The Tutor’s Guide To Preparing for the 11 Plus Exam

The Need To Knows About The 11 Plus Exam

The 11 Plus is an entrance exam used by grammar schools and select independent schools across the country to assess the academic potential of pupils in year 6 before they enter secondary education.

For state grammar school applicants, the 11 Plus exam is typically sat early in the autumn term and independent school exams are usually sat between October and January of year 6.

The 11 Plus exam is not standardised, so schools across the nation will test in different ways and will in turn have different pass rates, however most exams tend to assess the following:

• Numerical reasoning – to assess a student’s mathematics capabilities
• Non-verbal reasoning (NVR) – to test a pupil’s ability to analyse visual information, like shapes, pictures or diagrams to solve problems.
• Verbal reasoning – uses written passages to measure a student’s understanding of language and ability to form reason and logical answers.
• English – assesses comprehension and ability to use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling through a creative writing task.

Some independent schools, such as Harrow, Eton College and Westminster School, also have their own standardised 11 Plus assessment in place designed to measure a student’s ability and attainment. This is called the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) Common Pre-Test and results determine whether a student will then be invited to sit the Common Entrance for that specific school in Year 8.

There is no specific assessment date for the ISEB but it is typically sat in year 6 or year 7 and will be run by the child’s school or at home.

How To Prepare Your Child For The 11 Plus Exam

As every school has its own assessment criteria and pass rate, it can be worth checking with prospective schools in advance of sitting the exam to best understand timelines and any specific skills that pupils will be assessed on.

Every child is different and will learn at their own pace but (if feasible) we recommend starting exam prep 12-months prior to the 11 Plus. Some skills, like verbal-reasoning, may be unfamiliar to children, whereas other skills they will already have a firm grasp on but may be thrown by the exam format so it’s good to start preparing as early as possible.

Some schools may offer support for 11 Plus exam preparation from Year 5 but as the 11 Plus is not mandatory and some families opt out of their child sitting the exam, this does not apply to all schools, so it falls to parents to help their children prepare in their own time.

Fortunately, there are a number of excellent resources and tools available to help equip children with the skills and confidence they need to excel in their 11 Plus exams.

Practice Papers

One of the most common and easily-accessible resources available is 11 Plus practice papers. These can be bought easily online and from select stores like Waterstones and WH Smiths and allow your children to familiarise themselves with the style of questions they’ll see in the real exam.

A bonus of using practice papers is that you can replicate a timed exam environment at home and use the results to gauge whether your child has any areas for improvement and if they’re able to get the results needed for entry to your preferred grammar or independent school. Links to practice papers can be found in our useful resources section at the end of this post.

Engaging an 11 Plus Tutor

At Hampstead and Frognal Tutors, we want to make senior school applications as simple and stress-free as possible. Our team of expert tutors have guided hundreds of families through the 11 Plus exam process and we know better than anyone that each student is unique. While some will benefit from a few intensive 11 Plus sessions, some may require longer-term support.

Our tutors will help identify your child’s individual learning style and implement a bespoke programme of tuition to equip them not only with the skills they need but also with confidence in an exam environment so they are mentally prepared and can excel when the time comes.

Reading at home

Whether or not a child is sitting the 11 Plus exam, reading at home is always encouraged to help with literacy skills and helping develop a child’s vocabulary. Reading regularly in the lead up to the 11 Plus exam can help strengthen the skills they need for the English element of the test in a more relaxed and engaging format than typical exam preparation.

Encourage writing at home

The 11 Plus exam will assess a child’s grammar, vocabulary and spelling so practising with creative writing tasks at home can be helpful. This could be something as simple as encouraging them to write a short story but provides an opportunity for children to practise the skills needed for the exam and inspire their creativity.

Managing Exam Anxiety

All the preparation in the world can be futile if children aren’t prepared mentally and emotionally for an exam environment as nerves, stress and anxiety can play a huge role in exam performance.

There are, however, plenty of techniques to help parents understand the causes, signs and coping techniques to help manage 11 plus exam anxiety and better a child’s chances of success when they sit their 11 Plus exam.

Many parents have a clear vision in mind when it comes to their child’s secondary education, meaning both parents and children worry about the 11 Plus exam but, with the help of one of our specialised 11 Plus tutors, it really needn’t be a concern.

For us it’s important to take the time to understand families and parents’ ambitions for their children. Contact us for more information and our 11 Plus tutors will work with you to establish what is required to raise your child’s academic attainment so we can provide you with the best tuition services and advice to support and invest in your children’s future.

Useful resources

• 11 Plus Exam practise papers
• Find out more about applying for secondary school and the assessment criteria.