How to pass the 11 Plus Exam: Tips and Strategies from the Experts

Passing the 11 Plus is not an event, it is a journey that requires planning and preparation. Success requires not only academic excellence but also the right strategy, tools, and mindset.

The critical point to understand is that there are very few good, second chance options. Entry at 13+ is limited, as are occasional places. There is then a huge variation in average A-Level grade performance by school. In short, it is your best chance of giving your child the sort of start in life which will lead to excellent A-Levels, degree and career prospects.

At Mentor Education, we specialise in helping students achieve their full potential with personalised support tailored to their needs. Every year we help parents who did not get into the school they wanted, almost always it is because no one told them that they needed to start their journey a year before.

If you plan it right, and you give your child enough time, you stand the best chance of passing the 11 plus exam. Spacing your preparation over a year also minimises the pressure on your child who is, undoubtedly, too young to cram.

In this guide, we’ll share proven strategies and expert tips on how to pass the 11 Plus exam. Whether your child needs help with verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics, or English, we’re here to ensure they feel confident and ready to excel.

11 Plus Resources

What happens in the exam?

The exams typically have an English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning component. Each must be prepared for separately. You can read detailed guides to each element in the links.

However, different schools have slightly different processes and Covid has changed these further. We understand all of them and you can read more detailed guides in our schools section.

Normally, schools use CEM or GL assessment to create their entrance exams, but, during Covid, more schools have been using the digital ISEB test. Suffice to say that there is little point in preparing for a generic exam, when you could prepare in detail for the school admissions which you are targeting. All this plays to starting with a clear plan of your target schools before you begin your campaign.

Strategies for Success: How to Help Your Child Pass the 11 Plus

Supporting your child through 11 Plus preparation can feel overwhelming — where to start? With the right approach, you can help them build the confidence and skills they need to thrive. Below are some 11 Plus strategies designed to guide both you and your child through this journey.

1. Understand the Exam Structure

A strong first step in preparing for the 11 Plus is gaining a clear understanding of the exam’s structure. Every school or exam board may have slightly different requirements, so tailoring your approach to the target school is crucial.

• Research Thoroughly: Look into the format and syllabus for the schools or consortia you are applying to — you may find information on your child’s dream school in our school guides. The subjects typically tested are Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English, but not all schools require every section. 
• Understand Question Types: Familiarise yourself and your child with the types of questions that will appear, whether they’re multiple-choice, standard written answers, or computer-based.
• Explain the Process: Discuss the exam’s purpose and format with your child to ensure they feel informed and less anxious about the unknown.

2. Create a Structured Study Plan

Planning is key to reducing stress and ensuring your child has ample time to prepare. A clear, structured plan gives them direction and helps balance study with rest and play.

• Start Early: Begin at least a year in advance. This allows your child to learn concepts gradually, without pressure, and provides time to revisit challenging areas.
• Break it Down: Divide the syllabus into smaller, manageable topics, and set realistic weekly or monthly goals. Completing small tasks helps build momentum and confidence.
• Prioritise Balance: Remember that your child needs downtime too. Schedule regular breaks and enjoyable activities alongside study sessions to prevent burnout and keep motivation high.

3. Practice with Mock Exams after curriculum acquisition

11 Plus mock exams are one of the most effective tools to prepare your child for the 11 Plus. They not only replicate the real test environment, but also highlight areas needing improvement.

• Simulate Exam Conditions: Use past papers and reputable practice tests to give your child the experience of working under timed conditions. This helps them develop familiarity with the exam and improve their time management.
• Create a Routine: Schedule regular mock exams as the exam date approaches.
• Learn from Mistakes: Review incorrect answers together to identify patterns in errors. Use these as learning opportunities to fill gaps in knowledge and refine strategies.

<H3> 4. Focus on Building Core Skills

The 11 Plus assesses specific skill areas, and targeted practice can make all the difference. Tailor your child’s learning to strengthen these fundamental competencies.

