11+ Exam Preparation: A Guide for Parents

October 2026  ·  11 min read

If your child is in Year 4 or Year 5 and the 11+ has started coming up at the school gate, it is easy to feel you are already behind. You are almost certainly not. The 11+ rewards steady, well-aimed practice far more than early pressure, and most of what your child needs is strong primary-school English and maths plus familiarity with the question styles.

This guide explains what the 11+ is, how GL-style and CEM-style papers differ, what the four areas test, when to start, and a Year 4 to Year 6 timeline, plus how to keep the whole process calm.

What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ (eleven-plus) is an entrance test used by selective state grammar schools in parts of England, and by many independent schools, to decide which children are offered a place in Year 7. It takes its name from the age at which children sit it: the start of Year 6, when most are 10 or just turned 11.

There is no single national 11+. Grammar schools exist only in certain local authorities, such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Trafford, and in pockets elsewhere. Each area or consortium of schools decides its own test, its own dates and its own qualifying score. Northern Ireland runs its own transfer test, and independent schools often set their own papers or use an online pre-test with an interview.

For state grammar schools, the usual pattern in England is:

• Registration in the spring or summer term of Year 5. This is separate from your normal secondary school application, and missing the deadline usually means your child cannot sit the test.
• The test itself in September of Year 6, often in the first few weeks of term.
• Results in October, before the national deadline for secondary school applications on 31 October, so you can decide whether to put a grammar school on your form.

Scores are normally age-standardised, which means your child's raw mark is adjusted for their age in months. A child born in August is not penalised for being nearly a year younger than a September-born classmate. Always check your area's admissions pages for current dates and rules, because they change from year to year.

What is the difference between GL and CEM 11+ papers?

• GL Assessment produces the tests used in many grammar school areas. GL-style papers tend to test the four areas in a fairly recognisable way, with established verbal reasoning question types that can be learned and practised.
• CEM (originally from Durham University) produced tests designed to be harder to "tutor for". CEM-style papers tend to mix subjects within a paper, lean heavily on vocabulary and reading comprehension, and vary their question styles more.

The landscape keeps shifting. Several areas have changed provider in recent years, some consortia now write their own bespoke tests, and the answer format (multiple choice on a separate answer sheet or standard written answers) differs from place to place. So treat "GL" and "CEM" as useful labels for practice material, not a guarantee of what your child will see. Check your local test: your council or the grammar schools' admissions pages will say who sets the test, which areas it covers and whether familiarisation materials are published.

What subjects are in the 11+?

Most 11+ tests draw on four areas. Your local test may use all four, or only some of them.

English

Expect reading comprehension (a passage followed by questions on meaning, inference and vocabulary), plus spelling, punctuation and grammar. Some schools, especially independent ones, also set a short piece of creative or persuasive writing. The single best preparation is regular reading of good-quality fiction and non-fiction, with conversation about what was read.

Maths

The maths is largely based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum: place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, ratio, measurement, shape, angles, area and perimeter, data and simple algebra. Because the test is sat in September of Year 6, some topics may not yet have been covered fully in class, so check for gaps in the summer of Year 5. Fast, accurate times tables (up to 12 × 12) make everything else quicker.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning tests how well your child thinks with words and letters: finding hidden words, cracking letter and number codes, completing word and letter sequences, spotting synonyms and antonyms, and working out analogies. A wide vocabulary underpins all of it. Most question types become much easier once they have been seen and explained a few times. For ideas on making new words stick, see our guide to the best way to learn vocabulary.

Non-verbal reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning uses shapes and patterns instead of words: odd one out, what comes next in a sequence, matrices, reflections, rotations, nets of cubes and codes based on shapes. It is the area most children have never met at school, so a little early familiarity goes a long way. Some tests also include spatial reasoning, such as fitting shapes together or imagining 3D objects from different angles.

When should you start preparing for the 11+?

For most children, a sensible starting point is the middle or end of Year 4, or the start of Year 5. That gives roughly a year to eighteen months of light, regular practice before a September exam, which is plenty for building vocabulary, securing maths and learning the reasoning question types without rushing.

Starting much earlier rarely helps and can sap enthusiasm; in Year 3 and early Year 4, wide reading, word games and secure times tables are enough. Starting in the spring of Year 5 is still workable for a confident reader with solid maths.

A useful rule: if your child is anxious, struggling with schoolwork or clearly not enjoying the practice, pause and reconsider. The aim is a school where your child will thrive, not a pass at any cost.

What does a Year 4 to Year 6 11+ timeline look like?

