St Bernard’s Grammar School is part of Slough Consortium 11+ testing process and so utilises their test papers and eligibility criteria.
Only candidates are scoring 11+ are considered for admission.
Information About St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School 11 Plus Exam Format?
Comprised of two separate papers, each approximately 60 minutes, the 11+ test papers are set entirely by CEM exclusively for Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools.
CEM’s grammar school test papers free, purposefully remain undisclosed. Therefore, there is no accessing St Bernard’s Grammar School entrance exam. However, previous CEM grammar school exam papers indicate that the material resembles the National Curriculums Key Stage 2 content.
Common Topics Include:
- Verbal Reasoning including English comprehension and vocabulary;
- Non-Verbal Reasoning;
- Numerical Reasoning, e.g. mental arithmetic and general maths problems.
To prevent rampant coaching, CEM is known for having a variety of answer formats for both papers, but pupils must fill in, exactly as instructed, a separate answer sheet with their responses. This is then marked electronically.
CEM 11 Plus Exam Formats:
- Four separate papers each separate testing subjects;
- Papers testing one subject;
- Multiple papers containing a variety of content, e.g. Maths with Non-Verbal Reasoning or Verbal Reasoning with English comprehension;
- Papers combining multiple-choice and standardised questions;
- Papers are testing candidates’ time-management skills by requiring sections to be completed in a specific timeframe.
Although a familiarisation booklet is available, as well as detailed information regarding their admissions process here, parents have requested for a more extensive range of practice papers, which Pi Academy offers.
To combat the lack of CEM grammar school test papers with answers, we highly suggest the following:
- For Maths: over 3500+ questions in a variety of formats, the key focus being complex word problems with detailed stepwise answers to cultivate logical thinking. 11+ Maths test paper with solutions.
- For English: various styles of comprehension exercises, including multiple choice and descriptive style questions, are available here 11+ English Papers with Detailed Answers.
- Helpful hints are provided for each question;
- Helpfully, every question is segregated as per the topic;
- Parents/Carers should ensure their child has a ruler, protractor, and HB pencils with erasers.
What you revise and how you revise is as important as how much you revise. Thus, our tutors, many of whom are English and Mathematics experts, have written a multitude of 11+ test papers free download and an extensive number of detailed, comprehensive answers. Our pupils closely study these since they offer ample practice in the topics, indicating what may be expected in their actual exams.
Our teaching method has helped many former Pi Academy pupils with St Bernards Grammar School, among other equally prestigious schools.
How much competition is there for St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School?
Fiercely competitive, over 450 candidates vie for the 150 available places. Thus, statistically speaking, only the top 33.33% of students are admitted.
The governing body allows baptised Roman Catholic children therefore the parents should take a written reference from their Roman Catholic priest. See here for further details concerning admissions policy.
St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School Outstanding A-Level and GCSE Results 2018/19
A-Levels:
- 85.8% achieved A*-C grades
- Approximately 50% achieved 3 A*-B grades
- 33.5% achieved A*/A grades
- 25% of English A-Level achieved A* grade
GCSEs:
- 56% achieved grades 9-7 or A*/A equivalent
- 32% achieved grades 9-8 or A* equivalent
- 91.4% achieved grades 9-5 including English and Mathematics
- 52.6% achieved grades 9-7 including English and Mathematics
St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School 11 Plus Exam: Expert Tips
As stated, St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School sample papers free download are unavailable thereby leaving parents worried. However, it is essential for candidates to understand advanced Mathematics topics and have a good command of verbal reasoning.
It is imperative to focus on particularly tricky areas of the National Curriculum and 11 plus syllabus, e.g. ratio, symmetry, cubed and squared numbers, algebra, etc. Knowledge should also be applied in practical ways to solve problems; quick, independent thinking will be rewarded.
Practice attempts should be within timed conditions since previous CEM test papers have been formatted specifically to test candidates’ time-management skills.
