Benefits of 11+ Mocks
Mock exams are a key part of the preparation for examinations, and they have an array of benefits. A mock exam essentially mimics official examination conditions, they are completed under officially
timed conditions and contain identical questions. They are usually arranged by schools; however, you can find private companies that hold mock examinations as we do at The Maidstone Learning Centre and online.
1) Experience
One benefit of 11+ mock examinations is that they allow children to gain experience. The 11+ exams are the first papers that children take, and their lack of prior experience could trigger anxiety, therefore taking mock exams are necessary to boost their confidence come the day of the exam. For this to be effective you should discuss how your child felt whilst taking the paper and highlight where they could improve (i.e., time management), after enough practise they will become accustomed to how exams are carried out. Mocks are also an opportunity to try different test strategies. In addition, the experience gained could lead to your child being motivated to do well in the real thing.
2) Revision
Another benefit of mock exams is that they serve as a form of revision. This is because if your child has only been learning content but hasn’t been given the chance to show off what they remember, then it will be hard to gauge where they are in specific subjects. At The Maidstone Learning Centre, after your child takes our mock exams, we look over
their work to identify what topics they need to revisit or learn for the first time. As a
result, your child will do much better in the official exams.
3) Tracking Progress
Mock exams are arguably the best way to see that progress has been made, consistently doing practice papers can allow tutors and teachers to track and predict how their pupils are performing. This can also motivate children because they can see how much they’ve improved over some time. Tracking progress is also important because it helps teachers to see if the teaching methods they are using are effective for each student, ensuring that none are left behind by the class. At the Maidstone Learning Centre, we track all in-class tests, homework and the mock exams which allows an in-depth view of each student’s individual progress.