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Eleven plus mock exams
11 plus mock exam
Although the eleven plus is about 6 months away you may have noticed that the 11 plus mock exam season has started, so what is an 11 plus mock and is it a good idea for your child to take one? Like other mock exams, the 11 plus mock attempts to replicate the conditions that children will be likely to encounter in the real thing. A key difference is that there are no 11 plus past papers as schools and other test providers don't publish them. Indeed the content of the relatively new CEM test which more and more local authorities are adopting (The Wirral being one of the latest) is a closely guarded secret. Obviously it is difficult to guard this secret when thousands of children take the CEM test every year and tutors are in a good position to receive feedback especially tutors whose children have taken the test. Indeed my daughter who passed the CEM test last year is always telling me that "they had questions like this in the 11 plus." Many tuition providers put on a number of mock 11 plus exams between March and September, they are normally open to any child who would like to take one, not just to children that the company tutors. The quality of the mock exams may vary so the best way of finding a good provider is probably the same technique used to find a good tutor - ask the parents of children who have just taken the 11 plus.
Ok, so your child has just taken an 11 plus mock and got their results. What do the results mean? If your child has got high marks then they are hopefully on the right track, but just remember that sometimes, mocks taken in March may be made slightly easier than those in August as children will be doing a lot more learning between now and then. A good mark in an August/September mock should indicate that your child is definitely on track. What if the mark was lower than expected? This could indicate lack of familiarity with the exam conditions or poor exam technique and hopefully your child will do better next time; it could indicate that your child was stressed and couldn't concentrate in the exam or it may suggest that your child does not have the necessary knowledge and/or speed at this stage to be able to pass the exam. If you think that the latter is the case, you need to ask yourself what your response should be. Has your child only just started preparing for the exam or have they already had several months tuition? Are you going to do everything you can to give them the best chance or would it be better to be more low-key and not build up passing the 11 plus as the be-all and end-all of everything? Your child's tutor (if they have one) or the mock-exam provider should be able to give you some advice. If your child has suffered from some sort of exam stress then you need to find the triggers for that stress and then try to minimise or remove them; one of them, dare I say it, could be you. Are you nervous when your child goes into the exam and do you try to "reassure them" by repeating "don't worry" and giving them a big hug when all you are doing is getting them more wound up?
Finally, don't forget there is a long time between now and September to sort out any issues, whether they are lack of knowledge, poor exam technique or exam nerves.
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