• Verbal Reasoning:
  • Encourage daily reading to expand vocabulary and comprehension.
  • Play word games and puzzles to make learning enjoyable.
  • Introduce practice questions that teach logical reasoning techniques.
• Non-Verbal Reasoning:
  • Develop visual and spatial reasoning through pattern recognition and puzzles.
  • Incorporate hands-on activities like building models or using brain-training apps.
• Mathematics:
  • Focus on core areas such as arithmetic, fractions, percentages, and problem-solving.
  • Use interactive tools, like maths games and apps, to keep learning engaging.
  • Incorporate real-life examples, like calculating shopping totals or measuring ingredients, to make concepts relatable.
• English:
  • Build grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills through targeted exercises.
  • Encourage regular creative and descriptive writing to develop expression and fluency.
  • Discuss books and articles together to improve comprehension and critical thinking.

5. Consider Personalised Tutoring

Every child is unique, and sometimes a tailored approach can make all the difference. A professional tutor can provide personalised support to target your child’s specific needs.

• One-on-One Guidance: Tutors can identify areas where your child requires extra attention and develop strategies to address them effectively.
• Specialist Expertise: Tutoring agencies like Mentor Education specialise in helping children prepare for the 11 Plus, offering tailored programs that build confidence and skills in a supportive environment.
• Flexible Options: Choose between in-person or online tutoring sessions that fit your family’s schedule.

How to improve exam technique?

Unfortunately, we all know of children who are very bright, and know the content back-to-front, but struggle on the day due to unfamiliarity with the exam format and the time pressure, resulting in poor exam technique. Practice papers are key. 

We would typically recommend

• from January in Year 5, carry out a ten-minutes-a-day Bond test on Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning
• from Easter of Year 5, children should work through a Maths paper on Saturday, and an English paper on the Sunday. Concentrate on getting through the paper rather than worrying about exam conditions. We have past papers and mock exams available for you to download in pdf format.
• in the Autumn term of Year 6 children will need to build up speed. This means pressure tests, looking to get a mark a minute, learning when to leave questions and when to stick at them, and learning when not to get flustered.
• in the final week, we suggest children sit the most recent past papers from your target schools as mock exams.

How to prepare and pass the interview?

For the interview, pupils need to be ready to answer questions about:

• Themselves
• Their motivations for going to the chosen school
• Current affairs

There is often a creative task. For example, two different pictures are shown and pupils are asked to connect the two and discuss that connection.

There is sometimes a mental maths challenge. Increasingly, schools also have a group discussion in which six to eight pupils are asked to solve together a problem under supervision.

Practice and exposure to a range of life experiences beyond that of the core curriculum are key here. We have a list of activities and books which you might find helpful.

You can find our more about 11 Plus interview practice and strategies on our website.

How do we know this?

We have taken over 30,000 pupils through their school entrance exams over the last 40 years. Every year we support scores of children to get into top independent schools such as City of London, James Allen’s Girls’ School, Highgate, KCS Wimbledon, Alleyn’s, Emanuel and more. We also support many into the toughest grammar schools such as Tiffin (Girls and Boys), Dame Alice Owen’s, Henrietta Barnett, Sutton Grammar School and more. Our scholarship record is exceptional.

Our tutors are experts in their field, mainly qualified teachers, and all have extensive experience of the demands of school admissions. We have a full-time school entrance co-ordinator who will get to know your child and your aspirations and will co-ordinate their journey. We are independently rated as the Number One tutoring agency in London by School Report Magazine and feature in the Good Schools Guide of top tutoring agencies.

Read more about us and our successes in recent years.

State schools and the syllabus

The bedrock of most children’s experiences is school. The exam is taken in January of Year Six and pupils are expected to be operating at the level of a Year Seven pupil. Therefore, unless your school is actively preparing your child for it, they will not have covered the syllabus – regardless of how good they are at the syllabus that they do know.

Is Prep school enough?

