“When you find yourself near the end of the test, and you
are running out of time, start guessing. You will have at least one chance of
guessing the right answer.” This must be a familiar litany from the lips of a
number of eleven plus parents.
What parents are trying to encourage their child to hold
firmly in the `examination working memory’ is a set of rules and procedures to
follow. “Dear, in the examination, keep asking yourself some core questions.”
“Have I made sure that my decision about the multiple choice
answer is based on a logical decision?
I am allowed to remember, in the middle of the examination, that
an intuitive decision may be as valid as a logical one.
Have I eliminated the answers that simply cannot be correct?
Do I need to go back to this question – or am I reasonably
confident?
How can I keep track of time?
Will I leave myself time at the end to be able to go over
some questions?
Will I remember to take my watch to the examination?
Mum said that I can guess the answers to some questions.
Dad said that I must keep trying to the end and cannot give
up.
My sister said she did the same examination as me and passed
– but she also said that she is brighter than me.
Do I really want to go to grammar?
Is there really only ten minutes left?
Oh dear – so many instructions about multiple choice questions
– I wish the test was over.”
