Things To Do Before The 11 Plus Test

Check that the child has packed their bag the night before the test and that they have all the required items in the bag such as pencil cases with HB pencils, erasers, sharpeners, glasses, inhalers and handkerchief etc

Generally, pencils and erasers are not provided by the exam provider and you are asked to carry a clear pencil case. Pencils must be HB hardness – most test papers are OMR sheets which is read by an optical reader, and only an HB pencil will make a clear enough mark for the machine to read. Avoid taking 6B (extremely soft and will leave smudge marks) or H (extremely hard and can tear the paper if pressed too much) type pencils. Pencils with a rubber on top can be useful so the child doesn’t have to put their pencil down completely if they need to rub something out.

Go to the test venue in plenty of time. If a venue is in an unfamiliar area , we recommend making a reconnaissance visit a few days before the actual test day, so that you become familiar with the roads and parking issues of that area. Also check the weather and traffic report on the day.

They should be wearing weather appropriate clothes on the day and carry a watch. Please check with your exam provider if they allow wrist watches to be worn during the test or not. Make sure that any alarms are turn off on it before they go in to the test.

Give the child a simple breakfast avoiding any fatty or very sweet foods. Excellent choices will be porridge, toast, omelette. Coax the child gently to eat something as they might not feel like eating due to nervousness. It is important that they don’t go with an empty stomach. For snacks to eat during an exam break – give them things like bananas and sandwiches etc to keep their blood sugar up and help concentration.