The 11 plus test is one of the most challenging parts of childhood for many young people. They can quickly feel stressed and panicked at the thought of having to study to prepare for a test. However, it is up to you to help your child be as prepared as possible for the 11+. Many parents leave this preparation to the school that their child is attending but this isn’t enough.

Luckily, websites like ours have a free 11 plus online test to help hone the skills that your little darling will need to complete the exam successfully. Practice really is the most effective way of preparing for any sort of activity. This is no different from the 11+ exam. Our 11+ online exam takes a meer fifteen minutes and will help you see how your child is performing in exam conditions and will give you pointers as to the areas of learning that they are struggling with. 

Combination Preparation

No one preparation plan will be a one size fits all. Every child, including yours, is an individual and requires different methods of learning to help embed concepts. The 11+ is a tough exam for even the brightest of students. Just because a child can apply concepts and has the capability to enhance their knowledge doesn’t mean they can show off this knowledge in an exam. This is why the 11 plus online test is a vital part of your child’s preparation.

You can combine this practice with other learning methodologies. Books and DVDs can help with exam technique and core knowledge retention skills. Other documentation can help with non-verbal and verbal reasoning skills. And more one to one tutoring can embed more abstract concepts. If your child is struggling with mathematics or grammar, a tutor can pin down the exact weak points and strengthen them.

By taking the 11+ online exam, you can test for gaps in your child’s learning and utilise a tutor to plug them. By taking this combination approach to learning and preparation, you can maximise your child’s success chances when taking the 11+ exam for real.

Start Early

Preparation for the 11 plus test should occur as early as Year 4. Make sure that they are practising verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests once in a while and make it fun. A non-verbal reasoning test is particularly abstract, especially if the school that your child is attending doesn’t tend to focus on this sort of learning.

Taking a free 11+ online exam can allow your child to harness their non-verbal reasoning skills knowledge and try to complete the test within a time limit. Time management skills don’t come easily to most adults, let alone children. Giving them this added pressure in a comfortable home environment will help them feel less pressured when the 11+ exam comes around for real.

Create a timetable with your child to involve them in the revision process. If they have football on a Saturday morning and karate on a Thursday evening, keep these times safeguarded. You want effective revision scheduling that is quality rather than quantity. You want your child to be engaged, happy and focused, so give them the free time to embark on their own leisure pursuits as well as their 11+ preparation.

Language

When at home with your little darling, ensure that you try to speak to your child in a more mature way. Encourage them to explore language in a more dynamic way. Sit with your child with a thesaurus and play some word games. Making learning and revision fun is a simple way to keep your child engaged and interested in their preparation for the 11+. 

Children who are successful in their 11+ tend to know nearly 2000 more words than their less successful peers. Ensure that you practise the language and verbal reasoning sections of the free 11 plus online test with your child. Remember, you don’t just have to take the test once. Utilize it as a tool to measure progress once you have enjoyed a few weeks of revision together.

Maths

The most complex mathematical concepts rely on a core foundation knowledge of key skills. Ensure that your child knows their timetables by heart and has a sound grounding in mental arithmetic and long division. By being confident with number, more abstract concepts can come more easily. Maths needs to be learned in building blocks so that the more challenging problems can utilise prior knowledge to help them apply mathematical concepts.

Taking the free 11+ online exam will give your child a flavour of the sorts of maths problems that may be in their 11 plus exam. Even if they are flummoxed by the style of questioning, this will allow you to work on cognitive and mathematical understanding in preparation for the 11+ exam.

When embarking on maths revision, you may find that your child hits a brick wall. If this happens, take a step back. It’s all too tempting to move on too quickly in maths because it appears that your child has a grasp of a concept. Never get angry with your offspring for finding something tough. Take a break, do something different, and then return to the learning with a clear head. To fully embed maths knowledge, you must allow your child to practise, make mistakes, correct them and improve. By honing a ‘have a go’ attitude in your child, you will find a more confident learner develop.

The online 11 plus test is ideal to give you a benchmark as to where your child is in their learning. Anything that needs addressing can be done so at an early stage. Expecting your child to take the 11+ without any exposure to a mock 11+ online exam sets them up to fail. Knowledge is power. And power is confidence, so take the free online 11+ exam with your child today and see how they measure up. Practise is crucial in honing your child’s skills and applying them in a real-life 11+ exam situation.