Last Minute Tips for your 11+ Exams!
Are you and your child feeling stressed leading up to the 11+ exam? The feeling completely normal. For many this students the 11+ is their first taste of academic pressure, so our wonderful 11+ tutor Jo has put together her top tips to help you and your child approach the last few days (or weeks) in the run up to the exam in the most positive way possible.
Last minute preparation:
· Make sure you know the exact date, time and location of the 11+ exam for your child. This sounds obvious but exams do get missed from time to time!
· If you haven’t already, it would be a good idea to take your child to the place (usually a school) where they are sitting the exam. The 11+ will feel less daunting if they are familiar with their surroundings.
What to do:
· Use revision cards to go over key topics. These might include things like: mathematical vocabulary, key literacy terms and key strategies/exam techniques to remember. Revision cards are a great way to round off revision and summarise information. Revision card quizzes are a great way to support your child's studying.
· Work in short bursts of 10-15 minutes when revising. Your child is still young, and 10-15 minutes of focused revision is far more productive than 40 minutes of distracted revision.
· Make a timetable for the last few weeks/days. Write a list of the key skills and areas that your child needs to work on a little more before the exam, and slot them into the timetable so that revision is purposeful and manageable. You could do this as a wall plan and tick off the topics and days leading up to the exam. Get your child to tick off the topics themselves - it can be a huge motivator for them!
· Keep learning active. Try practicing times tables or spelling words whilst walking to school, or quiz them while playing a physical game. This will keep your child’s mind engaged and give them more opportunities to study in a relaxed manner.
· Keep reading regularly and doing mental maths. The more you do it, the less scary it is.
· Keep stress levels as low as possible – children who feel under pressure often have performance drops when it comes to sitting the exam. Show your child that you're there to help them feel confident about sitting their exam and reassure them that there is a plan regardless of the outcome. Doing their best is all you can ask of them and if they don't pass their exam, it's not the end of the world. Make sure that they get plenty of rest the night before their exam, and keep revision light the day before.
· Ask us if you have any questions or worries leading up to the 11+. We're always here to help and want your child to succeed as much as you do!
What not to do:
· Try not to cram too much in these last few weeks. It is much better to have a focus on core skills and do a little work each day, otherwise your child can become overwhelmed and stressed out.
· Try not to change your child’s routine to fit in more tutoring/revision at this stage. Going back to school, starting a new class and potentially having a new teacher are enough changes – they are more likely to perform well in the exam if they feel relaxed in the couple of weeks leading up to it.
Do you have a question for our specialist 11+ tutor Jo? Get in touch at hello@capitaltuitiongroup.com and we'll be happy to chat!
Qualified Teachers. Quality Grades. KS1 to A-Level.
