What Is the 11 Plus Exam?
The 11 plus is the entrance test used by grammar schools and selective independent schools across the UK to assess pupils at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6. Getting 11 plus preparation right can change a child's educational trajectory — but the volume of information (and misinformation) can feel overwhelming for parents.
The 11 plus is not one single exam. It varies significantly by region and by school, and is set by one of three main routes: GL Assessment, CEM, or an independent school's own arrangements (most commonly the ISEB Common Pre-Test). All three test the same four core areas — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — but they structure and deliver these very differently.
The single most important first step in your 11 plus exam preparation is to confirm which exam your target school uses. Contact each school directly, or check your local authority's admissions pages. This one piece of information shapes your entire preparation plan, from the resources you buy to the question types you focus on.
Quick tip: All three exam types use age-standardised scoring. A score of 100 is the national average for a child of that exact age in months. Most grammar schools set a qualifying score between 110 and 121+, with the most selective requiring 121+ or higher.
Key Takeaways
- Confirm the exam board first — GL Assessment (most state grammars), CEM (some independents), or ISEB Common Pre-Test (90+ independent schools). This shapes everything.
- Start 11 plus preparation 12-18 months before the exam — typically the beginning of Year 5 — with gentle foundation-building, not intensive past papers.
- Vocabulary is the highest-yield investment for every exam type; daily wide reading drives it.
- Practise little and often — 3-4 sessions of 20-30 minutes a week beats occasional marathon sessions.
- Introduce timed papers from the Year 5 summer term to build exam speed and stamina.
When to Start 11 Plus Preparation — Year 3, 4, or 5?
The question every parent asks first is when to start 11 plus preparation. Most specialists recommend beginning structured preparation 12 to 18 months before the exam — typically the start of Year 5 — but the early years are about gentle foundation-building, not intensive drilling. Here's a realistic year-by-year preparation plan.
11 Plus Preparation in Year 3
Year 3 is far too early for formal 11 plus work — and pushing it now risks knocking a child's confidence. When it comes to 11 plus preparation year 3, the watchword is invisible: read together every day, talk about stories and characters, play number and word games, and gently widen vocabulary through everyday conversation. You don't even need to mention the "11 plus" at this stage. The goal is simply a child who enjoys learning and reads widely.
11 Plus Preparation in Year 4
Year 4 is the ideal time to build secure foundations. By the end of the year, aim for all times tables to 12×12 (with the matching division facts) to be automatic — so they don't slow your child down when new concepts arrive in Year 5. Keep daily reading going, introduce richer classic literature for vocabulary breadth, and start light familiarisation with Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning question types. Many Year 4 families do just 30 minutes twice a week, or all their practice at the weekend — whatever fits your family.
11 Plus Preparation in Year 5 — The Critical Year
For most families, 11 plus preparation year 5 is where focused work really begins, because most children sit the exam in September of Year 6 — just weeks into the new school year. Start by running a diagnostic assessment to find genuine gaps, then build a steady routine. Spend a couple of weeks learning the different Verbal Reasoning question types, keep at least one times-tables and one vocabulary activity going every week, and work on mental maths and word problems throughout the year. Crucially, don't start formal past papers before Easter of Year 5 — doing so too early tends to cause burnout rather than improvement. Introduce timed papers gradually from the summer term, beginning with easier papers before moving to full exam standard.
Year 6 — The Final Sprint
For GL Assessment regions, the exam usually falls in the first two weeks of September, so the summer holiday before Year 6 is the final preparation window. For the ISEB Common Pre-Test, the testing window typically runs October to February. Focus on speed training, full mock papers under exam conditions, and — most importantly — reviewing every mistake. As experienced tutors note, it is not the doing of papers that drives improvement, but the marking, feedback and gap-filling afterwards.
How much per week? Aim for 3-4 short sessions of 20-30 minutes (rising to around an hour a day in Year 5-6), spread across the four subjects. One or two practice papers a week is ample — a paper a day is unnecessary and risks fatigue. Keep Sunday as a rest day.
11 Plus Preparation at Home — Tips, Timetables & Resources
Many families successfully manage 11 plus preparation at home without a full-time tutor. The decision is often driven by cost — private 11+ tutors can charge £25-£50 an hour — but home preparation works well when it's consistent, well-organised, and focused on genuine weaknesses. Here's how to make it work.
Home Preparation Tips That Actually Work
- Diagnose before you drill. List the core Key Stage 2 topics and reasoning question types, and find out where your child actually struggles — then focus your time there rather than re-practising what they already know.
- Little and often beats cramming. Short daily sessions build durable knowledge; weekend marathons cause burnout.
- Make reading non-negotiable. 20-30 minutes of daily reading is the single best investment for vocabulary and comprehension across every exam.
- Schedule practice tests for the weekend when your child is refreshed, and simulate exam conditions — quiet room, timer, no help.
- Mark, feedback, fill gaps. Spend more time reviewing a completed paper than doing the next one.
- Stay flexible and celebrate wins. Adjust the timetable around school plays and bad days, and acknowledge progress to keep motivation high.
A Sample Weekly 11 Plus Preparation Timetable (Year 5)
A well-structured weekly timetable ensures consistent practice and full subject coverage. Use 30-45 minute blocks with 5-10 minute breaks, colour-code subjects, and keep daily reading throughout. Here's a realistic example you can adapt:
| Day | Main focus (30-45 min) | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Maths — mental arithmetic & word problems | 15 min reading |
| Tuesday | English — comprehension & vocabulary | 15 min reading |
| Wednesday | Verbal Reasoning — question types | 15 min reading |
| Thursday | Maths — topic practice & accuracy | 15 min reading |
| Friday | Non-Verbal Reasoning — patterns & codes | 15 min reading |
| Saturday | Timed practice paper (exam conditions) + marking | Vocabulary review |
| Sunday | Rest day — light reading only | Recharge |
📅 Free Downloadable 11 Plus Preparation Timetable
Get our printable weekly timetable template — blank and ready to plan around your family's schedule. Colour-coded by subject, with space for daily reading and weekend practice tests.
