Top tips for the Medway 11+

1. Read the questions properly

‘The maths paper in Medway consists mostly of problem-solving tasks, rather than straightforward arithmetic, so it’s important to read each question carefully to make sure you’re doing what is asked,’ says Anita. ‘Most of the questions will be equivalent to National Curriculum Level 5 (an above average level for children at the end of Year 6), with a few of Level 4 and Level 6 standard.’

1. Use the examples

‘Verbal reasoning (VR) is based on logic, so even if you’ve never seen a particular question type before, you should be able to use the example provided to work out what you’re being asked to do,’ says Anita.
 

2. Do the simplest questions first

‘Some VR questions are very quick and easy – such as underlining two words that mean the same thing – whereas others are more complicated, for example requiring you to work out a code,’ Anita explains. ‘Even adults will need more time to solve a long-winded problem, so do the quick ones first and leave the more involved ones until the end.’
 

3. Build up your speed

‘Practice is essential for the VR paper as you have to work very quickly,’ Anita says. ‘By practising, you’ll get an idea of how much time you can devote to each question, so that on the day, you’ll know when a question is taking a bit too long and therefore you should move onto the next one.’
 

4. Don’t be overconfident

‘Some children are lulled into a false sense of security by the easier sections, don’t look carefully at the questions, and so make unnecessary mistakes,’ explains Anita. ‘For example, you might be asked to underline two answers, but only do one. Try not to assume something is easier than it is.’

1. Produce the right type of writing

‘The Medway English paper asks you to produce a particular type of writing, which could be a leaflet, letter, newspaper account, review, story, play script or diary entry,’ Anita says. ‘You won’t know what you have to do until you see the paper, so make sure you read it carefully: if you’re asked to write a review and you produce a story, you’ll get zero marks.’
 

2. Use your planning time

‘The paper includes 10 minutes’ planning time, so use it. Many children waste this time coming up with a vague idea, rather than a detailed plan of what they’re going to write. This is a skill you can learn through tutoring or practising at home.’
 

3. Write neatly

‘First impressions count, so make sure your writing is legible,’ says Anita. ‘If you can, use a joined-up script, but if you find this hard, it’s better to use un-joined handwriting that can be read easily.’
 

4. Don’t be too ambitious

‘Although the examiners are looking for original and interesting ideas, they also want to see good structure, a variety of punctuation, use of complex sentences and a range of vocabulary,’ Anita concludes. ‘Don’t compromise these skills by thinking of such an off-the-wall idea that you don’t get anything done.’