Marking an 11+ paper is simple, because the answers come with it. The part that actually earns marks is making your child use a separate answer sheet, every time.
Marking is the easy part
Practice books and online material supply answers, and because the test is entirely multiple choice there is no judgement involved. An answer is right or it is not.
So do not overthink the marking. Mark it the same day, while the thinking is fresh, and spend your effort on the two things below instead.
Always use a separate answer sheet
On the day, your child reads from a question booklet and records answers on a separate sheet, which is the only thing marked. Working in the booklet earns nothing.
That is a physical skill, and it is the one families skip. If a child only ever circles answers in a workbook, the first time they meet a separate sheet is in the exam room.
So set practice up properly:
- Questions in one place, answers in another. Print a blank answer grid if the material does not supply one.
- Mark with a single line through the box, as the real sheet requires.
- Check the number matches every few questions. A child who slips a row loses everything after it.
- Work by hand on paper even when the questions are on a screen.
See our guide to exam day for exactly what the sheet looks like.
| At home, do this | Because on the day |
|---|---|
| Answer on a separate sheet | Only the answer sheet is marked |
| Mark with a single line through the box | That is what the real sheet asks for |
| Check the question number every few answers | A slipped row loses everything after it |
| Keep an eraser in the pencil case | Changed answers must be rubbed out |
| Do the working by hand, on paper | It is a paper test, and no scrap paper is allowed |
Rub out, never cross out
This one is worth drilling until it is automatic, because it is counter to everything a child does at school.
The answer sheet is marked by computer. the partnership's familiarisation guide states that a changed answer must be rubbed out as completely as possible, and that you must not cross out, because the computer cannot read a crossed-out answer.
A child who crosses out, as they would in any exercise book, loses a mark they had already earned. Put an eraser in the pencil case for every practice session and insist on it.
What to do with the mistakes
The score is the least useful thing on a marked paper. The mistakes are where the value is.
- Sort them. Did not know it, misread it, or ran out of time? Three different problems with three different fixes.
- Redo the ones they could have got, there and then, untimed.
- Write the topic down for anything they did not know. That list is next week's teaching.
- Ignore the total unless you are comparing like with like.
- Revisit the same mistakes a fortnight later. If they recur, it was never corrected.
A paper that is marked but not reviewed teaches a child to repeat their mistakes confidently, which is worse than not doing it. See our guide to how many papers to do.
See where your child stands today
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Get them handling the answer sheet early
In terms of marking a practice paper, it is very simple. Most books and materials have the answers, and because it is multiple choice there is nothing to interpret.
The main thing is this: ideally, if students are not doing a handwritten test, they should have the answer sheet beside them. They read the question from the question book, and they answer on the answer sheet with a single line. The whole school test format is multiple choice, entirely.
So they just need to get the hang of answering by multiple choice. And if they are making a mistake they need to know exactly what to do, which is rubbing it out and then redoing it. There has to be enough practice of that so it is not strange to them when they walk into the test.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
How should I mark an 11+ practice paper?
Simply, and the same day. The test is entirely multiple choice and the answers come with the material, so there is no judgement involved. The effort belongs in using a separate answer sheet and in reviewing the mistakes afterwards.
Should my child use a separate answer sheet at home?
Yes, every time. On the day your child reads from a question booklet and records answers on a separate sheet which is the only thing marked. A child who only ever circles answers in a workbook meets that format for the first time in the exam room.
Should mistakes be crossed out or rubbed out?
Rubbed out, as completely as possible. The answer sheet is marked by computer and a crossed-out answer cannot be read, so a child who crosses out as they would at school loses a mark they had already earned.
What should I do with the mistakes on a practice paper?
Sort them into did not know it, misread it, and ran out of time, because those are three different problems. Redo the ones they could have got, write down the topics they did not know, and revisit the same mistakes a fortnight later.
Does the score on a practice paper matter?
Much less than the mistakes. Scores are only comparable between papers of similar difficulty, and a paper that is marked but not reviewed teaches a child to repeat errors confidently, which is worse than not doing it at all.