Well done to all the young people who have finally started with their 13+ Common Entrance exams. The long awaited week (or so) of reckoning is now here and it’s time to show off!
Tough to kick off with Mental Maths Common Entrance, but wonderful once it’s out of the way. Some of you will have found the language side of things more irksome this week with Common Entrance French listening and speaking exams taking centre stage. French listening might have felt doable as, like all comprehension papers, there is at least material there to hear and to respond to; no need to create one’s own. Conversely, the oral is something else! There is a great deal to prepare beforehand and the learning seems both endless and impossible. Some of the Prep School Tutor tutees went for bullet points to summarise the paragraphs and then, as they became more confident, committed the bullet points to memory. Others went for a more visual approach with picture cards to summarise the Common entrance presentations. Learning and relearning is no easy task. Then, the final stage is committing each detail to memory and feeling confident that you will perform perfectly when it counts.
A great many parents, siblings, private tutors and friends are needed for all those runs through out loud. Indeed, some students happily chatted to their pets, in front of a mirror or to a favourite teddy bear. Whatever works!
There is a great deal riding on Common Entrance Exams and keeping a level head is part of the challenge. The count down is on now to that first week of June so, we have a few
Common Entrance top tips
Common Entrance final stages:
Be sure to encourage your child to..
1. Make a revision timetable for half term. Book in any extra private tuition quickly as the tutors are almost at capacity!
2. Ensure a quiet working environment without distractions.
3. Find a method of learning that definitely works (notes, bullet points, mind mapping, a mixture of all these).
4. Double-check the exam specifications.
5. Look for online resources for constructive revision or some light relief through a different medium.
6. Tackle the weakest areas FIRST!
7. Refuel with the healthy stuff (fruit and veg) and the motivational stuff (cookies?).
8. Take a short break at least once every hour. It is much more effective to do an intense burst of 40 minutes than to plough on for hours eyes half shut.
9. Exercise! Fresh air is great for reenergising!
10. Sleep! Consider some wind down activity to ensure a good night’s sleep. This could be particularly important during exam week.
Good luck to one and all from all at Prep School Tutor.