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7 Plus Comprehension

Help your child develop strong 7 Plus comprehension skills with expert strategies, guided practice, and top-tier tutoring.

What is 7 Plus Comprehension?

In the 7 Plus English exam, your child will be given a piece of fiction, non fiction, or a poem and asked to read it and answer questions about it. In the past schools have set passages from Alice in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh and funny poems by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and Michael Rosen. To score well on this part of the 7 Plus, your child will need to:

  • Understand written texts โ€“ Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or factual passages
  • Answer questions accurately โ€“ Using full sentences and clear explanations
  • Make inferences โ€“ Reading between the lines to understand deeper meaning
  • Use evidence from the text โ€“ Supporting answers with key details
  • Recognise vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation โ€“ Spotting correct usage in context

Comprehension is one of the most challenging parts of the 7 Plus exam because it requires both quick reading skills and careful thinking.

Which London Schools Test Comprehension at 7 Plus?

Most selective London schools include comprehension as part of their 7 Plus exams. For a full 7 Plus exam guide by school, visit our 7 Plus Schools Guide pages. Information about the comprehension at various schools for the 7 plus includes:

โœ” St Paulโ€™s Junior โ€“ Complex texts with inference-based questions
โœ” Westminster Under School โ€“ Focus on full-sentence answers with evidence
โœ” City of London School for Boys โ€“ Tests both fact-recall and deeper analysis
โœ” Latymer Prep School โ€“ Emphasises vocabulary and meaning in context
โœ” North London Collegiate School (NLCS) โ€“ Requires detailed written responses
โœ” Kingโ€™s College Junior School โ€“ Assesses a childโ€™s ability to explain ideas clearly
โœ” Alleynโ€™s Junior School โ€“ Expects thoughtful responses with a strong focus on inference
โœ” Highgate School โ€“ Tests comprehension skills with increasingly challenging texts
โœ” James Allenโ€™s Girlsโ€™ School (JAGS) โ€“ Emphasises clear, structured responses and textual evidence
โœ” Dulwich College โ€“ Focuses on understanding vocabulary in context and deep analysis

Types of Questions in the 7 Plus Comprehension Exam

Comprehension questions in the 7 Plus exam fall into several key categories:

1. Retrieval Questions

Children must find specific information in the passage.
Example: What did the boy take from the cupboard?

2. Inference questions

These require your child to choose clues from the text along with their own knowledge to draw conclusions about characters, events and themes.
Example: Why did the girl feel nervous when she entered the room?

3. Vocabulary Questions

Children must explain what words mean in the context of a passage
Example: Find a word in the passage that means “huge”.

4. Stylistic Questions

Explain how the author uses certain language to create effects and meaning within the passage
Example: How does the author show that the character is feeling excited?

5. Grammar & Punctuation Questions

Some schools include questions testing grammar and punctuation knowledge.
Example: Find an adjective in the second paragraph.

6. Prediction Questions

Use clues in the text along with their own knowledge to guess what might happen next or at the end of the story.

Example: What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that?

Mastering all question types is key to success in the 7 Plus comprehension exam.

Key Skills Needed for 7 Plus Comprehension Success

To help your child develop their comprehension skills, by far the most important thing you can do is read to your child and talk about the books you read together. Start by asking them simple questions and donโ€™t expect them to write their answers down initially. Rather make it a fun, comforting time with you, where you discuss the books that they enjoy as part of relaxing, nurturing time with you at home.

When they are good at this, move on to asking them more open-ended questions, such as โ€˜why do you think they did that?โ€™ and โ€˜what do you think will happen nextโ€™ so that they start to think more deeply about the texts.

Expose your child to a wide range of books, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Take them to the library or book shops at the weekend and show them that you enjoy reading books too. Read yourself at home and make reading a family activity that everybody enjoys and looks forward to. Research shows that it is particularly important for dads to demonstrate that they like to read in terms of creating sons who also read regularly.

Talk to your children using a full vocabulary and explain words to them that they have not been exposed to before. If you talk in baby language to them their language development will be stunted. If they enjoy learning new words, get them to keep a list of new words sometimes called a magpie list.

