The 11 Plus Exam
With over 40 years of experience, we understand the demands of the 11 plus exam, and what each school is looking for.
A Guide to the 11 Plus Exam
As with every aspect of the school entrance exams, speed is of the utmost importance, and we believe one of the most important jobs parents can do to prepare their children. Start young and focus on the consistency and instant recall of times tables and number bonds. This must be practiced regularly, and we can recommend several excellent apps that gamify the acquisition of these skills, so that children enjoy their learning. In particular, we recommend ‘Hit the Button’, ‘King of Maths’ and ‘Squeebles Times Tables’. These are all simple and effective ways of practising quick-fire recall and other mental arithmetic skills. We also recommend Times Table Rock Stars.
The 11 plus exam is part of a process of admissions for senior school which will normally also include a detailed reference from your child’s primary school and an interview. Some schools select their cohort mainly from the exam results. Others consider it one part of a more rounded, holistic assessment of the child and their potential to thrive and take part in the life of the school.
There are two organisations that create the exams on behalf of UK schools; CEM and GL Assessment. Currently we believe that over 70% of independent schools are using CEM assessments to select their cohort. Find out more about CEM assessments. We understand that Grammar schools tend to use GL Assessment tests. There are also some new entrants to the assessment industry, focussing on digital assessments and underpinned by emerging technology.
It is important to find out which tests your child will face as they are different, and specialist resources are available which allow your child to practice the specific types of questions they will face on the day.
Here are some CEM style resources.
Here are some GL style resources.
ISEB Pre-Tests for the 11 Plus Exam
Some popular, heavily over-subscribed schools make a first cut of candidates using a Pre-Test early in the Autumn of Year 6. This is typically set by ISEB. They do this to end the workload and stress early for children who were never going to make the academic standard. Also, from a practical perspective, to make marking the later, full exam papers a realistic prospect for staff at the school. Typically, schools such as JAGS and Wimbledon High, who offer a Pre-Test, cut half their candidates at this point.
Pre-Tests can easily trip parents up because they typically take place 4 or 5 months earlier than the written papers. If you are trying to get your child to peak for January, you might not realise how fast and good at Reasoning they need to be by September or October.
Pre-Tests are typically digital Reasoning exams. They tend to be extremely time pressured. We suggest that parents should definitely factor in timed Reasoning practice every day over the Summer holidays prior to Year 6, if sitting their child for this type of exam. Parents often hear that Reasoning exams test children’s innate abilities and are tutor proof, but this is not the case.
There are only so many permutations of Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning questions and it is perfectly possible for your child to be taught them all and practice them all prior to sitting their Pre-Test. Practicing taking digital tests is also key because exam technique is vital! The tests answer papers can be particularly complicated and not something the candidate has seen before.
Maths
The Maths exam tracks the National Curriculum, but crucially, the whole of the Year 6 curriculum is included in the 11+ syllabus. It is vital that parents understand that their children sitting the paper must know the Year 6 Maths syllabus. State primary schools will not teach it in time. Prep schools may teach the whole Year 6 syllabus to Year 5 applicants, but this is by no means guaranteed. It is crucial that parents check this and fill in any gaps.
As with every aspect of the school entrance exams, speed is of the utmost importance, and we believe one of the most important jobs parents can do to prepare their children. Start young and focus on the consistency and instant recall of times tables and number bonds. This must be practiced regularly, and we can recommend several excellent apps that gamify the acquisition of these skills, so that children enjoy their learning. In particular, we recommend ‘Hit the Button’, ‘King of Maths’ and ‘Squeebles Times Tables’. These are all simple and effective ways of practising quick-fire recall and other mental arithmetic skills. We also recommend Times Table Rock Stars.
What is On the Maths Exam?
English
Most English exams consist of a comprehension and a creative writing exercise. We believe that English is the subject where it is most important to tailor your preparations to the specific schools you are targeting. Many schools have past papers on their websites. Download these and look at the style of questions, the types of texts selected for comprehensions and story stimuli used.
For example, some schools often use a picture as a story stimulus. If this is the case, it is important that your child has practised these. Similarly, in respect of comprehension, schools may consistently favour non-fiction or classic texts. They may set lots of multiple-choice questions or expect long extended answers worth a lot of marks. Doing your research as a parent will pay dividends and allow you to be a lot more focussed in your preparation. Finally, and we cannot say this enough, the best at home preparation you can do is to support your child’s reading practice. You may find our reading lists and guides helpful.
What is On The English Exam?
Verbal reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is, considered a test of ‘potential’. For this reason, parents often worry that they cannot help their children improve their Verbal Reasoning scores. This is absolutely not the case! Although your child will start with a natural affinity for the subject, there are a finite number of types of Verbal Reasoning questions. It is easy to practice and improve on them all, if you start early and work systematically.