Most parents of children at preparatory schools also find that this is not enough. In our experience, 10 – 20% of parents tell people that their child is really being tutored alone. But 70 – 80% of children are being tutored. As such, if parents assume school preparation is enough, they are likely to find that other parents have stolen a march on them.

Choosing target schools

At Mentor Education, we understand that it’s not appropriate for a school, tutoring agency or parents to push a child for an exam and a school that is not right for them. Every school has different academic standards and different value systems. So, before setting out on the journey one must first decide what is the right set of target schools for their child.

The initial step is usually an Academic Assessment. At Mentor Education, we are one of the few agencies licenced to use the CEM test, which is the spine for the test used by leading independent schools. The CEM test involves your child sitting a digital, adaptive test, similar to traditional entrance exams, following which you will receive a report which statistically places your child within their cohort and gives you a full educational consultant’s guide to appropriate target schools. It becomes the starting point for you and your tutor’s journey to support your child.

What tutors do I need?

Then starts the tuition. Tutoring must be tailored to filling gaps in the curriculum, gaining speed and gaining certainty around answers – unfortunatley, it is not enough to choose a Primary school teacher. The 11+ is a specific test that requires bespoke tutoring and Mentor Education’s tutors are specialised in this test.

There are four elements of the syllabus – English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning. One must ensure that the pupil is well rounded in all four aspects. Often this will require different tutors to manage different elements – this is the strength of using a full service agency rather than one man band tutors.

Find details of our tutors.

You may find our guide on how to choose a tutor helpful.

How often do I need a tutor?

Typically, the journey starts in January of Year 5 with around one hour of tutoring. This then increases to two hours a week of tutoring in the summer term and then three hours of tutoring in the Autumn term of Year six. This may feel like a lot – but you have one chance.

We have multiple options to choose from with our tutoring services. Our Weekend School option is an affordable option and is catered towards children who thrive learning in a group setting. This is three hours a weekend during term time, starting at year 4. 

What about holidays?

Holidays represent crucial opportunities to either cover more of the syllabus or to reinforce learning throughout Years 5 and 6. Most children do courses in the Easter holidays, Summer Holidays and in the final Autumn half term and most students attend one week at each time. Summer holidays are also an excellent opportunity to work on creative writing skills – creating a mental bank of stories descriptions that can be memorised, and used late on in the exam.

We offer a range of such courses and we find that our most successful students are those who do these courses to reinforce the progress made at school and with a tutor. Find out details of our upcoming courses.

How to get a scholarship?

To get an academic scholarship most schools require you to perform in the top 10 – 20% at the entrance exam. This is usually followed by a dedicated scholarship interview with the Head.

Sport or music scholarships typically require a specific assessment in sporting or musical aptitude and assessment in the specific sport or instrument that is the pupil’s strength. They also require a pass in the academic examination.

We have specific consultancy available in obtaining scholarships. So, please contact us for more information.

What is my role as a parent?

It is so important to manage your own stress levels and beware of passing your stress levels onto your children. We have some helpful guides on mental wellbeing that you can refer to whenever you need.

With our help, you can focus on managing this process almost like a campaign – your child will need it planned for them. That way they can focus on doing the work not worrying about covering the syllabus or pacing the learning. You can read more about the 12 month programme.

Providing reading opportunities for your child is key. This will both improve their examination performance and improve their interview performance. We have good examples of reading lists.

What is my next step?

Helping your child pass the 11 Plus is about more than just academic preparation — it’s about nurturing resilience, confidence, and a love for learning. With early planning, structured practice, and the right support, your child can approach the exam with self-assurance and give their best performance.

If you’re looking for expert guidance along the way, Mentor Education offers a thorough, results-focused approach to 11 Plus preparation. Our experienced tutors are highly educated, experienced, and totally committed to helping your child unlock their full potential.

Please do contact us to help us plan your school entrance campaign and give you and your child the support that you need. We are here to help.