What You Need to Know About The 11+
The 11+ exam is an admissions exam administered in the last year of primary school for students hoping to transfer into a grammar school. The assessment tests students on a broad range of subjects, from math to literacy to verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The English and mathematics section is pretty standard across England as it follows the national curriculum. However, the verbal and non-verbal sections are not taught in the classroom. In order to succeed in the 11+ exam, it is important to provide additional help and studies for your child. The 11+ exam is extremely competitive and requires rigorous tutoring and preparation in order to be a successful candidate.
Should My Child Take the 11+?
The 11+ exam is not required of every student, and while they may be registered by default, it is possible to opt out of the test. Parents have a biased view of their child and their abilities, so it can be difficult to decide whether or not your child is fit for the examination. Consult with your child’s teachers and advisors to see if they would encourage your child to take the test. Assess where your child’s scores lie in relation to the national average and if your child is particularly gifted or scores higher than average in school exams.
About the Exam
The 11+ exam takes place in September of the child’s final year of primary school when they are around ten years old. The results of the exam are received in October, which means students will have plenty of time to apply to secondary school upon reception of their results. There are two exam boards that administer the 11+ exam, the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring and Granada Learning. The format of the test from each exam board is similar but will vary in material. The test your child will take is determined by where you live.
Currently, there are 164 grammar schools in England that use the 11+ exam for admissions. These exams are highly competitive, as there are a lot of students and few available spots at each school. For instance, in areas like Kingston and Sutton, the acceptance rate is around just 3%, and in areas like Buckinghamshire, the acceptance rate is around 30%.
Preparation
Successful completion of the 11+ exam requires early and intense preparation. The best course of action is to start early and build upon the development of your child’s skills as they grow.
Year 3 and Year 4
It is highly encouraged to begin preparing your child as early as Year 3 or 4. At this age, you can start implementing the basic skills and tools needed to build a strong foundation in both math and English. At this age, you may not need professional help to prepare your child, but rather start by practising their skills in their everyday life. For example, you can have your child play fun mind games to build their reasoning or incorporate counting and reading as everyday activities.
The verbal reasoning test requires a vast vocabulary and precise spelling skills. Not only that, but your child must be proficient with addition, subtraction, and other basic math skills. For the non-verbal reasoning section, students must understand shapes, symmetry, and following a sequence.
Year 3 & 4 English Preparation
For the reading section, your child should be a level above the national average by this age. Practice reading books that are higher than the national average in order to make them comfortable performing at this level, and read often. You can help strengthen their reading comprehension skills by asking questions about the stories you read or having them make predictions. Be sure to have them point out any words that they don’t know and explain what they mean and their context, as this will help improve their vocabulary.
Along with vocabulary, spelling is another necessary skill to work on early in order to succeed later on. This is something that can be practised at home and in daily life, as well as in the classroom. You can use online games and websites, flashcards, and other games to help improve your child’s spelling. Another way to improve their spelling and writing skills is by having them often write, even just ten lines a day. You can add fun challenges to improve their creativity and vocabulary, such as having them write a story without using the word “said.” Be sure to note your child’s grammar use as well, and especially monitor their use of commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks, as these are the most important.
Year 3 & 4 Math Preparation
The key to succeeding on the math portion is to have a strong understanding of times tables, as well as other basic math skills such as addition and subtraction. Your child should be able to have an understanding of numbers bonds through ten and feel comfortable knowing the addition, subtraction, or multiplication of those numbers at any given moment. These math skills can be built on in everyday life through games that include counting, flashcards, and other online resources.
Preparation In Preceding Months
As the 11+ exam approaches, you should have a study schedule outlined for your child for the months before the exam. This plan will allow your child to have more than enough time to prepare, as well as identify any areas that need extra work. At the ages of 10 and 11, students can effectively study for about 30 minutes at a time, so the study schedule should be created with this in mind so as to not wear them out.
The English portion of the 11+ exam will cover a variety of topics, including spelling, punctuation, grammar, comprehension, sentence structure, vocabulary, and literacy. The verbal reasoning section will also require great knowledge of vocabulary and other verbal reasoning skills. In the non-verbal section, it is expected that your child will have an understanding of addition, subtraction, shapes, spatial awareness, and mirror images.
