7+ 2024/25

[Caps0218]

I haven't seen another thread similar to previous years, so thought it would be beneficial to start one as exams are now 1 month away.
I think SHHS, UCS, KCJS and WUS are all in October.

Also - Curious to see if number of applicants are down this year, with Labour's VAT raid.

@Naliny same school on same day sounds right. Although the page had mainly green, probably 1/3 was a mix of yellow and red.

I guess for most schools are allocated on the same day. For our case, 6 boys were allocated across 3days, maybe the number is small.

I guess we find out next week. Anyone doing SPJS?

Us - but not seriously enough if I’m honest. Can someone please confirm the format for the exam?

I believe, based on their website….and what they said today at the open day, that it is Maths, English (Dictation), Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning. No creative writing.
@Powerpray Do you have a preference between Kings and St Paul’s?

Thanks Caps! Yes I do - Kings all the way for us :) is there a mental math element as well?

Not Sure, they haven’t said anything. Although we had some mental maths in the Kings interview.

Anyone sitting for Dulwich College entrance on the 30th? How are you prepping?

We are giving the 7+ for St.Pauls as well. As far as I understand, there will be English dictation and mental maths. Essay writing will be in the second round. Would SPJS test be at the same level of complexity as WUS? My son found the English multiple choice reading comprehension so hard and I guess it will be at the same level and format for the SPJS test as well. With two more weeks to go, there is nothing else we can do but practice more I guess :) Apart from EPP, where else do you find those multiple choice comprehension materials?
In any case, good luck to all waiting for Kings results next week - we should hear by Friday I’m guessing, fingers crossed!

@ThePractical My DS also found the WUS comprehension very hard, and hence he didn’t get through the 1st stage. He found the KCJS comprehension far easier and went through.
What is interesting is that Dictation is SPJS’s main English test.
The EPP MCQ papers are what we did also.

@Caps0218 Same here, DS found the compression and composition quite ok at KCS but they weren’t MCQ, which he finds tricky. In the SJPS website, it says “The English task remains a Dictation exercise” - does this mean no reading comprehension? EPP question paper for SPJS does include MCQ Reading Comprehension though.

@ThePractical That is what I find confusing. Even today, one of the teachers said it’s dictation for English….i forgot to ask about comprehension.

@Powerpray our first choice is SPJS. If you get a positive outcome on Kings, would you sit SPJS?

@ThePractical Just to add, I would prepare for comprehension!

How does the dictation of SPJ work? Does it involve writing sentences, answering questions, or something else?

last year the dictation was writing sentences where they are looking for things like correct punctuation, grammar, spellings etc. The comprehension is MCQ only.

Was it like small sentences separately or several lines to write together. EPP listening test is very fast. We are still not completely there as per EPP standards. Writing separate lines are still manageable but long ones are difficult to catch up.

It’s nothing like the EPP. I would take EPP lightly. It’s all at a higher level of difficulty than the actual exams both for SPJ and KCS. They are single sentences. One distinct memory I have last year was when my son came out and said that “There was ages between the dictation sentences” as he was used to the face paced scribbling using the EPP dictation paragraphs.

Sorry about diluting the current topic, but is anyone else in a situation where they need to change school at Year 3? What would you do if your top- tier school choices were not achieved? Would you move to another school and prepare for the 8+/9+ or would you settle with the new school and wait for the 11+?

@San2023 Personally I would want to get him in to a through school…so if “top-tier” doesn’t happen, then we would consider City for example. I don’t think we would want to go through this again so soon.

@SWlondonmum123 Do you happen to know if in the comprehension, after the MCQ they had any small writing, such as write 5 sentences to continue the story….etc…

There’s no writing in the first stage of the SPJ exam, that comes in the second round when they do the activity/classroom sessions.

It’s basically a more technical exam. I suppose they rather read 100 stories than 300-400!

We were also there today at St Paul’s and understood that the verbal reasoning contains reading comprehension. Interesting that they say their main English test is dictation, but I definitely heard them bundle comprehension with the reasoning tests… or has this 7+ stuff driven me mad?

They also said the maths test has 3 sections: I’ve forgotten what the first section was (does anyone else remember?), 2nd section is number sum type calculations, 3rd section is word based problem solving.

@Fullmoon99 I think first section is mental maths.
Strange about comprehension in reasoning, I guess that ties in with that section being multiple choice.
That also makes comprehension standardised with age, based on the info on their website.

Caps - If we get through Kings - we won’t sit for SPJS.