The 11+ exam syllabus is a mix of aspects taught in the British Curriculum and reasoning skills. The idea is to test students on their taught ability and also natural intelligence.
What will be on an 11+ exam paper?
An 11+ exam paper consists of four different elements: maths; English; verbal reasoning (VR) and non-verbal reasoning (NVR). A typical exam paper will mix these elements in different structures, but there will always be particular styles of questions and specific skills that are expected to appear on the test.
Being prepared for what will be on an 11+ exam paper is the key to answering with confidence, at speed and fully completing these detailed papers.
Here is what students can expect in each of the four sections.
Maths
Although arithmetic skills are needed for the maths paper, the focus is very much on maths reasoning. Pupils are expected to apply their calculation/arithmetic skills to problem solving contexts within maths.
Problems can be quite 'wordy' and pupils need to be able to answer maths questions at speed e.g. 1-2 minutes. Also, be aware that pupils may be asked maths questions a little above the expected level of their Y6 maths lessons, so it is worth being aware of the Y7 maths topics.
Completing lots of word problem practice will really help a student to prepare for the maths part of the exam and familiarise themselves with how the maths knowledge might be presented in a word problem.
English
The English aspects of the paper are a little different to what you might expect. In the grammar exams, lengthy written responses are not required for the answers. When answering comprehension questions these will be in a multi-choice format. Students still need a high level of comprehension skill, but it will be assessed in a different format to that at school.
They also won't be expected to do a written spelling test, instead it will be more likely spotting misspelt vocabulary with a paragraph or a list of words.
A high level of vocabulary understanding is required for the test, so lots of reading and synonyms/antonyms practice is a must. Students should be confident in different ways of saying the same word, e.g. pleasant and amiable, as well as opposite meanings, such as weak and robust.
Verbal Reasoning
The part of the paper is not something that is discreetly taught in schools. The verbal reasoning questions are based on a pupil's use of verbal intelligence, such as code-breaking, vocabulary knowledge and written logic skills. Students can expect to explore of range of question types in preparation for the VR questions such as: find the hidden word; move a letter; closest meaning.
Working through the various question types in the VR revision is really helpful, as a student can then be prepared for any mixture of questions that may appear on the exam paper. Being confident with the order of the alphabet is essential for this part of the exam, as is a good grasp of vocabulary.
It is worth preparing for the VR section by developing vocabulary knowledge and building up a bank of known words. There are lots of useful resources available for this and CGP as well as other providers have Vocabulary Revision Flash Card packs that are great for speedy, regular revision.
Non-verbal Reasoning
Much like the VR, NVR is a test of a pupil's non-verbal intelligence. This element is based on the use of figures and matrices. Students will be looking for similarities and differences in non-verbal questions using the SNAPPS method. Skills such as spatial reasoning, reflection, rotation are all tested in the various NVR questions types.
The SNAPSS method is paramount to successfully completing this part of the exam. This acronym stands for Shape, Number, Angle, Position, Size and Shading. For example, when given four or five figures to compare you are looking to notice patterns in shape across the range of figures. Questions may rely on patterns that include more that one of these aspects so familiarity with them (and using the rule at speed) is essential.
If you are looking to prepare your child for their Warwickshire 11+ exam or Birmingham 11+ exam and want support in all of the 11 plus syllabus skills, check out the 11+ Courses I offer and get in touch.
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