"Victoria, you predicted every single question that came up in the interview! How did you do it?"

That was one of the comments that came up repeatedly after my students sat their interviews.

Parents from across the country were gobsmacked that my team and I were able to predict the exact questions that came up in even the most competitive of schools.

The reality is that because of the incessant competition levels and scarcity of spaces at top schools, tutors and students need to be one step ahead when it comes to knowing how to prepare for the 11+ interview.

To help your child, we're sharing some of our best tips right here.

So, buckle up and take notes!

#1:

Never "over coach" your child or teach them robotic answers to questions.

Teachers and admissions tutors at the leading private (independent) schools want to see that your child is a genuine person with interesting ideas and unique qualities.

They want to award places to the brightest pupils, not the most robotic ones.

It's therefore essential that you encourage your child to answer questions in a natural way so that they don't come across as being overly rehearsed.

#2.

Smile.

Yes, it's a simple one but teachers at some of the best schools want to attract friendly and approachable students so it's vital that your child does the basics and smiling is one of them.

Encourage your child to smile when greeting any member of staff. It creates an instantly positive first impression and eases the atmosphere in even the most tense of interviews.

#3.

Answer honestly.

This leads back to the idea of being robotic. Students who give dishonest answers are quickly caught out because teachers/admissions tutors/Head Teachers will often delve deep when answering questions and they'll easily detect the real from the fake.

For instance, if a student is asked about their favourite hobby and they give a dishonest answer. There's a likelihood that the teacher will probe for more details on that area of interest.

It's therefore essential that your child answers questions in a confident and candid way so that they don't come across as being disingenuous.