In a pure multiple choice exam, checking means going back and reconsidering your chosen options. That is useful, but limited. In the FSCE, checking is far more powerful because many of your answers are written. This means you can:
These small fixes can add up to several extra marks — and in a competitive exam like the 11+, every mark counts. Many students think checking is boring or unnecessary. They finish the paper, put their pen down, and wait. This is a wasted opportunity.
When you reach the checking phase, go through the following steps in order:
Step 1: Scan for Blanks (30 seconds) Flip through the entire paper quickly. Have you answered every question? Are there any blank spaces where you meant to come back? If you find a blank, write SOMETHING — even a brief answer is better than nothing.
Step 2: Check Your Maths (1-2 minutes) Go back to any maths or numerical questions. Check:
Step 3: Re-read Comprehension Answers (1-2 minutes) For any comprehension or text-based questions:
Step 4: Polish Your Creative Writing (1-2 minutes) Read through your creative writing and check:
Step 5: Final Scan (30 seconds) One last look through the paper. Check that your name is on every page (if required). Make sure your answers are clearly written in the right spaces.
flowchart TD
A["Finish the Paper"] --> B["Step 1: Scan for Blanks"]
B --> C["Fill in any missed questions"]
C --> D["Step 2: Check Maths"]
D --> E["Re-do key calculations"]
E --> F["Check units and reasonableness"]
F --> G["Step 3: Re-read Comprehension"]
G --> H["Does it answer the question?"]
H --> I["Is evidence included?"]
I --> J["Step 4: Polish Creative Writing"]
J --> K["Fix spelling and punctuation"]
K --> L["Ensure piece has an ending"]
L --> M["Step 5: Final Scan"]
M --> N["Name on paper? All answers visible?"]
During the exam: A student completes the paper but during the 3-pass strategy, she marked question 14 with a dot to come back to. In the rush, she forgot.
During checking: She flips through the paper and spots the blank space at question 14. She has 2 minutes left — enough to write a brief answer that earns 2 out of 3 marks.
Without checking: She would have received 0 marks for question 14.
During the exam: A student calculates 15% of 240. "10% of 240 = 24. 5% of 240 = 10. So 15% = 34."
Wait — 5% of 240 is not 10. Let us check:
During checking: The student re-does the calculation and catches the error, changing 34 to 36.
Without checking: The student would have lost the marks despite knowing the correct method.
During the exam: The student writes, "The whether was beautiful." She meant "weather" but wrote "whether" — a different word entirely that a spell-check would not catch.
During checking: She reads her creative writing carefully and spots the error. She neatly crosses out "whether" and writes "weather" above it.
Without checking: The examiner might be confused or the student might lose marks for technical accuracy.
During the exam: A comprehension question asks, "How does the writer show that the character is nervous? Use evidence from the text."
The student writes: "The writer shows the character is nervous by describing how she fidgets and cannot sit still."
During checking: The student re-reads her answer and realises she has not included a specific quotation. She adds: "— for example, 'her fingers drummed on the table like rain on a windowpane.'"
Without checking: She would have lost marks for not including the required evidence.
During the exam: The student is writing a story. With 3 minutes left before the checking phase, her story is in the middle of a scene. She has not written an ending.
During checking: She writes two quick sentences to wrap up the story: "Maya closed the letter and placed it in her pocket. She did not know what would happen next, but for the first time in months, she felt ready." Not the most elaborate ending, but it gives the piece closure.
Without checking: The story would have no ending — a significant penalty.
During the exam: The student accidentally writes the answer to question 7 in the space for question 8 on the answer sheet.
During checking: During the final scan, she notices that the answer for question 7 is blank and question 8's space has an answer that does not match. She draws an arrow and writes "This is my answer to Q7" with a note to the examiner.
Without checking: Two questions would be marked as wrong.
Without checking:
With 5 minutes of checking:
In a competitive 11+ exam, 6 marks can be the difference between passing and not passing.
In a multiple choice-only exam, checking means re-considering your options. That is useful but limited because you might just second-guess yourself.
In the FSCE, checking is far more powerful because:
| Feature | Multiple Choice Only | FSCE (Mixed Format) |
|---|---|---|
| Can fix spelling errors? | No | Yes |
| Can add missing evidence? | No | Yes |
| Can improve descriptions? | No | Yes |
| Can add an ending? | No | Yes |
| Can show extra working? | No | Yes |
| Can catch missed questions? | Yes | Yes |
In other words, the FSCE format gives you MORE opportunities to gain marks through checking. Not checking is throwing away marks.
At home, when you do practice papers, follow this process:
Most students find that checking adds 3-8 marks to their score. Over time, you will also find that you make fewer careless errors in the first place because the habit of checking makes you more careful throughout.
| Mistake | Why It's a Problem | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Not leaving time to check | You cannot check if you have used all the time writing | Plan checking time into your time allocation |
| Checking in random order | You might miss something important | Use the structured checklist (blanks, maths, comprehension, creative writing, final scan) |
| Re-reading everything from start to finish | This takes too long and you might not finish | Focus on areas where errors are most likely |
| Changing multiple choice answers without reason | Your first instinct is usually right | Only change MC answers if you have a specific reason |
| Not checking creative writing | Spelling and punctuation errors cost marks | Always read through your creative writing |
| Thinking "my answer is fine" without re-reading | You cannot spot errors without looking for them | Force yourself to re-read, even when you feel confident |
Tip 1: Train yourself to leave 5 minutes at the end of every practice paper for checking. At first, this will feel like wasted time. After a few practices, you will see how many marks it saves.
Tip 2: When checking maths, do not just look at your answer — actually re-do the calculation. Looking at a wrong answer often makes your brain think it looks right. Re-doing the calculation catches errors that looking does not.
Tip 3: For creative writing, reading your work backwards (last sentence first, then second-to-last, etc.) is an excellent way to spot spelling and punctuation errors. When you read forwards, your brain fills in what it expects to see. Reading backwards forces you to look at each sentence individually.
Tip 4: If you spot an error while checking, do not panic. Neatly cross out the wrong answer with a single line and write the correct answer clearly. Examiners are used to seeing corrections and will not penalise you for neatness as long as your final answer is clear.
Tip 5: The most valuable check you can do is looking for blank answers. Finding and answering a missed question is worth far more than polishing an answer you have already written.
flowchart LR
A["5 Minutes of Checking"] --> B["Find missed questions: +2-3 marks"]
A --> C["Fix maths errors: +1-2 marks"]
A --> D["Add evidence: +1 mark"]
A --> E["Fix spelling: +1 mark"]
A --> F["Add ending: +1-2 marks"]
B --> G["Total: +3-8 marks"]
C --> G
D --> G
E --> G
F --> G
G --> H["Could be the difference between pass and fail"]
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Checking | Reviewing your answers before the end of the exam to find and fix errors |
| Careless error | A mistake made through rushing or inattention, not through lack of knowledge |
| Scan | A quick look through the paper to spot obvious problems |
| Polish | Making small improvements to your writing (word choice, punctuation, etc.) |
| Correction | A change you make to fix an error in your original answer |
Checking your work is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your exam score. In the FSCE, where many answers are written rather than multiple choice, checking is especially powerful because you can fix spelling, add evidence, improve descriptions, and complete unfinished answers. Use a structured approach: scan for blanks first, check maths, re-read comprehension answers, polish creative writing, and do a final scan. Practise checking at home and track how many marks it saves — most students gain 3-8 marks, which can be the difference between passing and not passing the 11+.
This content is designed for FSCE 11+ preparation.