Bond papers - which age band?

[TracyPilgrim]

Hello, we are preparing our DS at home, he's in Yr5 so will be seating the 11 plus in Jan 2013 for West London schools (Hampton, Latymer Upper, Emanuel) but also grammars like Tiffin and Wilson's boys because the independents are only a possibility if he gets a scholarship or a bursary! I went to buy some Bond papers the other day. I see they have a 10 to 11+ band and also a 11+ to 12 band, and both are sold as preparation for the exam. Anyone knows which level I should really use? Which level really corresponds with what he will encounter in the exam? He is a diligent boy and has been doing some extra work for a while now, so we want to start challenging him at the exam level. Thanks!

If you go to the bond assessment papers website, and register, they have PDFs of the first paper in each book (with answers). Try one as a diagnostic, and you will see which book level to go with.

I'd say he needs by the exam to be happy one year ahead if it is offered, given my experience at 8+, and the advice given by Latimer junior school re their 7+ exam.

If you do the papers fairly often, you'll get through them, so for now, I'd agree, do the diagnostic first and then start at the band he's in (may be higher for, say Maths and NVR than VR and English) and work your way up to the higher bands.

Start with something he is confident with (even if it is not where you want to reach) and work UPWARDS. This is far more useful than knocking his confidence with work that is too hard for him.

Thank you all. Will do! I was just wondering where the "upwards" finishes, meaning at what level we can say "he is working at the exam level now". Based on Michaelahpurple's advice, I'll assume that the right level he needs to end up practising before the exam is the 11+ to 12 level.
(Forgive my English, not my mum's tongue!) :)