The most important thing to be successful in the 11+ exam is to read, read, read. Your child should be reading books of all genres and topics and be able to comprehend the emotions and meanings behind them. Being a proficient reader will be beneficial not only for the English portion of the exam but also for the verbal reasoning portion. It is necessary to have your child be an avid reader leading up to the test in order to be adequately prepared.
Your child should prepare for the exam by practising both multiple-choice and written response questions, as both will be on the 11+ exam. Both question formats can be equally as challenging and should be studied an equal amount in order to succeed. As stated before, the verbal and non-verbal portions of the test are not taught in schools. It would be extremely beneficial for your child to have professional help from a tutor in order to adequately prepare for each section of the test, take useful mock exams, and practice different question formats.
Interview Preparation
Upon passing the 11+ exam, your child may be asked to come in for an interview with the independent school. These interviews are used to identify happy, confident, opinionated, and well-rounded students who would make a good fit for the school. They will examine your child’s social behaviour to make sure they are a good match both socially and academically.
The point of the interview is to ensure that your child will be a dedicated student who will be involved in both their academics as well as extracurriculars. The topics of the interviews may vary, but they will often cover your child’s work at school, their hobbies and extracurriculars, and even current events.
In preparation for the interview, your child should practise managing their stress and get a good night’s sleep. Reassure your child that nerves before an interview are completely normal but that they shouldn’t allow it to affect their performance. It is also important to arrive looking and feeling prepared. Your child should dress to impress and make a solid first impression, so they should be dressed smart and semi-formal. You should arrive at the interview plenty early to make sure you can arrive early without any delays from traffic or other unforeseen circumstances.
Encourage your child to be honest while answering questions rather than try to lie or pretend. It is okay if your child does not know the answer to a question or does not understand a question and expresses that to the interviewer. In the end, it will do them better, to be honest rather than try and fail to fake it.
The questions asked in the interview will vary from school to school. However, there are some common questions that your child can prepare to answer:
Why are you interested in our school?
Tell me about your current school.
Tell me about a current event that interests you.
What do you like to read outside of school?
What hobbies or interests do you have outside of school?
Coping With Parental Stress
While preparing for the 11+ exam can be stressful for your child, it can be stressful for the parents as well. The process can be stressful on all of those involved, however, there are things you can do to get through it with as little stress as possible.
Stay Informed
First, gather as much information as possible so that you are entirely prepared. Begin by researching the schools you want your child to attend and assess the possibility of being accepted. Aside from scores on the 11+ exam, some schools may consider location, religious commitment, or even sibling priority. Be sure to stay up to date on the admissions process and ensure that you have all of the current information, as it can vary from year to year. Then, find out information about the testing process for your preferred schools, such as when they will take place and what you should expect. Similar to the admissions process, the content of the test can vary by year as well, so it will be helpful to keep up to date on that aspect as well.
Manage Your Expectations
The 11+ exam and grammar school admissions process can be extremely uncertain and nerve-wracking. It is important to remind both yourself and your child that no matter the outcome, you are proud of them and their efforts. At the end of the day, it is important to recognize the other important areas of your life that matter, such as family and good health.
You can practice relaxation techniques, such as stretching, yoga, and meditation to help put your mind at ease. This can also be a family activity to help decrease any stress and pressure that your child is feeling. Other ways to reduce your child’s stress are to simply reassure them that their future will be okay no matter what happens with the exam and reassure them that you will be proud of them in any scenario. It is important to reward effort, not an achievement, in order to keep your child motivated and confident.
Reach Out For Help
It is perfectly normal to not be able to single-handedly prepare your child for such an intense and competitive examination. In fact, in order to keep up with the other applicants, it is highly encouraged to reach out for help from a professional in order to give your child the extra one-on-one attention necessary to properly prepare them. Tutors for the exam tend to get booked months in advance, so it is encouraged to start looking and selecting a tutor early on. The Veda Group consists of educational specialists who are unparalleled in their field, with a 100% success rate on school placement and unrivaled tutoring experts. There are no private education specialists better for the job, so visit www.thevedagroup.com for more information or to book a free consultation.