11+ prep workbooks

[futuredino]

What are the best prep books for 11+ in your opinion? Can someone tell me the differences between CGP, Bond etc?

Daughter is in Year 5, exceptionally strong in maths, strong in English and no tutors. We are based in Kent.

TIA!

[LetItGoToRuin]

It really depends on the format of the test your DD will be taking. I don't have any knowledge of the Kent test, but DD has just sat the 11 plus in the West Midlands, and it was a CEM test of verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. It is computer marked, and the vast majority of the sections are multiple choice, with only one maths paper where you have to fill in numbers in the boxes.

For this style of paper, there's little point in doing 'free text' workbooks other than for general practice. Having said that, DD used workbooks from a variety of publishers, to give a range of experiences and approaches. We all liked the format of the CGP ones more than Bond, but we used both, plus Letts, Collins, Schofield & Sims, and First Past the Post. We found 10-minute tests very useful towards the end.

For the CEM test, timing was the main challenge, so we were strict with that towards the end. DD also sat a couple of mock tests at local centres, to give her a feel for the exam conditions.

So, my main tip is to find out more about the test your DD will be taking, and choose workbooks that more closely match the types of questions.

[DanO]

My daughter is in Year 6 and just got her Kent Teat results. She passed with the maximum score of 423 overall. She has always been very bright and only had occasional tutoring to help keep her sharp and she used the highest level CGP GL books for her practice at home. She also used BOFA which is an online adaptive testing system you can subscribe to. If your daughter is bright the main things she needs to work on are her speed, her exam technique and familiarising herself with the particular format of the paper. In maths you need to cover some of the Year 6 curriculum as the Kent Test covers subjects they don’t do until later on Year 6 (after they have sat the exam). Also if you get the chance put her in a for a mock exam, or conduct one at home as early as possible so you can see where she has gaps if any.