From practice to success: Our journey to passing the Kent Test (11+) with Atom

An interview with Peter

Why did you choose Atom Home to prepare for the 11+?

I was introduced to Atom by my oldest daughter’s school in 2021. We found Atom School very useful, so I subscribed to a parent account with Atom Home and found it really good. I got it for my first daughter and continued using it with Alice.

How was your overall experience using Atom Home?

I was impressed by two major features. The first was the learning islands. You can learn some subjects, move on to the next, and then, after a whole series, be upgraded to a higher level. My daughter found it very interesting, and she loved to collect the coins; it was really rewarding.

During the process, I also realised that Atom records your weaknesses. If there is anything you need to improve on or topics you’re not familiar with, you can continue to work on them more in the future. Atom adapted to what my daughter needed and she benefited a lot from that.

The other feature was the mock exams. The timing, structure and difficulty level are very similar. We did mock exams before the actual exam and the results were almost the same, only a few marks different. It’s very accurate to predict what you’re going to achieve in the real exam, so I was really impressed with the mock exam feature.

Why did Atom Home work for you as a family?

Both my wife and I work, so we didn’t have that much time to study with our daughters. We also weren’t keen on getting them tutors. I think it adds more pressure. Children study at school, they come home and have to do their homework and then, on top of that, they have to study for an exam. We didn’t want them to be doing tutoring as well, just to get ready for an exam.

That’s why Atom Home worked well. They could practice for half an hour or so every day and didn’t feel any pressure while they were studying—they actually had fun doing it. We started in January and they used Atom for about 8-9 months but that was enough for them to familiarise themselves with all the subjects and the exams.

How did your daughter navigate the creative writing part of the Kent Test?

Because they only needed to spend half an hour or so on Atom, they had more time to focus on writing. They are book lovers and like writing, so they were already well-equipped with creative writing. However, using Atom meant that we saved a huge amount of time. We didn’t have to spend hours driving back and forth to a tutor's home. Instead, they could spend their time wisely and had extra time at home to practise, study or read.

What advice would you give to other families preparing for the 11 plus?

My advice would be to practise every day. You don’t have to spend one or two hours a day; 30 minutes is enough. Maybe not on Saturday and Sunday, but from Monday to Friday, make sure you have some time to spend on different subjects.

I would also suggest making the most out of the mock exams. There is a huge difference between completing an exam at home in a relaxed environment and the actual day. At home, they can finish all the questions easily but, when they have time constraints, it’s different. Usually, my daughter can answer math questions in around 30 seconds but during the mock exams, sometimes she would get stuck and panic. Practising helped her get used to an exam environment. So, make the most out of the mock exams!

Was there anything you learnt the first time you prepared for the 11+ that you wish you’d known at the start?

Yes, we learnt a lot of lessons from our first daughter. When we first arrived in England, the 11 plus exam was eight months away and we knew nothing—we weren’t even sure what was the best school. So, when we were introduced to Atom, I was so grateful. I found the mock exams so interesting and decided that my daughter should start them immediately before going through the learning islands. She found it difficult and we doubted if we were using it correctly.

But, we quickly learnt from our mistakes. We went back, and she worked through the learning islands. Then, about two months before the exam, we started to do mock exams again and she was getting much better marks.

I’d definitely recommend going through all the basics first and making time to go through the learning islands. Don’t jump into mock exams straight away, make sure to practice first. Get your daughter or son familiar with the concepts and build their confidence first. Then, start the mock exams two to three months before the actual exams. If you start the mock exams too early, it will impact your child’s confidence. Start from the beginning and work your way up to the mock exams.