How To Beat The 11+

Some of you may be looking at taking the 11+ exam in the UK and may be thinking about what is in it and how hard it is. I took the 11+ exam 9 years ago and passed - managing to get in the top 3% of the country in the Maths exam with a score of 129.9 - where 100 is classed as a pass. I also passed the other two exams - English and Verbal Reasoning and was accepted into a grammar school. But the exam was not easy and I had to do a lot of preparation for it with the help of a tutor. But I didn't just do work with my tutor. I also did my own private work and had my own schedule that I kept to in order to maximize my chance of success. I made a list of things to do to make sure that you perform your best over, not just the 11+, but any exam:

1. Go online and find past papers. As easy as it sounds. There are websites that provide resources for tests that other people have sat in the past. These are great for learning the layout of the test and how the questions are likely to be worded for when you sit it yourself. The past papers will also have a mark scheme attached to it - so you can use it to check your answers and see where you went wrong and find any problems you have, but also see what areas you are doing well in.

2. Ask for help. Most probably the most useful advice I can give. Never be afraid to ask your teachers, tutors or parents for help. They will, more than likely, be able to help you will whatever questions you have and talk through ways on how to solve the question at hand. They may be able to give you other questions similar to the one you struggled with, so that you can practise and perfect the methods ready for your test.

3. Get plenty of rest and be healthy. It's all good doing loads of work and revision ready for your exam, but all that time and work will go waste if you do not rest as well. When you sleep, your brain goes through everything you did during the day and, without a good amount of sleep, you will not be able to perform to the best of your ability on the big day. A healthy body means a healthy brain - so make sure you eat healthily too: having three sensible meals. Of course, you can have an occasional treat to say well done for all the hard work you have done, but you need to eat healthily, otherwise your brain will not absorb all the information you need it to.

4. Ask for help. I mention it again because help doesn't just mean in regards to the questions on the test paper. It also means that, if you're feeling down or stressed about anything, make sure you speak to a teacher or your parents so that they can reassure you and help you talk through things that are going through your head.

I hope that helps you all - whether you are sitting the 11+ or any other exams - and I wish you the best of luck.