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Secondary education

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

Original poster

January Entrance Exams

164 replies

MalbecMummy · 31/12/2017 07:48

I can’t even begin to think of NYE as it just means it’s January tomorrow which mean entrance exam hell! Anyone else stressed?! Good luck everyone!

OP posts:
bothearly · 31/12/2017 10:18

I've been waiting for someone to start a thread! Not stressed anymore- just totally bored! 3 exams this coming week for DC...

testbunny · 31/12/2017 12:30

Bored with underlying stress! Can't believe we have to go through it again with DC2 in a couple of years. 😢

testbunny · 31/12/2017 12:31

Oh yes, 2 exams this week. Exams over by mid-January, then (hopefully) interviews..., then done!

bothearly · 31/12/2017 12:46

Yup- DC2 in a couple of years as well- and totally different child!

Original poster
MalbecMummy · 31/12/2017 12:48

Eek - why are these things straight after the holidays when they’ve forgotten everything?! The 11+ was the same!

OP posts:
MrsGuyOfGisbo · 31/12/2017 14:25

Spare a thought for the teachers who have t mark all those exams Smile Only kidding, but pleeeeeeeease ask your DC to read and answer the question. Even if they have pre-prepared a Nobel prize winning story about their trip to the circus it will get Zero marks if the question is asking about their night Ina haunted house... Sounds obvious to adults, but they are only 11... Good luck!!!!

Sunshine5050 · 31/12/2017 14:48

Stressed, bored and anxious, good luck to all, my dc has 2 exams next week.

SoupDragon · 31/12/2017 14:50

I can sit here safe and smug in the knowledge that I put my third and final child through these last year!

Good luck to everyone!

testbunny · 31/12/2017 18:49

And last minute tips, MrsGuyOfGisbo (apart from answering the question Wink)? Maybe from what you've seen before when marking?? Silly but common mistakes?? Thanks!

sazzy5 · 31/12/2017 19:35

So glad last year was our last set, good luck to all of your DC. Such a stressful time I remember it well.
Best of luck all.

Wandastartup · 31/12/2017 22:00

Aaah I knew I shouldn't have looked. Exams 13 & 27 th here. Interview on 16th. She's done an essay plan today & 10 mins of NVR but keeps running out of time. I hoped she'd do a bit more in the holidays but days seem to have flown by. Also have it again in2 years time.

trinity0097 · 01/01/2018 07:43

Write legibly. Especially their name on the front cover!

When I was marking Maths papers for a senior school I also thought a child was a bit backward if they still used pencil for Maths (unless a diagram).

SoupDragon · 01/01/2018 09:12

“A bit backward”???

Canadawet · 01/01/2018 10:10

Good luck OP and everyone else embarked in this saga. DS did it 3 years ago and it left me so stressed that I moved his 2 younger sisters from their prep to an all through school straight away after, there was no way I would go through this again. And 3 years later, I am still peeking, come January, at forums like this. DC2 is now in year 8 and escaped that, but DC3 is in year 5...

mastertomsmum · 01/01/2018 11:32

In state schools pencil is - more often than not - used for everything at primary school. To suggest this denotes backwardness means you have no knowledge of schools other than your own

Moominmammacat · 01/01/2018 15:11

Completely forgot about my DS's independent school January exams (they were in a different diary so didn't look ahead and the state ones were so much earlier). Went to Center Parcs and had a good time over new year then DS said "oh it's that exam tomorrow, says so-and-so. Am I doing it?" Legged it to exam, no pencils, no anything ... and it was just fine. Chill.

Lotsofsighing · 01/01/2018 15:44

Re. the pencils v pens, if I were marking a maths paper I'd have thought I'd be more likely to judge a child's 'backwardness' with whether they got 10 or 90% in the test...

Agree with Mastertom - it's pretty standard for state school children to use pencils esp in maths. If I heard a school was prejudiced against their use, I'd take it as sign they weren't open to all applicants. I find ones that insist on wearing of school uniform, for example, a bit strange given that loads of primary's don't have them. Ditto ones that say they set great store by heads' reports given that state primaries don't exactly specialise in detailing children's verbal reasoning scores and ability on the playing fields.

trinity0097 · 01/01/2018 16:59

But all of these children write in pen for their English papers, so it’s not like they can’t use a pen. It’s just babyish and doesn’t give a good first impression, never mind the fact it makes it harder to read.

Of course the score plays a far greater part, but trust me when you have a mountain to mark these types of things make a difference to your impression of the child.

Likewise an exam paper filled with rubbings out (actual bits left) is highly irritating to an examiner (or any teacher marking a set of books). Children who write their name with no capital letters is also highly annoying and those who can’t spell their current school name or school name that they are applying to give equally bad impressions.

All of these things are sadly quite common!

Seeline · 01/01/2018 17:03

Been through this twice - last time 3 years ago. Believe me the stress is nothing compared to what I am currently going through trying to get DS to do some revision for his mocks which start on the first day of term......
Good luck to you all

woodlysmum · 01/01/2018 17:51

Good luck everyone.

My DS went did this last year at 10+ as a practice run for this year. He was at a state school but was offered an all around scholarship and we gratefully took up the place. Just asked him and he thinks he answered all the papers in pencil!?

mastertomsmum · 01/01/2018 20:43

As I remember it they did use pencil in SATs. As regards rubbing out, that was forbidden for class work and homework and mistakes/working out had to be crossed through but still legible.

nocampinghere · 02/01/2018 09:32

I went through this last year and 2 years before
It will be over soon and by half term you'll have offers and know what you're doing.
Have faith that it does all work out in the end...

Just try to keep them rested and healthy for the next few weeks. Eat well, sleep well and hide your stress from them! Easier said than done, but as far as the dcs are concerned you're just hopefully widening your options by doing a few exams.

top tip - show them a letter layout, often an easier option for the writing part but many panic on the day if they don't know how to set out a letter properly.

jeanne16 · 02/01/2018 09:34

I really wouldn’t worry about pen vs pencil for maths. The great thing about maths is that the answer is either right or wrong. So long as their writing is legible, nothing else matters.

Harumff · 02/01/2018 10:22

DS has an exam on 27th but for year 8 entry as he is currently in year 7 at a state comp I’m hoping to get him out of (long story). Tricky thing is the school can only give me a sample paper for year 7 and year 9 entry so we’re guessing at the standard! Have got him to practice with some year 8 papers I found for other schools and lots of 11+ NVR from the bond books, which he is nailing, but I still feel a bit lost!

mimbleandlittlemy · 02/01/2018 13:34

Trinity - my ds still uses the pencils two of the leading west London independents handed out to children doing their entrance exams so obviously those schools don't have quite the same prejudices!

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