Help! My child’s mock test was terrible! 5 things you can do to solve this problem.

Your child took a mock test arranged by a tutoring company, and you received the results. The scores are terrible! Now you are wondering if you should continue with the 11+ prep any longer.

Is it worth it?

How can my child improve when the marks are so low?

Is there any hope at all?

Let me simplify it for you. There is a way to improve those scores. You must continue your preparation.

But first, be ready to do some work.

So, what work should you do?

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Mock tests are designed to be tough. Additionally, there are several factors to consider.

Here are some of them.

1. Difficulty level of the paper.

2. Test groups’ average score.

3. Number of students in the sample group.

4. Birth month of those in the group.

5. Emotional experience of a child on test day.

Channel your ‘worry’ in the right direction.

There is no point worrying and thinking of the worst that could happen. Instead of thinking, “What if my child doesn’t get into the fancy grammar school?” think, “What can I do to help my child improve their score?” Start by working on what will help make the situation better. You can do this by talking to your child to know what their experience has been like and by sitting with the report and analyzing it. Then comes the next step: making a plan with the information from the report and your child’s feedback.

Analyse carefully

Your child’s feedback

Did your child feel nervous on the test day?

Were there any distractions?

Gaps in learning

Go through the test in minute detail.

Make a table of areas where marks were lost.

Identify the areas where marks were lost and review the basics.

Create a test paper on these topics for your child to practice.

You will know this from the report that the mock provider provides you with. Go over the basics of these topics. When this is done, let your child take a 10-minute individual test on these topics separately. Next, make a test paper out of these topics by picking out question papers from a variety of books and online material. You can also ask your tutor to help with this.

Rank score

Percentages on their own mean nothing. You need to find out the rank, which in simpler words is where does your child stand compared with all other candidates? The 11+ tests are competitive, which means your child will sit and compete with hundreds of children. For this, their score in comparison with the other children will matter. Ask the mock test provider for this result if it hasn’t been provided to you. An important point to note is that it is best to do this before you book the mock tests. Then you also have to analyze if the mock test your child has taken is representative of the real exam cohort. If so, how? If this test is for a specific school, are all the children taking the test sitting the test for the same school? And here is the catch: there is no guarantee that all children will be sitting the same test. People change their minds and their target schools until the last minute, which brings us to the next aspect.

Test Drive

Take mock tests as test drives and practice runs for the real tests. Be enthusiastic about them, just as you would when you take a new car for a spin. Do you fret about how you are not able to understand the workings of the fancy car just yet? Of course not!

You are not familiar with the car.

Your child is not familiar with the test yet.

Use mock tests as a measure to see weaker areas and make a plan to cover them.

Take mock tests as an experience for your child to get a feel for exam conditions.

Use the test to measure how far your child has come, both in terms of academics and confidence.

You have little time. But it is enough

You don’t have just 4 months or 3 months left; you still have 4 months or 3 months left. Children accelerate their learning in the last few months, provided they have your support and a plan that you helped make with them. Involve them in the process, and you will see that their involvement only makes it easier and better. Work on the basics and core concepts, and then timing, as this will only improve when the former is in place. Book another mock test, if you want to see how much improvement has been made.

It is not Doomsday yet

It is not time until it is time.

Not when your child gets low scores.

Not when your child doesn’t get a place in your chosen school.

Not when you feel awful and low.

There is a second option, a plan B, a new morning, and a life that will give you more opportunities. These may be different from what you may have wanted initially, but they may be just the thing that you and your child wants to be and enjoys.

If you are applying to independent schools, your child will get to showcase their skills in an interview.

If your child is gifted in music or sports, there are schools that take this into consideration.

If your child goes to a non-grammar secondary school, your child will be well-equipped to be on top of their academic performance. Many children thrive in comprehensive school settings. You won’t remember mock test scores then.

The 11+ process will give your child a lot more

You and your child have persevered up to this point. It would be wrong to stop now. Wrong because the 11 plus or grammar schools is not the only right reason why you are doing this. It would be wrong to stop your child from learning more, stretching their abilities, from giving them an opportunity to make a great start to their secondary school career. Don’t stop. There is more to the 11+ Journey than getting a score and entry into a particular school. Lots more!

As long as you and your child are trying your best, there’s always hope for great things to happen.