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 the process with formative learning that fast-tracks success.

A UNIQUE ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM

BOFA is a unique online learning platform, where every question comes as a triplet. The initial test is followed by bespoke teaching and practice, then a unique retest, which creates detailed subject reports to identify learning needs for both individuals and groups.

BOFA uses a unique 3 stage process

In a pupil's Initial Test, pupils answer questions designed to test their current knowledge across a selection of topics. This is instantly marked, informing both you, the pupil and, if you wish, the parent by email.

The pupil then moves on to the practice & explanation stage, only being shown their wrong answers with bespoke explanation and teaching. This is followed by a similar practice question which also comes with explanations and teaching if necessary.

After about a week, so that the pupil is not just testing their short-term memory, pupils move on to the Retest, which contains the final question in the triplet. The errors at this stage are placed into the pupil reports.

Detailed reports and exportable subject information

BOFA then emails the tutor and parents, detailing how much progress the pupil has made from initial test to retest. The Report is then generated on the individual pupil's tests page. This report includes the questions that they answered incorrectly during the retest, with corresponding answers and explanations sorted by topic. Tutors and centre managers can export subject report spreadsheets to compare learning needs across cohort.

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.

Personalised and efficient learning

Filter the teaching that takes place to be more personalised and efficient by using BOFA as a net to identify topics that pupils are already confident in. BOFA will show you exactly where learning needs are not being met. Many tutoring centres group pupils after they have used BOFA, in order to focus on different topics based on the areas BOFA has flagged as needing further work.

Due to the nature of BOFA, an entire tuition class does not need to be present to complete an exercise, as pupils can easily catch up on missed work, as the tests can be done at any time.

BOFA saves time with an incredible eye for detail

Planet BOFA saves time by only teaching topics that pupils need to learn; pupils enjoy the independent learning with regular praise. 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.

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!

Curriculum and Syllabus

The BOFA Pre-Tests try to cover the curriculum and syllabus specified by the ISEB as closely as possible. We update the content after receiving and checking the accuracy of any updates available in order to supply the best resource BOFA can supply to your pupils.

Tutor centres receive outstanding discounts too. Just register to check out your subscription cost on our Shop page.

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.