Why 11 Plus Mock Exams are important?

1. Why 11 Plus Mock Exams are important? champslearning.co.uk/single-post/2020/07/27/Why-11-Plus-Mock-Exams-are-important In this article we discuss why writing 11 PLUS mocks is an essential aspect of your 11 PLUS preparation and how you can maximise your score with each 11 PLUS mock that you write. What do "Mock Tests" mean? A mock test is a simulator of the actual 11 PLUS exam, the only difference being that you are not attempting the real one. It is basically a convenient and a flexi version of the 11 PLUS examination, which is solely given by a candidate to know how to bell the 11 PLUS. It is a closer version of the 11 PLUS sample paper. It is advisable for students to take mock tests at each step of their preparation, so that they can be well prepared for the actual test of 11 PLUS. The main idea behind the creation of 11 PLUS mocks was to develop familiarity among the students towards the real test taking experience. Students also get access to detailed solution analysis right after the completion of the mock (Champs Learning MOCK exam gives detailed analysis with explanatory answers to each questions and how many people solved a question correctly) so that they can juxtapose their answers with the correct solutions and get a fair idea of where they stand with respect to their preparation. It also enables them to be open to any alterations in their current preparation plan, as well as to double think over their current approaches and methods to solve a particular question. It is all about time management after all! Importance of Mock Tests Let us understand why so many 11 PLUS mentors believe taking mock tests to be incumbent on the aspirant targeting 11 PLUS 2020: It is one of the most fool-proof methods of analysing your preparation level and your performance. It can help you carve the variations in your current opted strategy and help you improvise your traditional test-taking approach. It pertains to the latest examination pattern and trends that will be witnessed in 11 PLUS examination for that year. Taking multiple mocks will strengthen your ‘mental calculations’ and further, your accuracy and speed. This will prevent u from losing marks in the actual examination due to the dreaded negative marking scheme of 11 PLUS 1/6

2. It helps you identify and dodge the “trick questions” in the examinations that you are likely to encounter and hence, aids towards reducing the number of guessed or incorrect attempts. It helps you to finally score well in your 11 PLUS confidently. Initially, you might face the music while taking a 11 PLUS mock as you stumble upon the dreaded “sitters” of the examination. But slowly and gradually, you would gain mastery over the questions and try your hand at solving sitters within the time frame. Kindly note that this would only be possible if you practice regularly. The ranking system of some of the 11 PLUS mocks will depict your rank with respect to other mock test takers. Rather than ranking, I feel it is better to know how many people solved the same question correctly. Hence, writing mocks enable students to get used to the exam pressure and understand the competition. 11 PLUS is taken by thousands of aspirants once in a year and keeping this in mind, students need to experience the phenomenon before the actual phenomenon. The reading of the exam’s actual character will do justice to your perspicacity and fluency during the examination due to exhaustive practice. You can subsequently frame your time conserving strategies and attempt each section with a pre-determined approach. Why is it believed that 11 PLUS mocks give you a feel of the actual 11 PLUS examination? 11 PLUS 2020 will be conducted by various school with their own trusted pattern. This year most of the schools have announced the delay in their dates of examination. Prior to taking 11 PLUS, candidates must ensure they have a sound understanding of the 11 PLUS exam pattern, 11 PLUS syllabus and the marking scheme set by the school. If you walk in the examination hall thinking it is the same as that of other entrance tests, you are mistaken. There are significant parameters in 11 Plus question paper which is disparate from the candidate’s expectations. However, the only way to take the examination and not be surprised but confident are the 11 PLUS mocks. 11 PLUS mocks are designed in the same way as the 11 PLUS question paper. From the test structure to the marking scheme, to the topic weightage to the nature of questions in the paper, 11 PLUS mock exam is a recreation of this grammar school entrance. Champs Learning’s mocks (overall and sectional) are updated annually, with the feedback from the students who have appeared for the real 11 Plus exams. These mocks can be taken from the perspective of enhancing speed and accuracy and developing stamina to sit through a 3-hour long examination without any concentration lapses. How to make the most of a 11 PLUS Mock? To help you gain the maximum benefit from each mock attempt and for it to become a vital tool in your learning process there are certain practices that you must follow every mock attempt. First off, after taking a mock and checking your scores do not immediately jump 2/6

