How it works - ISEB Common Pretest | London Consortium and Chigwell Mock Exams | Bespoke Practice

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Planet BOFA's bespoke online teaching system accelerates learning to give Pre-Test, 11-plus, London 11+ Consortium and KS2 pupils THE edge

Proud to be different, Planet BOFA tests, teaches, retests and tracks student progress, personalising each step, and boosting learning with a laser-focus on weaker areas. Marking is instant, explanations are clear, and no question is ever repeated.

A UNIQUE ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM

BOFA is a unique online learning platform, where every question comes as a triplet. An initial test is followed by bespoke teaching and practice, then a unique retest, which creates detailed subject reports to identify learning needs for each of your tutees.

BOFA uses a unique 3 stage process

In a pupil's Initial Test, they answer questions designed to test their current knowledge of a subject, across a range of topics. This is instantly marked, informing you as to how well the pupil has done.

Pupils then move on to the practice and explanation stage, being shown their incorrect answers, along with a bespoke explanation and teaching. This is followed by a similar practice question, which also comes with explanation and teaching if necessary.

After about a week, so that pupils are not just testing their short-term memory, they move on to the Retest, which uses the third question in the triplet to assess the individual's improvement. Errors made at this stage are placed into a personal report.

The most efficient use of tutoring time

BOFA then sends an email to the child's tutor, detailing how much progress has been made from the Initial Test to the Retest, and highlighting areas that pupils need to work on further. Included in this report are the questions that the pupil answered incorrectly, along with explanations and answers.

This makes it incredibly easy for private tutors to see what areas need work, allowing for the most effective use of the time they spend with the child. Tutors benefit from time saved marking and preparing for tuition sessions, and can use their valuable time to work on only the topics that really need extra work.

Learning at home as well as in the classroom

Many tutors use BOFA as a homework. They will ask the pupil to complete a test (or more) over the week, and then will work on the topics they struggled with when they see them in the next session.

Investing in their learning potential

BOFA saves time by only teaching topics that pupils need to learn, and showing you the learning needs that you can invest in during your time with the child.

This is what makes BOFA so special: the attention to detail that allows us to nurture the potential in every child.

Someday, everyone will learn the BOFA way!

Mock ISEB Common PreTest structure

The BOFA Pre-tests have been specifically requested by our Prep Schools to try to replicate the experience of the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This includes the style and functionality including the inability to see the question numbers or to pause/skip questions. The Pre-tests are done online, either in class or for homework and are at least one is used as a Mock exam. The practice and explanations can be done independently, or for those pupils with learning support in one-to-one time. The following week, pupils do similar retest questions to reassess their learning to pinpoint weaker parts of the syllabus. This allows complete differentiation.

There are 21 BOFA Pre-tests, 3 or 6 are often used by teachers to help prepare pupils for the exam and mop up areas for improvement. The remaining BOFA Pre-Tests can be used by tutors to boost learning and preparation, this also allows tutors to identify and teach the pupils to boost their Pre-Test success.

SOAR TO SUCCESS!

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The unique benefits of using Planet BOFA

Access to an unbeatable personalised learning tool that will propel your child to ISEB Common Pretest success (created by million-plus selling Bond Assessment author Andrew Baines).
Planet BOFA is as unique as every child. No test question will ever be repeated during a pupil’s education with us.
You'll be in good company. 4 million Planet BOFA tests have been done and counting...
Faster results. Marking and feedback is instant. We quickly identify where children need the most help, and then zoom-in on their potential. Planet BOFA doesn't waste time teaching topics they already know.
See happy, motivated pupils who are keen to learn. Confidence and scores sky-rocket as children feel independent managing their work, yet supported by our personalised approach. Customising the colours and text is helps too.
Flexible, inclusive teaching that fits around family life. No one gets stuck learning with Planet BOFA. Explanations are easy to digest. The tests can be paused to help manage pupil study time. And each answer will be marked and tracked whether it’s within the time limit or not. A child is guided through weaker areas until they’re ready to move on.
High-flyers are stretched and pupils with greater learning needs are encouraged to nurture their academic potential.
Feedback is at your fingertips. Emails with key information arrive at the end of each test stage, so you're always up to speed on progress. When one learning cycle is complete (after the 'retest'), you'll receive a summary email report with links to the full reports. These show the questions the pupil didn’t get right, with answers and explanations; organised into topics to help teachers and tutor focus future learning.
Hassle-free account management. We are constantly adding in new functionality to help all users access information as easily as possible. We always welcome suggestions to help us improve BOFA.

Find out how parents use Planet BOFA with our Get Started Guide

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Below are some useful video tutorials to help you get started.

Questions?

How much are the BOFA Mock Tests?
Just £55 for 3 mock tests, the more you buy, the more you save.
How much extra studying will my child need to do?
The actual exams take about 2 1/2 hours split into 4 subject tests. A pack of 3 BOFA mocks, with all the learning takes about 12 hours.
Are the BOFA Mock Tests all of the same difficulty?
Yes they are, but every pupil is different, so don't expect the same score on each mock, but you should see a steady increase as their knowledge increases.
Can I retrieve historic test data when we have finished all the tests?
All pupil data is stored ready for later analysis unless the pupil account is deleted.

Questions about the ISEB Common Pretests?

In brief, what is the ISEB Common Pretest?
The ISEB Common Pretest is a selection test used by a group of independent schools who manage their admissions process collectively in order to reduce the number of assessments sat by pupils.
What’s the big deal about the ISEB Common Pretests?
Competition is extremely high and the pupils only have one go at the exam. The format of the exam is alien to the vast majority of people; no clock, cannot skip questions, cannot go back e.t.c.
Why should children prepare for the ISEB Common Pretests?
Good question! In theory children shouldn’t need to prepare, because the ISEB Common Pretest isn’t meant to benefit anyone who has practiced. In reality it’s impossible to set an exam for which no one can prepare. In which case, the quality of the preparation makes a big difference.
How can I take the stress out of ISEB Common Pretests process?
Simply let your children do the ISEB Common Pretests mocks.