Introduction
11+ mock exams are one of the best ways to engage in the practice for the eleven plus. Students need to sit in an environment that simulates examination in order to get used to that atmosphere. Once students are more familiar with the exam environment and develop the stamina to sit for several hours in a row to finish a paper, the actual examination becomes much easier to handle.
- 11 plus mock exams are an excellent way to tackle exam anxiety, and this is why there are free test papers available at PiAcademy, all with linked materials like video courses.
- Many sources strongly advocate students getting used to the routine of practising and learning from mistakes made, as this is what will help them improve over time.
Here are the key benefits of doing 11 plus mock exams!
Effective Practice
Students need to have a positive mindset for the eleven plus, and the discipline to try questions as they would in an actual exam setting.
Practice is an essential part of the journey of mastering a skill set or performing well in a test. It conditions the brain to absorb information, internalise, analyse, evaluate and derive a solution even in a stressful and time-sensitive setting such as during an examination. 11 plus mock exams are the next best thing to the real exam – and with some schools needing a two-stage entry process, effective exam practice has become more vital than ever. Here are some reasons why mock exams are the best way to practice:
- By practising more and more papers, the questions that initially seemed difficult will start to seem much easier
- Students will be able to identify knowledge gaps and patch them up with the help of their tuition teachers before the actual examination arrives
- It provides a structure for students preparing for the exam – rather than just glossing over important topics, their revision fits the format
Practicing 11+ Mock Exams Releases Stress
The exam environment is something that has a lot of tension and stress-filled up in the atmosphere as students feel worried about the examination. Stress is good to a certain point, as it gives an “adrenaline rush” that promotes critical thinking and active recall of concepts. This enables students to perform with distinction in the exam, for example:
- If students get used to 11+ mock exams, they would be able to get used to a typical exam environment which reduces their exam anxiety on an actual day.
- Candidates would be much calmer and they would have the stability to think critically during the examination.
Like how an athlete would train constantly to perform well in his final contest, students need to train their minds for the actual examination. One needs to build the mental stamina gradually as it doesn’t come immediately on the day of examination – especially for an exam as difficult as the eleven plus.
It’s important to remember that the students who are taking the eleven plus are still relatively young – so repetition and reinforcement are absolutely key.
Solving 11 plus Mock Exams Reduces Anxiety
Ask most students who are about to take the eleven plus what their biggest obstacle is – what do you think ranks highest? It’s not actually understanding but feelings of anxiety about the exam itself.
When it comes to the massive competition and expectations, many prospective grammar school students find it unbearable. This is solely based on the mental pressure to perform well as students do not want to disappoint their parents.
So why do 11+ mock exams help with this? There are multiple reasons:
- Mock exams establish familiarity in students’ minds, and it keeps them grounded during the actual examination.
- This enables them to perform to the best of their ability, which will eventually yield good results.
- After taking a handful of 11 plus mock exams students reported a noticeable drop in their stress and anxiety levels.
Of course, practice exams are just one tool in your toolbox of study strategies, but they are amazingly effective at decreasing stress in ways that study aids like simple flashcards are not.
In all likelihood, there's a lot riding on the results of your test. The more often you sit for a practice test, the more natural it will feel the day of the actual one. You'll have enough to think about on the big day. While it's normal to feel nervous about a high stakes exam, anxieties should be quelled the more practice tests you run.Building the momentum slowly is the best way not to overwhelm students. When students try to force themselves to sit through examinations without previous practice, they will of course find their anxiety at peak. So, use 11 mock exams to reduce those nerves!
11+ Mock Exams teached Time Management
Time can be the biggest problem for students during an examination. If eleven plus students have poor time management skills, they might miss out on marks that they could have possibly gained, had they used their time effectively and efficiently.
Here are some core reasons why 11+ mock exams can help with the problem of time management:
- If students practise using mock papers, they will be able to recognize which kinds of questions are more time-consuming and they would be able to assess their own efficiency in answering questions.
- With every practice, students can see themselves improve gradually and on the actual exam day, students would be able to finish the paper as far as possible and spare enough time to do an entire check for careless mistakes.
- Time management is a skill, and 11 plus mock exams are a realistic way to speed up. Unless they have a go at an actual exam, there’s no way for students to get a grip on timings!
Plenty of exams, not just the eleven plus, are dependent on time management. It’s a really underrated skill that many parents and students don’t acknowledge before it is too late. It’s all well and good for students to revise, but without perfecting the timings on each question, they might as well have not bothered!
Identifying Knowledge Gaps
It's difficult to know what you don't know. That's where practice tests come into play. You may think you'll breeze through the non-verbal reasoning part of the eleven plus, but if practice results reveal a less than brilliant score, you can refocus your study efforts. For example:
- Confidence is good, but the results of multiple 11+ mock exams can confirm that you're as knowledgeable as you think you are - or that you need to step up your studying game
- Eleven plus mocks from PiAcademy are designed to mimic the actual exams – so students can find out what questions they really need to focus on
- It’s common sense! Without knowing weaknesses, students can’t really improve. Don’t just take my word for it, educational researchers say that feedback is at the heart of the best learning
You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been. Tracking your progress for the eleven plus can be a great way to show you which study strategies are working for you and which should be abandoned.
Even establishing a baseline through a single practice test can give you the intel needed to know what areas need your focus. Of course, the more data points, the fuller the picture. Take multiple 11 plus mock exams and plot your results for a snapshot of your progress.
If your child is feeling nervous about a certain set of questions, it's easy to focus all of your energy on that topic. A practice test can help you identify problem areas, but it can also help get rid of pre-exam nerves – students need to know they know their stuff!
Retain Information
If you're planning to pull an all-nighter before an exam, you might be in for a shock: studies consistently show that those studying in short, regular bursts retain more information than those who undergo marathon study sessions.
- The information learned in the process of taking 11 plus mock exams and reviewing the results will stick with students in a unique way.
- Flashcards and notetaking can only get eleven plus students so far and practising the act of going through the different 11+ topics will make it easier to retrieve such details during the actual exam.
Conclusion
There are plenty of benefits associated with practising using 11 plus mock exams. Students need to have the discipline to stick with a plan and use the resources that are available to them.
They say practice makes perfect, and when you look at the habits of professional athletes, musicians and actors, it's easy to see why.
Psychology writer Malcolm Gladwell once espoused the 10,000-hour rule: only after 10,000 hours of practice does a person become an expert in any field. While you may not need 10,000 hours of practice to get a high score on the eleven plus exams, there's no denying that completing 11+ mock exams can help most students improve.