Here is an example timeline for a September test. Adjust it to your area's dates and your child's starting point.

How should my child practise each week?

The most effective 11+ practice is short, focused and reviewed. Twenty to thirty minutes with full concentration beats an hour of tired guessing. A typical Year 5 week might look like this:

• One verbal reasoning session: learn or revisit one question type, do ten examples, then talk through any mistakes.
• One non-verbal reasoning session: the same approach, using one pattern type at a time.
• One maths session: a mix of arithmetic fluency and one or two worded problems.
• Reading every day: a book your child enjoys, plus occasional comprehension questions and a few new words added to a notebook.

The review is where the learning happens. When your child gets something wrong, ask them to explain their thinking before you show the method. Keep a simple log of question types that keep tripping them up, and return to those first next week.

In the final months, introduce timing gradually and practise moving on from a hard question and coming back to it. If your local test uses a separate multiple-choice answer sheet, practise filling one in.

Should we use a tutor for the 11+?

Many families prepare successfully at home, especially with a keen reader and solid maths. A tutor helps when you want structure, an outside view of your child's level, or someone to explain reasoning question types more patiently than a busy parent can at 7pm.

If you use a tutor, ask which test format they prepare for, how they track progress, and how much homework they set. Good tutors will tell you honestly if a selective school is not the right fit. Some tutors use platforms such as Derstina, which include ready-to-teach 11+ prep lessons, games and progress tracking, so you can see what has been covered between sessions.

How do I keep 11+ preparation low-stress?

Your child will pick up on your feelings about the exam, so the calmer you are, the calmer they are likely to be. A few habits help:

1. Keep sessions short and predictable. The same days and times each week, with a clear end point.
2. Praise effort and strategy, not scores. "You checked your working on that one" builds more confidence than "You got 18 out of 20".
3. Protect free time. Clubs, friends, sport and doing nothing are not wasted time; they keep your child rested and balanced.
4. Make it playful where you can. Word games in the car, card games for mental maths and puzzle books all count as practice.
5. Avoid comparing. Other families' scores and stories at the school gate rarely help your child.
6. Plan for both outcomes. Visit your non-selective options too and talk about them positively, so your child knows there is a good school for them whatever happens.
7. Look after the basics before the test. Good sleep, a normal breakfast, a known route to the test centre and a relaxed morning.

If motivation dips, that is normal over a long run-up. Our article on how to stay motivated when learning is written for language learners, but its ideas about small goals and visible progress work just as well for 11+ practice.

11+ preparation checklist for parents

• Find out which grammar or independent schools you are considering and which test each uses.
• Note the registration deadline (usually Year 5) and the test date (usually September of Year 6).
• Check your child's reading habit, times tables and core KS2 maths.
• Introduce verbal and non-verbal reasoning question types one at a time.
• Build up to timed practice papers in the local format in the final months.
• Review every mistake and keep a short log of weak question types.
• Visit all your secondary options, selective and non-selective.
• Submit your secondary school application by 31 October.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age do children take the 11+?

Children usually sit the 11+ in September of Year 6, when most are 10 or have just turned 11. Registration for grammar school tests normally happens earlier, in the spring or summer term of Year 5. Independent schools may test at slightly different times, so check each school's admissions page.

Is the 11+ the same everywhere?

No. Each grammar school area or consortium chooses its own test, and independent schools often set their own. Some tests cover all four areas, others only some, and formats range from multiple-choice answer sheets to written answers. Always check your local council or the schools' admissions pages for the current format.

What is a good 11+ score?

There is no single pass mark. Most tests report an age-standardised score, and each area or school sets its own qualifying score, which can also differ from the score needed to actually be offered a place at a popular school. Your local admissions information will explain how scores are reported and used.

How many hours a week should my child practise for the 11+?

For most children, two or three short sessions of 20 to 30 minutes a week in Year 5 is enough, rising a little in the final months before the test. Daily reading matters as much as formal practice. Short, focused sessions with proper review work better than long ones that leave a child tired and discouraged.

Can my child prepare for the 11+ without a tutor?

Yes. Many children prepare at home using practice books, familiarisation papers and regular reading. The key is consistency, learning the reasoning question types, and reviewing mistakes rather than just completing papers. A tutor can add structure and an outside view, but is not essential.

What happens if my child does not pass the 11+?

Your child will go to one of the non-selective schools on your secondary application, which is why it is important to list and visit good non-selective options too. Some areas have a review or appeals process, and some grammar schools admit pupils at later points, such as into the sixth form. Talking about all the options positively before the test helps your child feel secure whatever the result.