Better Tuition can answer all your entrance exam questions.
This post aims to give an overview of Trafford’s entrance exam system and give an idea of what you should be doing now if you are the parent of a Year 5 child.
There are seven grammar schools in Trafford: four of them are single-sex, so the maximum number of schools your child can enter for is five. The exams take place on a Saturday morning at each school in turn and we recommend that you enter for more than one, to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Exam dates will be on our website closer to the time, but all the exams take place in September and October of Year 6.
Pass rates are low – often around 25% – so be realistic. Your child will need to be performing at a level well above average to stand a good chance of passing. The exams are not only a test of intelligence but also maturity: only a very mature ten year-old can sit a three hour exam in an unfamiliar environment.
Each school has different requirements (you can find them here) but the four main areas of study to focus on are maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Your child will need to achieve around a Level 5 in maths and English and a very high standard in Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. I will go into this in more detail in my next blog post.
We recommend that you start preparing for the entrance exams at the beginning of Year 5. You can book a FREE assessment at our professionally equipped tuition centre and let us help you through this challenging time. We won’t be able to tell you whether your child will definitely pass the entrance exams, but we will carry out a professional and honest assessment.
As for resources, you will need a pack of GL Assessment practice papers, but don’t start using these before January, and even then you should only attempt a page or two per week: these exams are very tough and you don’t want to scare your child! If your child eventually achieves a steady 80%+ on these papers, s/he has a good chance of passing for grammar school.
Part two will cover the four possible exam papers in more detail; in the meantime, take a look at our useful links section for activities which aim to target the main areas.
If you would like to book a FREE assessment with a view to signing up for entrance exam tuition, please call us on 0161 748 3912 or contact us via email.
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