The instructions at the beginning of some eleven plus exercises may
need to be different to those at the beginning of the actual examination. We
can give an instruction along the lines of: “Give one word with the same
meaning as each of the following words: `Tuition, Training, Coaching.”
We can also offer the advice that it is important to follow the instructions
very carefully as the eleven plus examiners are trying to find children who can
follow instructions as well as children who are clever and able.
Parents and teachers alike could also say: “Do not get struck on
one hard question, you can always come back to it at the end, if there is time.”
For the eleven plus examiner the rubric or instructions which candidates
have to follow need to be enforceable to try to make sure that all candidates have
the same opportunities.
We cannot force a child to leave out hard questions. We can,
however, ensure that all eleven plus children have the same amount of time to
do the test.
Some parents may consider trying to help their children understand
the logistics of the examination. In the examination all children have to start
on time and finish on time. Some children may need to consider that behaviour
before, during and after doing a paper at home may, possibly, need to be very
different to conduct in the actual examination. Is this called prudent
housekeeping?
