Welcome to our CEM Select pretest practice tests, which also explains the key differences between the 11 plus CEM Select and other pretest formats.
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FIND CEM SELECT section specific test practice for:
- MISSING WORDS CEM Select
- CEM Select SENTENCES
- COMPREHENSION CEM Select
- CEM Select MISSING WORDS
- RELATED WORDS CEM Select
- CEM Select ANAGRAMS
- SHUFFLED SENTENCES CEM Select
- ‘CEM Select LETTER CONNECTIONS
- SELECTED LETTERS CEM Select
- CEM Select MULTIPLE MEANINGS
- ARITHMETRIC CEM Select
- CEM Select DATA PROBLEMS
- PICTURES CEM Select
What is the 11 CEM Select exam?
The CEM Select 11+ exam:
- Covers the same subject areas (Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning) as the GL Assessment tests. They also have the same standardized pass-mark (121). However, it…
- Is divided into separately timed sections.
- Groups the Verbal Reasoning 11+ and the English 11+ tests together.
It’s therefore important that children learn how to manage their time correctly as it’s not possible to return to sections once completed.
CEM 11 Plus Key facts
The CEM 11 Plus consists of these six 11 plus papers: Comprehension; Literacy; Verbal Reasoning; Numeracy; Numerical Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
- Firstly, each consists of two papers; divided into separately timed sections.
- The mixed paper format combines two of these into one test. Thus, the CEM English and the CEM verbal reasoning tests are combined. Secondly, the CEM maths test and the CEM non-verbal reasoning test are combined.
- CEM 11 plus timings are given per section.
- Never leave a question blank.
- Try to eliminate one or two answer options even if you don’t know the actual correct answer. When you guess it’s better to have a 1 in 3 than a 1 in 4 or a 1 in 5 chance.
CEM 11 plus query?
Ask ROB, our resident 13+ test design expert , your questions by emailing passedpapers@gmail.com
An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Rob Williams is a Chartered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working and designing tests. Rob has worked for all three of the main school entrance test publishers: GL Assessment; ISEB, Hodder Education and CEM Select.
Top 11 plus tips
- You can skip questions and come back to them later. However, in reality, since the test is so time pressured, it’s unlikely they will have time to come back to any 11+ question.
- There is no negative 11+ CEM Select marking. Make an intelligent guess for the most challenging, 11+ time- consuming 11 plus questions for you. DO NOT skip it. There’s no downside to this approach and significant potential upside in terms of extra marks gained.
- DO NOT spend too long on ANY 11+ question. This is especially important if your child is a perfectionist and wants to work through every question.
- Even if they know they can get to the correct answer, ask yourself, Will this 11+ approach take too long? So it really is better to make an intelligent guess and move on as the opportunity cost is too great.
- 11 plus questions don’t get harder as you progress through the test so picking up one mark but taking two minutes to do so is an ill advised approach. The 11+ test-taker miss out on many more marks on much easier 11+ questions.
We also recommend aiming for 60-70%+ in each of the CEM Select modules. This will ensure that you are aiming for a ‘safe CEM Select pass’.
That said, the key point is to focus on gaining exposure to as many of the different types of CEM Select verbal reasoning, CEM Select maths and CEM Select non-verbal reasoning questions as possible.
Key CEM Select exam differences from other 11 plus exams
- CEM Select is extremely time pressured. For example, the Pictures section could have 25 questions to answer in 7 minutes. This is just 16.8 seconds per question! Once your child understands this, they can approach the test with confidence and won’t get stressed out if they run out of time.
- The CEM Select is not an adaptive test. Since the test is so time pressured, it’s unlikely they will have time to come back to questions.
- Therefore, since there is no negative marking, we recommend advising your child to make an intelligent guess for every question rather than skipping it. There’s no downside to this approach and significant potential upside in terms of extra marks gained.
- The key to doing well in CEM Select is to pick up as many marks as possible.
- Even if they know they can get to the correct answer. If it’s going to take too long, it’s better to make an intelligent guess and move on as the opportunity cost is too great.