Prediction is one of the hardest skills for children to develop for 7+ exams. Here are some more questions to ask your child when you read to them:

  • What do you think will happen next? Why?
  • How might this character react?
  • Based on the title, what do you think this story is going to be about?
  • How do you think the problem in the story will be resolved?

Common Mistakes in 7 Plus Comprehension & How to Fix Them

๐Ÿšซ Skipping words they donโ€™t understand
โœ… Encourage them to guess the meaning using context clues

๐Ÿšซ Giving short, or one word answers
โœ… Teach them to answer using a full sentence and use text evidence to support

๐Ÿšซ Rushing and making careless mistakes
โœ… Remind them to reread their answers and check grammar

๐Ÿšซ Not structuring their answers properly
โœ… Practise full sentences with correct punctuation

Strong comprehension skills take time to develop, so regular practice is key.

How to Prepare for 7 Plus Comprehension

1. Read a Variety of Texts

๐Ÿ“– Fiction books โ€“ Build imagination and understanding of story structure
๐Ÿ“– Non-fiction articles โ€“ Help with factual recall and information processing
๐Ÿ“– Poems โ€“ Improve vocabulary and interpretation skills

Recommended books for 7 Plus comprehension:

๐Ÿ“˜ The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (Jill Tomlinson) โ€“ Great for inference practice
๐Ÿ“˜ Fantastic Mr Fox (Roald Dahl) โ€“ Fun storytelling with rich vocabulary
๐Ÿ“˜ Usborne First Reading Series โ€“ Engaging books with comprehension exercises

2. Practise with Past Papers

Using real 7 Plus exam-style questions helps children:

โœ” Understand different question types
โœ” Practise answering in full sentences

โœ” Practice different exam styles, e.g. multiple choice and written
โœ” Build confidence under timed conditions

For past 7 Plus comprehension papers, visit our 7 Plus Past Papers Resource.

3. Get Expert 7 Plus Tutoring

A great tutor can make a world of difference in helping a five or six-year-old grow into a confident and enthusiastic reader. By offering gentle guidance, patience, and fun learning activities, our tutors create a warm and encouraging environment where a child feels safe to talk about new words and ideas. Our tutors introduce reading comprehensions in a way thatโ€™s engaging and enjoyable, using stories and discussions to help develop important skills like understanding meaning, making predictions, and recognising key details.

At Mentor Education, we believe that the best 7 Plus tutors are those who not only teach but inspire. Our expert tutors bring a unique blend of Key Stage 1 teaching experience, a proven track record in 7+ entrance exam success, and an engaging, nurturing approach to each session. With their help, your child will build a strong academic foundation in key areas such as English Comprehension, learning through clear explanations, interactive activities, and tailored lesson plans.

Our tutors are patient, positive, and highly adaptable, ensuring that each session meets your childโ€™s individual needs. This supportive and encouraging environment helps boost confidence, allowing your child to master challenging concepts and develop a genuine curiosity for learning. By fostering a positive mindset, we equip children with the skills to face challenges head-on, nurturing resilience, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills. We offer:

๐Ÿ“Œ One-to-one 7 Plus tutoring โ€“ Online & in-person, focused on comprehension skills
๐Ÿ“Œ 7 Plus comprehension holiday courses โ€“ Timed practice, feedback, and strategy training

Find out more about our 7 Plus Tutoring Options.

Final Thoughts: Mastering 7 Plus Comprehension

The 7 Plus comprehension exam requires strong reading, critical thinking, and answering skills.

๐Ÿ“Œ Read widely and regularly to build vocabulary
๐Ÿ“Œ Practise answering questions in full sentences
๐Ÿ“Œ Use real exam papers for structured practice
๐Ÿ“Œ Get expert guidance to refine comprehension skills

For the best 7 Plus comprehension preparation, explore our Tutoring and Course Options today.

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Find out how Mentor can help you support you and your child as you approach the 7+. Get in touch today.

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