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11+ Grammar School Admission Test Preparation

Description

Background of 11+/ Grammar School Admission

GL Assessment: Previously known at NFER, in 2007 NFER was purchased by Granada Learning and re-named ‘GL Assessment’. Since that time, GL Assessment have developed and administered 11+ exams in the majority of grammar schools in the UK.

CEM: Developed by the Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring at the University of Durham, the CEM 11+ exam was created in response to fears from some grammar schools that the existing 11+ exam system had become too transparent. The exam was designed to address concerns over question spotting and ‘teaching to the test’.

Regions

GL Assessment: Dorset, Kent, Lancashire & Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Medway, Northern Ireland, Wiltshire.

CEM: Berkshire, Bexley, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wirral, Wolverhampton.

GL and CEM: Devon, Essex, Hertfordshire, Trafford, Yorkshire

Unknown at time of publication: it’s still unclear what exam board Surrey will use in 2016.

Subjects

GL: GL cover the four 11+ subjects (English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning) and schools can choose any combination of these to best suit their selection policy. For instance, in Dorset, maths, English and verbal reasoning are tested, whilst in Lincolnshire, only verbal and non-verbal reasoning are tested.

CEM: CEM covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. In practice, ‘verbal reasoning’ encompasses many of the skills tested in the GL English exam, including comprehension. Likewise, ‘numerical reasoning’ involves the core maths skills needed for the GL exam.

For both verbal and numerical reasoning, the CEM exam aligns much more closely to the content of the KS2 National Curriculum than GL Assessment does. Again, individual regions and grammar schools can choose what subjects to test as part of their 11+ exam.

Format

GL: Again, this varies from region to region, but broadly speaking, most GL 11+ exams are either Standard Format (where answers are written in spaces next to the question) or Multiple Choice (where answers are marked in a separate answer book). The lengths of test papers vary, although 45 minutes is the most common exam time.

GL takes its questions from the GL Assessment Question Bank and uses a variety of different question types across all four subjects. Through practice and preparation, it is possible for children to become familiar with these particular question types.

CEM: One of the key differences between GL and CEM is that CEM papers are mixed, with one exam combining English and verbal reasoning and another combining maths and non-verbal reasoning. Standard Format, Multiple Choice, or a combination may be used depending on school/region.

In addition, the paper may quickly flit between a short maths section, a longer problem solving exercise, then some logic puzzles. Timings will be allocated to each section, and children will need to carefully manage the time they spend on each section.

In CEM exams, there will typically be more questions than are likely to be answered in the time allocated, and the weighting of each subject for your child’s final mark will be unknown before the exam.

Skills required

GL: Strong vocabulary, logic, maths and spelling skills are required.

CEM: Strong English, comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and maths skills are required. CEM verbal reasoning is very different to GL and success is dependent on children having a much more wide-ranging vocabulary.

What does this mean for how I prepare my child?

The 11+ is about testing your child’s natural aptitude and the importance of a well-rounded education cannot be stressed enough. Reading widely, building vocabulary, developing mathematical skills, are all key ways of helping prepare your child for the 11+. With that in mind, here are some key pieces of advice that will help your child prepare for their specific 11+ exam.

  1. Find out exactly what exams your child will be taking – this can change from school to school, not just region to region! Also bear in mind that schools may change the examiner they use, so do keep checking. Look not just at the exam board, but subject, format, length of test and any additional tests set by that school (e.g. creative writing).
  2. If your child is sitting a GL Assessment-examined test, use plenty of past and practice papers to familiarise your child with the question types in each subject. (Plenty of exam prep using practice papers is also important for CEM, but the questions types that appear in the real exam are much more unpredictable.)
  3. If your child is sitting a CEM-examined test, work hard on developing a deep and rich vocabulary:
  • Use a vocabulary book to record new words and their meanings to ensure that your child really understands the new words they are meeting and can use them in context.
  • Read widely with your child and use ‘grown up’ words in ordinary conversation, explaining their meaning as you go.
  • Practise synonyms and antonyms, for example, encourage your child to use more sophisticated words to describe something, or complete crosswords together.
  1. For both tests, but especially the CEM-examined tests, time management skills are of great importance:
  • Make sure your child does plenty of timed practice and is accustomed to managing their time carefully.
  • Use practice test papers to set mock tests under exam conditions to help them get used to formal exam conditions – getting used to working in test conditions will help your child feel less intimidated by the real exam.

