A mock paper lands on the table with a big number at the top. The parent knows it. The tutor knows it. Should the child know it too?
There is no rule that every 10- or 11-year-old must receive every percentage. Scores can be useful feedback, but they can also become a label. The right approach depends on the child's temperament, stage of preparation and what you want the result to achieve.
What a score can do well
A score gives a simple measure of performance on that paper. Over time, it can help a child notice improvement: “I finished more questions”, “my maths has gone up”, or “I made fewer vocabulary mistakes”.
For some children, that is motivating. They enjoy tracking progress and treat the number like a game statistic rather than a judgement.
When scores become unhelpful
Other children hear “68%” as “I am bad at this”. They may compare themselves with friends, panic after a low result or rush future papers because they are chasing a target number.
If a child becomes preoccupied with whether each result is “a pass”, the score is no longer doing its job. A mock is practice, not an admissions decision.
Share the information that helps the next session
You do not have to hide results. You can change how they are framed.
If the lost marks cluster in one topic, a short set of questions on that topic is a more useful response than another full paper. Find free worksheets by topic and tier
Instead of: “You got 71%; you need to get that higher.”
Try: “You finished the whole maths section this time, and four of the six lost marks came from fractions. That tells us exactly what to practise.”
The second conversation turns the result into a plan.
Consider age and stage
Early in Year 4 or Year 5, skill-level feedback may matter more than percentages. Later, when timed mocks are part of exam rehearsal, it can be useful for the child to understand how accuracy and completion are changing.
Even then, avoid making a single mock score a forecast. Paper difficulty varies, and real admissions scores may be standardised or affected by local rules.
Agree a family rule
Consistency reduces drama. You might decide that the child sees the overall score but the family discusses only two strengths and two next steps. Or you may track detailed percentages privately while the child sees a simple progress chart by subject.
Avoid changing the emotional tone depending on whether the number is high or low. If 85% earns celebration and 63% produces a tense evening, the child quickly learns that the score controls the room.
Teach the child to review, not react
A useful post-mock routine is:
1. Circle three questions you are pleased with.
2. Find three mistakes worth learning from.
3. Label each error: did not know, misread, or ran out of time.
4. Choose one target for the next week.
That gives the child some ownership of the result without making them responsible for admissions strategy.
Use mocks as evidence, not verdicts
EduArchives mock papers can help you track subject patterns and timing under realistic conditions. The important part is what happens after the score appears.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tell my child the target score for a grammar school?
Be cautious. Real qualifying and allocation rules vary, and practice percentages do not map neatly onto standardised results. If you discuss targets, explain that they are guides rather than guarantees.
What if my child asks directly whether they “passed” the mock?
You can say that a practice paper is not a real pass-or-fail event. Explain what the result showed about strengths, timing and next steps.
Should tutors share every score with parents?
Parents should receive enough information to understand progress, but useful reporting should include skills, timing and repeated errors rather than only a headline percentage.