Be Prepared
As your child will be unable to enter the exam hall if they are late, you must have measures in
place to ensure that this doesn’t happen. You also want to avoid rushing, as this can create an
environment of stress and panic, not a good combination before an exam. Measures may
include ensuring that you have enough petrol in the car the day before, backup transportation
and, as the test starts early Saturday morning, backup alarms. Ensure all clothing is laid out the
evening before and have the table set for breakfast, as all these little steps will save time and
help create a relaxed environment on the morning of the test.
Studying the Day Before the Test
I would refrain from endless hours of studying as this may have a detrimental impact on exam
performance. Too much cramming can result in panic and confusion; therefore, a light and
focused approach is better. Spend this time focusing on key terms such as a pronoun,
conjunctions, prepositions, etc. or write sentences with a punctuation focus (such as
apostrophes). Once again, don’t overdo it; I suggest writing three sentences, one with an
apostrophe used correctly, one where it is misused and one where the apostrophe is missing
and discuss the three. Keep it simple, and avoid using endless worksheets or practice tests.
Regarding maths, I recommend quizzing the key terms such as the mean or range, angles in
triangles and quadrilaterals, Length conversion (Km,m, cm, mm), Mass/Weight (kg,g), Capacity
(L, mL), or types of numbers (square, cube, triangular, prime) etc.
Discuss exam techniques
Chat with your child regarding exam techniques, including highlighting or circling keywords.
They may wish to highlight words that they don’t know or indeed stand out in the comprehension
and also keywords in the question. My pupils find this particularly useful as it helps simplify what
the question is asking and also what keywords to skim back and find. It is also a good idea to
circle key information in the maths section, such as in a sales question, it may ask how much
they spent or saved (two different answers). Also, circle any keywords throughout the test,
including true/false or units of measure.
Please remind your child that it is likely they will face a question that they find difficult, but there
will be lots of other questions that they will find easier. With tricky questions, don’t spend more
than two/three minutes; take an educated guess, put a star beside it and move on. Come back
to that question at the end if time allows it. Please remind them to take as much care on
questions they find easier, as they mustn’t become complacent and make silly mistakes.
The Morning of the Test
Present a calm and relaxed front (even though you probably feel the opposite!) Children feed off
energy, and they are in a better position to enter an exam hall as relaxed as possible. It is usual
for children to have some nerves on the morning of the exam, but these nerves will leave once
they get into the school and settle in.
If you plan to have a motivational talk, prayers, and good luck messages, do them in the car
before you get out. In previous years, children have been met by invigilators and taken to the
school before the parents had an opportunity for the final messages. You may also want to get
your main message said in the car and a quick hug at the doors. It is also a good idea to have a
little treat planned with your child after the exam; this is something to work towards and helps
take the pressure off.
Good Luck!
The children have worked so hard over the past year, and their efforts deserve to be celebrated
no matter the outcome. One of the key benefits of the Transfer Test journey is that it helps instil
a hard work ethic. Regardless of what the children do in their lives, if they work hard, they will
succeed. The vast amount of new knowledge they have absorbed over the past year will stand
by them wherever the journey takes them next.
I wish all the boys and girls good luck for the upcoming tests. It has been an absolute privilege
helping and getting to know all the children I have helped over the past year. Keep doing what
you have been doing, and remember that you can do it!
ESH P6 Transfer Test Spaces Are Now Full
Unfortunately, I am fully booked for P6 & P7 Transfer Test spaces. However, a limited amount of
P6 spaces will become available when this year’s test finishes at the end of November. I am
currently meeting with parents/carers and children for assessments and to reserve their space
for classes in December/January. Contact me today to unlock your child’s potential!