Verbal Reasoning tests a child’s understanding of the complexity and nuance of language. You need to identify whether your child is sitting a CEM or a GL Assessment as the questions are very different in style and lend themselves to different resources. We can advise you here.
By far the best long-term preparation for Verbal Reasoning success is to create a daily reading habit with your child. There is an urban myth about school entrance which states that children who pass know 10,000 more words than children who don’t pass. We believe there is some underlying truth to this. Vocabulary acquisition is slow, a process which cannot be crammed into a few months at the end of Year 5.
What is On the Non-Verbal Reasoning?
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning is also considered a test of ‘potential’ and is connected to numeracy, testing children’s understanding of number patterns and spatial awareness. As with Verbal Reasoning, each child will have a natural affinity for this topic but can certainly improve and should practice all iterations of the test.
Beyond formal practice questions, all the following will develop your child’s understanding of 3D shapes and number patterns:
- Building with Lego, completing jigsaw puzzles or trying to solve the Rubik’s cube are all excellent ways to develop spatial awareness.
- Sudokus, riddles and word puzzles can all enhance problem solving abilities, and
- Strategic games such as chess and draughts are brilliant for decision-making and thinking ahead.
- In addition, learning to pay particular attention to details such as colours, directions, sizes, angles or the lines of a puzzle might help him notice a pattern, connection or dissimilarity.
Promoting a positive and playful approach will help achieve stress-free success.
What is on the Non-Verbal Reasoning Exam?
What Do the Pre-Tests Consist of?
The 11 Plus exam is taken between November and 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 bits of 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 other parents that their child is receiving extra private tuition. But 70 – 80% of children are really 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.
Choose The Right Target Schools
Every school has different academic standards and different value systems. So, before creating an 11 Plus plan, the most important decision for parents is to take is, 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 11 Plus exams, following which you will receive a report which statistically places your child within their cohort and gives you a full educational consultant’s advice around school signposting. It becomes the starting point for you in respect of school visits and any extra 11 plus tuition to support your child.
What Tutors Do I Need?
Tutoring must be tailored to filling in the child’s gaps in the 11+ curriculum, whilst gaining speed and gaining certainty around answers – unfortunately, it is not enough to choose a Primary school teacher. The 11+ goes beyond the National Curriculum and therefore requires bespoke tutoring. Mentor Education’s school entrance 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.
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 4 with around one hour of tutoring. This then increases to two hours a week of tutoring in Year 5 (potentially one hour of Maths and one hour of English or Reasoning) 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 in 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 attend courses in the Easter holidays, Summer Holidays and in the final Autumn half term. 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 deployed in the English 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. 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.
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 are my Next Steps?
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.
Is the School entrance Right for my Child?
Many parents ask us how they should decide whether to put their child through the 11 plus preparation and assessments. What makes a good candidate? Is the rigour of prep for the exam and their interview right for them? In our experience, these are the sort of factors you should consider:
What is my Childs Character?
By the time you start to consider whether a senior school entrance exam is right for your family, your child is probably going to be around 8 or 9 years old. Their attitude to learning, their anxiety or sensitivity and their maturity should be clear at this point. From a parental perspective it is wise to consider if the pressure of the exam is a fair one to place on your child and some questions to consider would be:
- Do they worry about failing or not doing well?
- Can they become anxious about school tests?
- Do they enjoy and thrive in competitive arenas in other aspects of their life such as their hobbies or do they shy away from competition?
- To what extent do they do things they don’t want to, to try and please you?
How Bright is My Child?
One of the most important data points you need when starting to plan for senior school options is to understand your child’s current academic attainment in relation to their peers.
You need to understand this at a level deeper than say, “they are third in the class” or “she got 75% in a Maths test”. You need to understand where your child sits within bigger cohorts such as their national peer group and the peer group for grammar or independent selective entry.
The reason for this is that all children effectively operate within the small bubbles of their classrooms and consequently don’t give you any context in relation to their ability and placement for the test.
Do Some Research
Ideally try and find some data about your child that places them relative to their peers on a national basis. If your child is at a State Primary school, they will hold this information about your child although they may not wish to share this with you in the first instance.
If your child is at a private school (or a free school) they will most likely have opted out of the national testing environment and it is likely to be harder to place your child’s attainment relative to a large enough group of peers. Instead, many prep schools use University of Cambridge CEM computer-based tests, also sometimes called CAT or INCAS scoring, to understand and benchmark their cohorts and suggest appropriate next schools to parents.
We can help you consider these factors and we are here to chat anytime. Please book in here to have a meeting with one of our 11 Plus team. (calendly link). We can also help you with academic assessments to help you make important decisions around schools.
About Us
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.
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