Equally vital, is that parents identify weak areas when marking attempts of 11+ practice papers. These should then be corrected through extensive practice, which should also boost confidence. Our website offers free 11 practice papers download with writing tasks and solutions written by our Oxford and Cambridge educated tutors.
Students should practise these, especially the papers with answers, to prepare for a variety of questions which may appear in the exam. Prioritising difficult topics will enhance logical thinking and problem-solving skills, ultimately strengthening the exam technique. Method and quantity of revision are of equal importance for any eleven plus papers.
Having downloaded the free 11 plus test papers from our website, parents should follow our 4-step guide when practising:
- Print the paper;
- Supervise your child, ensuring that the paper is completed under timed conditions;
- Revisit the website when marking;
- Make a note of weak areas to practise further when revisiting the website.
Our system is highly efficient in allowing you to pinpoint relevant questions since the 11 plus sample papers free are segregated as per the topic. This is beneficial for practising questions on the same topic in a focused manner, helping to resolve weak areas and gaps in your child’s knowledge.
Our website features a plethora of Verbal and Non-verbal resources featuring problem-solving questions and word problems, all uniquely different. For convenience, the links for 11 Plus Maths and English Practice Papers are below:
Instead of being limited by typical 11+ resource providers, our tutors work diligently to prepare and solve a variety of free sample test papers with answers for our students to practice. Exposing our students to these different, but hugely beneficial, resources, like 11 plus sample papers free, explains our huge success rate because our students always remain one step ahead.
See our highly rated papers below:
- 11+ Maths Papers with Detailed Answers
- 11+ Maths Topic Wise Questions
- 11+ English Practice Papers
- 11+ Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- 11+ CEM style practice Papers along with Multiple choice Answer sheet.
- 11+ Online Mock Exams
How to Revise for St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School?
Exam nerves are not uncommon, but we believe that the correct preparation strategy inspires confidence. Candidates gain comfortable with the exam structure and can answer questions quickly.
Therefore, the earlier you prepare dictates how useful your revision is; focused study of our sample 11 plus papers and free 11 exam papers are an effective way to strengthen Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning in preparation for the real thing. Frequent revision sessions will also considerably ease the pressure.
Below is a revision schedule all Pi Academy students studiously followed in their Mathematics and English tutoring sessions when revising and practising 11 plus sample papers. They feature time-pressured problem solving with question styles that are known to have been previously used by CEM.
Please download this spreadsheet; updating the relevant fields provided will help you track your child's progress. To avoid wasting time on irrelevant resources and incorrect questions, subscribe to our 11+ Papers with Detailed Answers. Our subscription service is a one-stop haven which supports frequent revision and provides reliable and realistic guidance.
How to Secure Proficient Tutelage for St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School?
Our private tutors are dedicated, organised, and adept at problem-solving. Their creative teaching style and excellent communication skills allow them to effectively teach a wide range of children by prompting them to practice our free 11 test papers.
Practicing eleven plus sample papers with answers are prioritised because candidates noticeably improve in skill and confidence, going on to achieve superb results in our 11+ sample papers for Maths and 11 plus English comprehension papers.
These results indicate what could be achieved in the real exam; indeed, our tutoring methodology has resulted in a large number of our former pupils succeeding in securing a place at St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School, as well as other well-respected institutions.
Our distinctive approach is a result of modern, contemporary methods of teaching. Former candidates accredited their success in attending their desired institution to our inspirational and engaging tutors who directed and encouraged them by providing clear and honest opinions about their progress.
To avoid missing out, complete this form to engage one of our expert tutors; their invaluable experience will be a huge asset to your journey to St Bernard’s Grammar School.
Also, visit our website for more tutoring pages:
- 11+ Maths Courses for CEM and GL
- 11+ English Courses for CEM and GL
- 11+ Verbal Reasoning Courses for CEM and GL
- 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Courses for CEM and GL