Subject-by-Subject Preparation Tips
Whichever exam your child sits, the same four areas underpin success. Here's where to focus at home in each.
📖 English
Comprehension, grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary.
- Daily reading (20-30 min) builds vocabulary and comprehension together
- Discuss plot, characters and motives
- Practise comprehension under timed conditions
- Build spelling and grammar accuracy systematically
🔢 Mathematics
KS2 curriculum with word problems and mental arithmetic.
- Times tables to 12×12 must be automatic
- Fluency in fractions, decimals and percentages
- Reliable long multiplication and division
- Plenty of multi-step word problems
🗣️ Verbal Reasoning
Word codes, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, letter sequences.
- Vocabulary is the highest-yield investment here
- Learn each question type until recognition is instant
- Practise word codes and letter manipulation regularly
- Wide reading feeds directly into VR success
🧩 Non-Verbal Reasoning
Matrix patterns, series, codes, reflections and rotations.
- Often the most unfamiliar — don't neglect it
- Learn the standard pattern types and how to spot them
- Build spatial awareness through puzzles and shape games
- Practise 2D and 3D rotation and reflection questions
If you'd rather not build a programme from scratch, ExamTutor's practice papers come with tutor-led video walkthroughs for every question — effectively an online tutor explaining each answer, so your child can learn independently at home and you can see exactly where the gaps are.
GL Assessment vs CEM vs Independent — Know Your Exam
Because each exam route rewards a slightly different preparation approach, knowing which one your child will sit is essential before you plan their 11 plus preparation.
| Feature | GL Assessment | CEM | Independent (ISEB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used by | Majority of UK state grammars | Some independents (CEM Select) | 90+ leading independent schools |
| Format | Four separate timed papers | Mixed-format papers | Adaptive online test |
| Predictability | High — official materials | Low — "tutor-proof" | Medium — adaptive difficulty |
| Prep emphasis | Systematic question-type practice | Vocabulary, speed, adaptability | Question-type familiarity + online practice |
GL Assessment
Used by the majority of UK state grammar schools — including the Kent Test, Buckinghamshire 11+ and Birmingham King Edward Foundation. Because GL Assessment publishes official materials and uses consistent, predictable question types, it is the most straightforward to prepare for systematically. Four separate papers (English, Maths, VR, NVR), usually sat in September of Year 6.
CEM
Designed to be "tutor-proof" by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (now part of Cambridge Assessment), CEM uses mixed-format papers that combine subjects and lean heavily on vocabulary and speed. It withdrew from state grammar admissions in 2023 but remains in use at some independents. Preparation should emphasise wide reading, fast mixed-question practice and adaptability.
Independent / ISEB Common Pre-Test
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an adaptive online test used by 90+ leading independent senior schools (Eton, Westminster, Winchester). Four subject tests totalling about 2 hours 15 minutes, multiple-choice, with difficulty that adapts to answers — and crucially, you can't go back. Practise online and under time pressure so your child learns to commit to an answer and move on.
Best 11+ Practice Papers & Resources for Effective Preparation
Once foundations are in place, high-quality practice papers — and timed 11 plus mock exams closer to test day — are the engine of effective 11 plus exam preparation. The best resources don't just test your child — they teach, by showing exactly how each question is solved. Here's how to use them well, and where to start.
- Start with free papers. Before committing, download a free 11+ practice paper to benchmark your child and see the question style for their exam.
- Match the papers to the exam board. Use GL Assessment, CEM or Independent / ISEB papers that mirror the format your child will actually sit.
- Use video walkthroughs as an online tutor. ExamTutor papers include tutor-led video solutions for every question — so when your child gets something wrong, they (and you) can watch exactly how to do it. This is the highest-value part of any paper.
- Sit mock exams under timed conditions. Full timed mocks at weekends build stamina and reveal pacing problems while there's still time to fix them.
- Prioritise feedback over volume. One or two papers a week, thoroughly marked and reviewed, beats a paper a day rushed through without gap-filling.
Where to begin: Download a free sample paper first, then choose the pack that matches your target school's exam. Every ExamTutor pack includes full tutor video walkthroughs — like having an online tutor on demand.
Common 11 Plus Preparation Mistakes to Avoid
- Starting formal past papers too early. Past papers before Easter of Year 5 often lead to burnout rather than better results. Build foundations first.
- Practising what your child already knows. It feels productive but wastes time. Diagnose genuine weaknesses and focus there.
- Ignoring Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because it's unfamiliar, NVR is easy to neglect — but it's fully learnable with practice.
- Leaving timed practice too late. Speed is a skill in itself. Introduce timing gradually from the Year 5 summer term.
- Doing papers without marking them properly. Improvement comes from feedback and gap-filling, not from the paper itself.
- Not confirming the exam board. Preparing for the wrong format wastes months. Always confirm with the school first.
Exam Day Tips
- Good sleep and a proper breakfast the night before and morning of the exam — cognitive performance depends on both.
- Arrive early to settle nerves and avoid a rushed, stressful start.
- Read each question carefully — many marks are lost to misreading rather than not knowing the answer.
- Manage time — if a question is taking too long, move on and return if time allows (except in adaptive ISEB tests, where you can't go back).
- Stay calm and keep perspective. One difficult question won't decide the outcome; a steady, confident approach across the whole paper will.