I agree with you nervousmom. It is definitely more nerve racking the second time around. I am currently tutoring DS2 who is in year 4. We are working at a much slower pace than DS1 did. Both very different boys.

Hi everyone, we are starting out our 11 plus journey with our eldest son.

I am sure I will have lots of questions along the way, so do bear with me.

It's wonderful to have discovered this forum.

Hello 2018ers! How's it going preparation wise? With only half a term left and confirmation emails and venues and everything, it suddenly all seems a lot closer.

We're still concentrating on maths in this house - trying to fill the gaps and improve the confidence. I'm sure it's helping dd, doing a bit of maths at home. Her maths confidence has been knocked at school for various reasons but she's gradually realising that she can do it.

Hi Skylark and welcome to the 2018 club!

Good luck with the prep everyone and have a lovely half term.

Hi Candel and belated hello to Skylark.
I'm not sure how the preparation is going really. DS is just getting over a cold so apart from learning a few spellings we haven't done much over the last week or so. His speed on verbal reasoning seems really good. With maths his understanding seems good but speed of calculations slower and I think this will stress him out in the test.

We are doing a mock next month as I think he will benefit from the experience of having to try to just press on and not be unsettled by not being able to finish a section. Plus he hasn't yet attempted a full length test scenario.

We are also going to the open day / evenings for Handsworth, Aston and Five Ways over the next half term. DS is taking the test at Five Ways so I thought it would be nice if he was vaguely familiar with it before the day of the test.

Anyone else going to the open days?

Yes, we're going to some open days - the girls schools and five ways. Dd is doing a mock next month too. Ds did a couple and said they were really helpful. They certainly helped him realise how time-pressured the exam was and they were excellent for giving him experience of an exam setting.

Time for a holiday first though - I hope the weather improves!

Hi I’m also prepping for 2018 exam , finding it all very stressful wonder if I’m doing enough then some days think we’re doing to much Could I have some recommendations on mocks please I’ve been looking at *** Advertising Censored *** and also somewhere on Hagley Road , this is my first time and I’m home tutoring so really could do with steering in the right direction with only 3 months to go

Hi Raych
We used the censored Shirley providers. They don't seem to have the best reputation on this forum - I think due to their advertising and marketing strategy- but their mocks are very well run and certainly have the same feel as the real thing. Mock results don't always reflect actual exam scores but are a good guage of where you're at in a larger cohort. I'm afraid I have no experience of any other providers. Good luck with it all.

Thanks Candel , would this be *** Advertising Censored *** I can’t find censored company in shirley can you send me some contact details for them please

Haha just realised censored is because the company has been blocked on here

We used the Shirley 11+ provider for my DS & DD. Both did the online work though year 4 & 5. In year 5 they did the master class and sat all the mocks.

We found the whole process extremely well run and professional.

Both are at Five Ways, in years 11 & 8.

My niece has also done the same as my DC and she will be starting Five Ways in September.

One of my younger DS friends brothers, currently year 5, is doing the year 5 online course and has sat a couple of mocks and will be sitting 11+ in September.

My DS 2 and his cousin will be starting the Shirley 11+ year 4 on line in September.

My advise for the Birmingham exam, based on previous couple of years, is to read and read and read. The exam is weighted towards verbal.

If you live in Warwickshire, you will need to apply through Warwickshire and ask for results to be shared with Birmingham. If you are anywhere else you will apply through Birmingham (asking for results share with warks if required.)