11+ exam revision: the importance of starting early
In the past, we have asked the Bond 11+ community to share their experiences of the 11+ exam.
The results are a fascinating insight into how parents dealt with the challenge of preparing their children for the exam, and what they learned along the way.
But one issue stood out amongst all the rest – make sure that you start preparing your child early enough:
"Start preparing early which will give your child time to understand concepts and avoid stress" - Vivek
“Start early, keep going, practice all types of questions”
To help you follow this advice, here are our top tips for getting an early start on your 11+ practice.
And to remind you of what you need to start doing, make sure you download our 11+ Exam Checklist.
Find out more about the 11+ exam
The format, content and exam board of the 11+ exam is different depending on what Local Authority (LA) you’re in and can sometimes even vary between schools in the same LA!
This means that you need to thoroughly research what the 11+ exam is like in your area and make sure that you prepare your child for the correct exam.
To find out how the 11+ exam is structured in your area, check the following details with your chosen schools:
- When the 11+ test is
- Which subjects are tested
- What format the exams take, i.e. are they multiple-choice or standard format
- Who provides the exam, is it CEM or GL Assessment? Or another exam provider?
Build core skills
"Regular practice and lots of vocabulary work. Read a variety of books" – Sheila
- Vocabulary – a wide vocabulary is essential to 11+ exam success, but it does take time to develop. Encourage your child to read widely (fiction, non-fiction, comics, fact books – they all count), play word games, and write down new words in a vocabulary book to make sure they really understand what they mean and how to use them.
- Times tables – if your child is secure in their times tables, this will give them a strong foundation for learning lots of other mathematical concepts and will be an essential part of the mental arithmetic needed to work quickly through questions under timed conditions when they’re taking the exam.
- Spelling – like vocabulary, spelling skills can take a while to develop. Regular spelling practice and word games (such as Bananagrams® or Scrabble™) will help your child develop the spelling skills needed for 11+ exam success.
Create a plan in Year 5 (and some advice on sticking to it!)
"Agree the goals with your child - Help them understand why they are doing the extra work." – Peter
Although it might seem daunting, early in year 5, sketch out a preparation plan – even if you don’t always stick to it, it will help you feel in control of the situation.
To decide what you put into your preparation plan, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Get your child to complete the Bond Placement Test under exam conditions. This will help you understand your child’s abilities in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, and will help you tailor your revision accordingly. E.g. if your child is strong in English and maths, average in verbal reasoning and weak in non-verbal reasoning, you should spend time improving verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills first. (Download the Bond Placement Test as part of our 11+ Exam Starter Pack.)
- Step 2: Grab a calendar and look at your commitments. Preparing for the 11+ exam is a big time-commitment for both parents and children. You need to be realistic about how much time you can spend each week preparing, and how it’s going to fit around what you’re already doing.
- Step 3: Talk to your child. Involve your child from the beginning in the 11+ exam process. Talk to them about yours and their reasons for wanting to go to grammar school, then involve them in decisions about when and how much they practice.
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Step 4: Download our free revision planner. Print out a copy for each month and sketch out your plan for the entire year from now until the exam. (Download the Bond Revision Planner as part of our 11+ Exam Starter Pack.)
The first few months should be quite detailed, with practice sessions focused on improving the areas of difficulty highlighted by the Bond Placement Test. As you go on, things will naturally get less detailed, so you might just want to highlight general areas of revision, e.g.
- January – Recap sessions to check learning after Christmas
- March/April – Quick tests to fit around the Easter holidays
- June – Mock exams to improve exam technique
- Step 5: Factor in rewards and breaks. The 11+ exam process can, at times, feel like a slog. By planning in rewards for achievement and effort (e.g. a trip to the cinema for completing 3 weeks of revision), as well as regular breaks, you’ll help your child (and you!) stay fresh and motivated.
Hopefully, by starting your 11+ exam preparations early, you’ll feel confident that your child has enough time to develop the knowledge and skills needed for 11+ exam success.