Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

How many 11+ exams are too many?

20 replies

SheHulk · 21/02/2012 11:20

My DS will probably sit five exams (2 selective grammars, 3 independent) starting in September this year. We are considering another ind but that would put 4 exams in January! The last two are likely, based on past dates, to be 2 or 3 days apart... Isn't that too much? Is there a point in sitting the last exam or will he be exhausted and fed up by then? I know every DC is different, but they are so young...Any opinions and experiences welcome thank you!

OP posts:
mamakiso · 21/02/2012 13:39

SheHulk, my DS sat 3 selective grammar exams and 2 independent. I had paid the registration fee and got the dates for a 3rd independent school with exams at the end of January, but by this time my DS was well and truly fed up and refused to do the last exam! My DS is not one to complain so I relented because one of the independent schools actually had 2 exams and we had been taking exams since September.

If it all gets too much, I suspect you won't get the best out of them, but you know your DS best. Watch and listen you will know if it's too much. Good luck.

SonorousBip · 21/02/2012 13:55

My DC will be doing 3 (independents, not grammars). The head at their school is very insistent re doing fewer rather than more and can be persuaded re 4 if there is a good reason, but not more than that. I'm always gobsmacked re reports of children doing 8 or so.

That feels fine to me. I think my dc only has a finite amount of exam output and better not to spread it too thinly!

Moominmammacat · 21/02/2012 15:12

My DS did 13 papers, including music scholarships, for just three schools. Completely unbothered by any of it, didn't care where he went but all very time consuming. Depends on how much pressure you put on them/they put on themselves but it can be absolutely problem free if you've prepared them properly/they are up to it.

JoannaLumpy · 21/02/2012 15:18

Dd did 5 because we weren't sure where we would be living. But we only put her in for ones we were pretty sure she could pass so the stress level wasn't too bad ie she passed all 5 so it was a "good" experience all round.

I think it just depends on your child - how robust they are feeling about the whole process. Five certainly sounds reasonable to me but you know your ds best. A 2/3 day gap sounds okay. If they are local schools and "known" to your ds that helps - we had to travel to some of ours which adds to the energy required. Good luck to your ds.

Original poster
SheHulk · 21/02/2012 15:31

Thank you all, most useful. Also I wasn't counting the music auditions for the three independents because I wasn't thinking of the auditions as "exams", but of course they are...! Head at his primary is also against taking too many.

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 21/02/2012 15:41

If your primary is an independent, then if its doing its job properly it should be able to guide you as to which schools to try for. (DDs was very good at tactfully steering parents away from trying for grammar schools if their kids really weren't up to it). DD did 4 - grammar and 3 independents, one of the latter was really just as practice.

Original poster
SheHulk · 21/02/2012 15:49

Grimma, it's a state primary. We had a meeting where we discussed possibilities. We were encouraged to try grammars and independents. Head believed he would do well and there was no need to sit too many... But now it's up to us to decide of course. I'm just hoping she is right Hmm

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 21/02/2012 15:58

Glad they're being supportive - not all seem to be. Smile

Presumably you've done the rounds - in school time as well as open days? If your head thinks your DS should do well, can you narrow it down to the two you'd absolutely love plus one or two easier-to-get into 'reserves'?

Original poster
SheHulk · 21/02/2012 16:06

Certainly I would like to feel confident enough to narrow it... Just occurred to me [bulb]... We will have a rethink after hearing grammar results in October... I know a pass does not mean a place, but if he happens to pass both grammars [she smiles, dreaming] then we may feel confident enough to lower the stress level...

OP posts:
banditqueen · 21/02/2012 16:51

Hi, I put my DS in for 4 independent and 1 grammar but...

  • two of the independents had two sets of exams
  • one of the non-selective state school had two sets of exams (banding + art aptitude)
  • another also had banding tests
  • a further state non-selective school had a music aptitude.

Basically, a lot more exams than I had thought, lots of time and energy, missed school and weekend fun... This is before the interviews and home visits!

In retrospect, dspite all the trouble (and I don't know if any of it has paid off yet) what I would do if in the same position of choosing again, would be to enter DS for a couple more schools. The selection criteria varies so much is completely arbitrary and more applications means more chance of a place at a a good school.

Scoobyblue · 21/02/2012 18:51

My dd sat 5. One aspirational one, three that she had a realistic chance of getting a choice from, and a back-up option. They were spread over 9 days. With a few early nights and restful afternoons, she was absolutely fine. Some children in her class did a lot more but I didn't see the point in that.

Ladymuck · 21/02/2012 21:59

Certainly I don't think that you have to make a choice just yet, and you may find it a lot easier to wait until you have the results from the grammar schools. You also have plenty of opportunity to visit again on open days, so you may narrow down your options ahead of time anyway. Some children find it easier to focus on the end product, and it may be hard to get them to focus on so many end products!

SWStressed · 22/02/2012 12:57

If your child is up for it I would get as many options in the bag as possible. It is all so competitive and you don't know if your child might have one or two off days. Having said that I think my DS definitely messed up two exams on purpose as he didn't like those schools only confessing later so next time I will try and chose options in more consultation with my DD

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 22/02/2012 13:13

does your dc enjoy exams? some do, and its just a game to them - in fact, the more the merrier because not so much hangs on one or two. Ds2 did 10+ and as the school he wanted (was the last exam, we did 4others others just for practice, so by the time he got to the one (he) wanted, he had made all the elementary mistakes (not turning over the last page etc Grin), had got all his nerves out of the way - unfamilar room ,new pencils etc etc and was quite calm about it - oh yeah, just another one...
Definitely worth doing one or two 'insurance' ones lower than the level of the one you want, andalso useful interview practice. The schools don't care -they get your entrance fees.

imnotmymum · 22/02/2012 13:16

Mine took it all in her stride and decided the comprehensive anyway [Is top school in county] and she thriving there with great results did not bother with younger child as so pleased with school

Amaretti · 22/02/2012 13:18

We did three with each child and I think that s plenty to be honest. But the first was the local grammar where a pass (which we knew about before they sat for the independents) did mean a place so our situation may be different from yours.

bananadrama · 22/02/2012 14:46

My DS has sat 5 tests between Sept & Jan this year. It does depend on your child. My DS was quite happy to sit tests so that was not a problem, but the real problem for him was doing the practice papers at home! He got thoroughly fed up with them by the end. I know some of his friends got very nervous about the tests and if this was the case with my DS, I would have kept them more to a minimum maybe.

Original poster
SheHulk · 22/02/2012 16:03

Problem with doing some tests as rehearsals before the really important ones is that the grammars - really competitive and important for us - are right bang in Sept this year! No time!

OP posts:
LIZS · 22/02/2012 16:11

Too many imho. I know of one who has sat 5 or 6. Currently sitting on 3 independent offers (including various scholarships which others might have benefitted from) pending grammar results. At least one of schools is very unlikely to seriously be in the running Hmm. Others have done 2 or 3 max. tbh the tests can vary in emphasis and style (and dates sometimes clash , probably deliberately) so your ds may find it quite confusing if different schools' exams and interviews are close together.

Amaretti · 23/02/2012 10:59

I think you need to think long and hard about whether you would actually ever send the DC to the school. And if not, don't sit them, even "for experience". IMO.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page