Eleven Plus Listening (16/01/09)

We are looking a little way down the line. It is the day of the Eleven Plus. Anxious parents have dropped their children off at school. Last minutes kisses have been exchanged. Instructions to the long suffering child have been repeated ad nauseam. The final words of `Good Luck’ can no longer be heard. Your child skips happily up the school path glad to get away from the cloying murmur of your well meant utterances.

(Your eleven year old is still clutching the good luck charm you offered. He or she is not that grown up.)

The children file into the hall. A lap top with a set of head phones is on every desk. The new style Eleven Plus encompasses mathematics, reasoning and listening skills. Why listening skills? Well if he or she will not listen to you, and does not listen to the teacher at school – what point is there of him or her taking up a place in the grammar school?

The listening test will be indifferent parts.

Part 1
Questions 1 to 5
Listen to the digitised recording.
You will hear five short conversations.
There is one question for each conversation.
Put a tick under the right answer.

Part 2
Questions 6 – 10
Listen to Annie talking to her mother about going on holiday. What will she wear for each stage of the holiday?

For questions 6 – 10, write a letter from A – H from the list.
You will hear the conversation twice.

Part 3
Questions 11 – 15
You will hear some information about a mobile phone.

Complete the questions from 11 – 15.
You will hear the information twice.

Naturally all the marking of the multiple choice tests will be done by computer – so in theory the results are available immediately. The entire cohort of children taking Eleven Plus examinations could be sent their results by email that same day!

Of course the listening test would not count towards the marks – unless there was a tie. This is the point where a grammar school would like a little more information. After all, a child who obtained 15 out of 15 would probably listen in class and at home.

The introduction of this proposed listening test could change your life!