Develop good exam technique – encourage your child to pick off the questions they can answer easily or those that carry the highest marks. For the CEM test in particular they may not have the time or be able to answer all the questions, so teach them to focus on the ones they are most sure about. This will help them feel prepared going into the exam and quickly build confidence in the exam as they amass a collection of questions they are happy they have answered well.

Grammar School 

NamePlacesGenderExm Board

London Borough of Bexley

Beths Grammar School192BoysCEM
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School192MixedCEM
Townley Grammar School224GirlsCEM
Bexley Grammar School192MixedCEM

Berkshire

Reading School138BoysCEM
Kendrick School96GirlsCEM
Upton Grammar School165MixedCEM
Langley Grammar School180MixedCEM
Herschel Grammar School150MixedCEM
St. Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School150MixedCEM

Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School192BoysCEM
King Edward VI Aston School120BoysCEM
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys120BoysCEM
Handsworth Grammar School for Boys150BoysCEM
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls150GirlsCEM
King Edward VI Five Ways School180MixedCEM
King Edward VI Handsworth School160GirlsCEM
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls180GirlsCEM

Consortium of schools for Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton

Adams Grammar School105BoysCEM
Newport Girls’ High School84GirlsCEM
Wolverhampton High School for Girls145GirlsCEM
Queen Mary’s Grammar School150BoysCEM
Queen Mary’s High School120GirlsCEM

London Borough of Bromley (Two stages test)

St. Olave’s Grammar School124BoysSET
Newstead Wood160GirlsGL

Essex and Southend

Chelmsford County High School150GirlsCEM
Ilford County High School180BoysCEM
Woodford County High School180GirlsCEM
King Edward VI – Grammar School150BoysCSSE
Colchester County High School — for Girls160GirlsCSSE
Colchester Royal – Grammar School120BoysCSSE
Southend High School – for Girls180GirlsCSSE
Southend High School – for Boys180BoysCSSE
Westcliff High School – for Girls184GirlsCSSE
Westcliff High School – for Boys185BoysCSSE
St. Bernards High School – for Girls145GirlsCSSE
St. Thomas More – High School180BoysCSSE
Shoeburyness – High School310MixedCSSE

Kent 

Barton Court Grammar School(Canterbury)150MixedGL
Borden Grammar School(Sittingbourne)120BoysGL
Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School 120MixedGL
Cranbrook School30MixedGL
Dane Court Grammar School(Broadstairs)165MixedGL
Dartford Grammar School180BoysGL
Dartford Grammar School for Girls180GirlsGL
Maidstone Grammar School205BoysGL
Oakwood Park Grammar School160BoysGL
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School140MixedGL
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys180BoysGL
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys150BoysGL
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls150GirlsGL
Weald of Kent Grammar School265GirlsGL
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School140GirlsGL
Tonbridge Grammar School180GirlsGL
The Norton Knatchbull School(Ashford)180BoysGL
The Judd School(Tonbridge)155BoysGL
The Harvey Grammar School(Folkestone)150BoysGL
The Folkestone School for Girls180GirlsGL
Sir Roger Manwood’s School(Sandwich)150MixedGL
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys (Canterbury)120BoysGL
Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School(Canterbury)165GirlsGL
Mayfield Grammar School145GirlsGL
The Skinners’ School (Tunbridge Wells)150BoysGL

London Borough of Barnet (Two stages test)

Henrietta Barnett93GirlsCEM
Queen Elizabeth180BoysGL
Mill Hill County High School243MixedGL
St Michael’s93GirlsGL

London Borough of Enfield (Two stages test)

Latymer School192MixedGL

Surrey (Two stages test)

Tiffin School180Boysby School
The Tiffin Girls School180Girlsby School

Sutton (Two stages test)

Greenshaw High School314MixedSET
Nonsuch High School for Girls210GirlsSET
Sutton Grammar School135BoysSET
Wallington County Grammar School150BoysSET
Wallington High School for Girls210GirlsSET
Wilson’s School180BoysSET
11+/ Grammar School Admission Maths Non verbal reasoning English Verbal reasoning

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