Step 1: Spot the "Why" Behind the Mistake
After each test, quiz, or workbook page, go through the answers with your child. Make sure you praise all the correct answers, and for each wrong answer, ask your child why they think they got the answer wrong.
It’s really important not to make your questioning sound in any way critical or judgemental – your aim is to encourage them to be as honest as possible:
It’s really important not to make your questioning sound in any way critical or judgemental – your aim is to encourage them to be as honest as possible:
• Did they make the mistake because of a lack of knowledge? For example, maybe they had forgotten how to calculate the perimeter of a shape, or they didn't know exactly how to use speech marks, or they weren't sure how to tackle a specific type of code question.
• Was it poor technique? Were they rushing because they'd already spent too long on a particularly tough question, or maybe they forgot to refer back to the passage in a comprehension? Did they misread a question, or maybe they didn’t write down their workings? Maybe it was simply a lapse of concentration.
The key here is curiosity, not criticism.
Can we get away with another mantra here?
Mistakes are clues, not crimes.
Step 2: Record It in a Spot / Fix / Improve Chart
Create a simple chart for your child to fill in after each practice session. Here's one we prepared earlier:
If you'd like to download our chart, simply click here.
Encourage honesty in filling it out. If they admit, “I rushed” or, “I didn’t read it properly,” praise them - that honesty and insight is where the real learning happens.
Mantra alert!
You can’t fix what you don’t face.
Step 3: Act on It
Once you’ve identified the reasons:
• If it’s a knowledge gap, encourage your child to go to that topic in the Club 11 Plus lessons or quizzes, and practise it until they’re confident.
• If it’s a technique issue, work on that skill with timed drills, checkpoints, or even gentle reminders written on a sticky note. Simply identifying the issue is often a massive step towards fixing it.
We can feel yet another mantra coming on.......
Practising doing something the wrong way just makes you better at doing it wrong.
Why This Matters Beyond the 11 Plus
Learning to analyse mistakes is a superpower. It teaches children to take responsibility without fear, to find solutions, and to turn setbacks into successes.
Whether it’s in schoolwork, sports, or life in general, the mindset of spot – fix – improve will help them far beyond this exam.
Whether it’s in schoolwork, sports, or life in general, the mindset of spot – fix – improve will help them far beyond this exam.
So in these last few weeks, don’t just measure your child’s progress by scores - measure it by how much better they’re getting at fixing what went wrong. Because every time they do that, they’re turning mistakes into marks - and that’s the real win.
Can you cope with just one last mantra?
Can you cope with just one last mantra?
Mistakes in practice mean marks in the real thing!
Take advantage of our 7-day free trial today, to find out how Club 11 Plus can help your child prepare for 11 Plus test success.