How much effort?

[WhatTheActualFugg]

DD 7 has just correctly written her spelling test words without practice or seeing the list first.

Should spelling tests require some level of effort to be applied?

Is it it supposed to be a walk in the park?

I would imagine the words will get harder as the term progresses. But spelling lists should be to consolidate spelling patterns they've covered in school, so if a DC has "got" it in school they may well require no effort at home. My DC's schools always recommended finding other words of the same pattern or writing the words into sentences if further challenge was wanted.

My ds's spelling is fantastic. He is 8, and in yr4, but had never put effort in spelling test.
Best spelling task assigned for him was to use the words in sentences.(yr2)
He doesn't even check his spelling list each week, but he always get 10/10.
So, I think, either ask the school for harder ones(though it proved meaningless for my ds), or invent other way to use the list to progress her some how.