3. to the next mock - this defeats the purpose of taking a mock test. It is necessary to analyse your mock attempt if you wish to see any improvement in your next mock score. By minutely analysing your mock attempt you will be able to identify the gaps in your preparation and take corrective measures. Second, solve all the questions after the mock. Types of Mock tests Provided by Champs Learning The experts at Champs Learning have come up with a set of free 11 PLUS mock tests for aspirants who wish to assess their preparation and boost their 11 PLUS score. The mocks have been divided into three 11 Plus categories subject to the area of interest of the candidate. Full length Mocks – To take a complete GL or CEM pattern 11 PLUS mock test Sectional Mocks – To take section-wise mock test Topic-wise Mocks- To take topic-wise mock test pertaining to three sections of 11 PLUS Sectional 11 PLUS Mocks: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Passages Attempt the RC passages that you were not able to attempt in the given time and work on your speed. Ideally, your target should be to attempt all the questions in the given minutes. Figure out the reason for your incorrect attempts. Go through the passages and learn the meaning of the words that you hadn’t come across before. Verbal Ability Go through all the codes, cloze, letter based questions, vocabulary based questions, Odd one out questions to understand why the given choice is correct or incorrect. Revise the difficult questions every week. Sectional 11 PLUS Mocks: Maths and Non Verbal Attempt all the questions that you did not or could not attempt in the given time. Identify the questions that could have been solved with the help of choices and revise them every week. Identify the questions in which smarter techniques can be applied and revise them every week. 3/6

4. Solve the question again and compare your approach with the one given in the video analysis. Check if there are any shorter or faster methods to solve the particular question. Check if the incorrect choices can be eliminated on the basis of logic. Check if approximation or shortcuts get you to the answer faster. Take note of the questions in which you have been able to identify an alternate method or those questions which have helped you understand the concept better. Revise these questions once every week. Keeping the above pointers in mind you will be able to avoid unforced errors and work faster. Remember that revision is the key to higher speed and accuracy and therefore should be exercised at least once a week. If you religiously adhere to the recommendations in this article you will definitely see improvement in your mock scores. Moreover, it will make taking mocks an enriching experience. Important guidelines to keep in mind during mock exam days: There are some guidelines that must be followed by a candidate to strike that balance between rigorous 11 PLUS practice and peace of mind: Don't jump into analysis right after taking a mock: Install a gap of at least 3-4 hours after taking a mock and before analysing it. This is suggested because it will not be possible for an exhausted brain to understand its shortcomings after a 3-hour long test. Also, do not extend the breather: In case you have attempted the mock in the last 24 hours, analyse it within that time frame. Otherwise you will tend to forget your own approach behind marking a suitable option. Focus on number of overall attempts: The attempt rate largely varies according to the complexity of mocks. Mocks are generally designed to be of a similar or higher difficulty level than that of 11 PLUS, so that you push out your maximum potential while solving a question. Also, you need not attempt a large number of questions to achieve your targeted sectional percentile. By keeping a tertiary track of this, you will be able to stretch your overall attempts even further. Do not neglect your accuracy rate: Since your accuracy is directly proportional to the number of attempts, it nullifies the difficulty level and shows your performance in that mock. However, it can be an illusion sometimes as you might have gotten some questions accidentally correct. 4/6

5. Set benchmarks: The final point I wish to make is regarding having some benchmarks in place for each section prior to the mock attempt. This is because you should see yourself progressing. Do not neglect your section-wise performance: The sectional score is a true evaluator of your performance because it spreads out your scoring possibility to a bigger canvas. Before taking every mock, it is advisable to set benchmarks of sectional score in Maths, English, RC, VR and NVR. What measures should you take to improve your performance in 11 PLUS mock tests? Given below are the steps which would explain how to deal with the aftermath of mock tests and accordingly, furnish your exam strategy: Attempt the questions you skipped during the mock: Start with closely examining the questions you left behind or solved incorrectly during mock because of time crunch or anxiety. If you solve them without any hindrance, it implies that you are clear with the concepts and only need to work on your speed. You need to relax during the test and learn to act smartly. The mock needs to be analysed on the same day it was taken. Do not keep it pending for the coming day or before taking your next mock. This would break the chain of your preparation and make you go foggy on the concepts. Build your concepts during mock breathers: Do not be under a misconception that you can rest after analysing your mock. Analysis is just a review of your performance. Now is the time to kick yourself mentally and work on areas that require utmost attention. Before the next mock, make sure you are clear with all the questions of the previous mock. Optimisation of time: Like Champs Learning, some training institutes allow a candidate to inspect the entire time lapse on a single question. This is very important from the exam point of view. If you think you are wasting too much time on a particular question, skip it in your next mock. Taking a mock is basically a hit and trial exercise that enables you to constantly furnish your preparation strategy. One should try to extract the maximum benefits out of mocks and take risks over here than the actual 11 PLUS examination. Conclusion Keeping the above pointers in mind you will be able to avoid unforced errors and work faster. Remember that revision is the key to higher speed and accuracy and therefore should be exercised at least once a week. If you religiously adhere to the recommendations in this article you will definitely see improvement in your mock scores. Moreover, it will make taking mocks an enriching experience. 5/6

6. 6/6