an elephant's so that's one out of two covered...

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superpushymum · 28/03/2013 17:54

DS went through 5 exams in total. During one of the exams a boy was continuously kicking his chair and DS was nosediving into his work. Another child was talking to himself and reading questions out in a loud whisper. Ds still passed but he was drilled by his prep and by us, so was prepared to just concentrate on his work. I would recommend a mock exam, we got a detailed feedback after it too, which helped a lot.

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NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 28/03/2013 18:00

I second not worrying about timings yet, it's the style of questions they need to get a grip on first. Have done this twice now and it was almost worst the second time. So glad I never have to see a bond book ever again!
One last thing, they mature/progress quite a lot in the next six months. Things that I worried about came to nothing as we got closer.

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reawakeningambition · 28/03/2013 19:49

the whole things sounds horrendous knockknock.

just slightly less horrendous than the dire school with poor results.

I'm so glad someone else thinks the 11+ is a stupid exam. I opened one of the books in WHSmith and it brought back unpleasant memories of law school - really narrow thinking - I put it back but then went in and bought it later Confused.

Anyway, it's helpful to read your posts because it sounds like you're going through what we would go through if we didn't choose the comp down the road (not an easy decision - there is a selective area a few miles away a very good grammar and about 12 boys in each year go there from our town's primaries).

I think that my attitude towards the preparation (which would be like yours but less well hidden) could actually put DS right off. So if we do change our minds at this point it'll be a tutor for us.....

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