11 Plus Exam - Common Mistakes

 

Common mistakes students made in the Skipton Tutors 11 plus mock exams: Updated 18/03/2022

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The following points cover a list of general observations that our 11 plus mock invigilators made. These observations cover the common mistakes made by some students over the last few years. 

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• Doing workings out on the answer sheet. The answer sheets are marked by a computer so students should not put anything other than their intended answer in the relevant box. Additional workings and scribbles could lead to incorrect marking.

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• Some students were observed answering questions before the clock had started. If they are seen doing this in the real exam the invigilators may decide to disqualify them. 

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• Some students were observed answering questions after they had been told to put their pencils down.

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• In the Non-Verbal Reasoning, some students failed to answer all of the questions. Because this is a multiple-choice exam it is always worth having a guess when the time is running out. 

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• Some students were not aware of the exam time running out, so practising this to make sure they manage their time through each paper, may be beneficial. 

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• In the Non Verbal Reasoning test, completing the wrong answer box for a given question causing all subsequent answers to be incorrect was seen with one student. 

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• Marking answers on the question paper and then transferring them to the answer sheet thereby running out of time to complete the answer sheet, or forgetting to transfer them across to the answer sheet at all.

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• Spending too long on a given question and general poor time management throughout the exam- avoid becoming “bogged down” on any one particular question. Move on and gain marks elsewhere.

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• A number of students took toilet breaks during the actual exam. Use the toilet before the start of the exam and during the breaks between each exam.

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• Try to maintain concentration throughout the exam- particularly during the second half.

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• A few students brought “sticky” fruit drinks and 'noisy' snacks into the exam. In the real exam plain water only is permitted with a small snack.

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11 Plus Mock Parent Feedback

 

The following is a collection of feedback given by parents following the Skipton Tutors 11 plus mock exams for Emrysted's Grammar, Skipton Girls' High School, Clitheroe Royal Grammar and Ripon Grammar. 

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"The mock exam run on the 14th of July was exactly what Katy needed. She was very nervous leading up to the exam but managed to compose herself on the day and we think that this experience will be invaluable when she comes to site her actual 11 plus exam for Skipton Girls' High School"

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"I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and your wonderfully efficient team for organising such a rigorous and realistic mock test for Skipton Girls. The experience was invaluable on so many levels; practically, emotionally and psychologically it has prepared her in the most positive way for the real selection tests. Confidence is riding high having had this practise - making these tests worth every penny!"

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"Freddie found the whole experience very positive , in that, he now understands what exam conditions mean. I think he would have found the actual  exams very daunting had he not sat the two mock exams. It also allowed him to understand the time factor i.e he needs to answer the questions set in the allotted time frame. A very worthwhile experience."

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"My Daughter found the entire mock experience very useful especially in terms of seeing the actual question types in the correct exam format. She now feels much more confident about the real exam and is going to work on her weak areas over the summer with her tutor so that hopefully she is ready for the final exam. Thanks again for all your help"

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"My daughter and I felt that the mock test was very useful. Having never experienced such a situation before it was a really valuable exercise. Whilst practising the VR at home, my daughter normally struggled to complete the VR within 50 minutes however the mock test environment showed that under realistic test conditions she was able to complete the VR.  It also proved to my daughter that she was able to cope with the pressure of being in unfamiliar surrounds and not knowing any other girls and later having marked her papers, produce a good set of results."

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"The day was a good experience for my daughter. She was put under absolute  exam conditions which are daunting at the best of times but having had the mock she has had first hand experience of what it would be like on the day. This will put her in better stead."

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"We felt the mock was a true representation of what the Ermtsted's 11+ will actually be like. Our son found the experience very rewarding and it has given him the confidence to sit the real thing" 

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"The 11 plus mock test for Ermysted's Grammar was really useful for my son who is nervous about exams in general. It has given him confidence and he isn't too worried about the actual exam anymore. We will be booking our daughter in for your next Skipton girls mock exam. thanks again"

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"Thank you very much for organising the recent 11+ mock test. 
My daughter passed her exam and she found the mock exam had helped her confidence and preparation immensely. I found the whole process very professional and well run.
A particular thanks to James for his prompt replies to queries - he was extremely helpful."