How to Prepare Your Child for the 11+
Good 11+ preparation isn't about cramming or coaching to the test — it's about building genuine skills steadily, over time, so your child walks into the exam confident and unsurprised. This step-by-step plan shows you how to do exactly that, whatever stage you're starting from.
The plan below works backwards from the exam: strong foundations first, then targeted topic work, then exam technique and timed practice. For the full picture of what you're preparing for, see what is the 11 plus exam? and how the 11+ exam works.
Key Takeaways
- Start early and steady — most families begin focused prep in Year 5, building on Years 3–4 foundations.
- Build foundations first: reading, vocabulary and number fluency underpin every paper.
- Then work topic by topic across all four subjects, mastering the method for each question type.
- Add exam technique and timed papers in the final months to build speed and stamina.
- Review every mistake — understanding why an answer was wrong drives the fastest progress.
Step 1: Build Strong Foundations (Years 3–4)
Before any exam-specific work, the single best investment is in the underlying skills the 11+ rewards:
- Read widely and often. Wide reading builds the vocabulary and comprehension that drive the English and verbal reasoning papers more than anything else. Discuss what your child reads.
- Secure number fluency. Confident times tables and mental arithmetic free up thinking time in the maths paper.
- Grow vocabulary deliberately. Keep a notebook of new words, synonyms and meanings — invaluable for English and verbal reasoning.
Step 2: Learn the Question Types (Year 5)
Once foundations are solid, introduce the 11+ question types one subject at a time, so your child recognises each on sight and knows its method. Work through:
- Maths — across all KS2 topics, focusing on multi-step word problems.
- English — comprehension (retrieval and inference), grammar, punctuation and spelling.
- Verbal reasoning — the main question families, each with a clear method.
- Non-verbal reasoning — odd one out, sequences, codes and analogies.
Practising with worked examples and video explanations is far more effective than ploughing through papers unaided — your child learns the method, not just the answer.
Step 3: Practise Little and Often
Short, regular sessions beat occasional marathons. Twenty to thirty focused minutes most days builds skill and confidence without burning your child out. Mix subjects to keep it varied, and keep the tone positive — the 11+ is a marathon, and protecting your child's enthusiasm matters as much as the content.
Step 4: Master Exam Technique & Timing (Final Months)
In the months before the exam, shift focus to performing under exam conditions:
- Sit full, timed papers to build speed and stamina — see our guide to 11+ mock exams.
- Practise pacing — teach your child to move on from a hard question and come back, since there's no negative marking.
- Use the answer sheet correctly — multiple-choice mistakes often come from mis-marking, not maths.
Step 5: Review Every Mistake
This is where the biggest gains hide. After each paper, go through every wrong answer and decide: was it a method gap (didn't know how) or a slip (knew it, made an error)? Fix method gaps with worked examples; fix slips with a checking habit. This targeted review turns practice into progress far faster than simply doing more papers.
Choosing the Right Resources
You'll want a mix of books and realistic practice papers. Our guide to the best 11+ books compares the options, and ExamTutor's own papers pair every question with a tutor video walkthrough — like having a tutor at home. Start with a free 11+ paper to benchmark where your child is now.
11 Plus Preparation by Exam Board (GL, CEM, ISEB & SEAG)
The way you prepare for the 11 plus depends on which exam board your child will sit. Match your preparation to the board your target school uses — practising on the wrong format wastes valuable time.
Preparing for GL Assessment
Most UK state grammar schools use GL Assessment. Papers are multiple-choice with five options (A–E), marked on a separate answer sheet, with no negative marking. The four subjects (English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning) are tested in separate timed papers, typically 45–60 minutes each. Practise on board-matched papers like our GL Assessment practice papers, with a tutor video walkthrough for every question.
Preparing for CEM
The CEM 11+ is now used in a smaller number of areas (notably Buckinghamshire). CEM papers blend subjects together in a single paper and are vocabulary-heavy — wide reading and a deliberate vocabulary-building habit pay huge dividends. Match your practice to the format with CEM practice papers.
Preparing for ISEB Common Pre-Test (Independent Schools)
For most independent schools, your child will sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test: an adaptive online test in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because the test adjusts difficulty as your child answers, the best preparation is broad mastery across all four subjects plus comfort working on screen. Use our independent 11+ practice papers.
Preparing for SEAG (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland's SEAG Transfer Test replaced AQE and GL in 2023. It has two written papers across English and Maths, sat on two consecutive Saturdays in November of Year 7 (P7). Read our dedicated SEAG Transfer Test guide and prepare with SEAG practice papers.
Daily & Weekly 11 Plus Study Plans by Year Group
How much should your child actually do? Here are realistic study schedules by year group — built around short, regular sessions that protect enthusiasm and confidence. Use them as a starting point; adjust to your child's pace and stamina.
| Year | Daily Practice | Weekly Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | 20 mins reading + light arithmetic | Vocabulary game, times tables, no exam-specific work |
| Year 4 | 20–25 mins mixed | Reading, mental maths, light VR puzzles for fun |
| Year 5 | 25–35 mins, 5–6 days a week | Question types one at a time; one full subject paper at weekend |
| Year 5 (Summer) | 30–45 mins, 6 days a week | 2–3 timed papers across the summer; mock at end of summer |
| Year 6 (Sept) | 30–40 mins daily | Final timed papers; technique work; reviewing every mistake |
The 20-minute rule. A focused 20-minute session beats an exhausted 60-minute one every time. If your child is tired, switch to reading aloud together — still builds vocabulary and comprehension, with none of the friction.
11 Plus Revision Tips That Actually Work
The most effective 11 plus revision isn't about doing more — it's about doing it smarter. These are the techniques that consistently make the biggest difference in our experience tutoring families through the 11+:
- Active recall, not passive re-reading. Use flashcards for vocabulary, times tables and tricky VR question rules. Five minutes of active recall beats 30 minutes of re-reading notes.
- Spaced repetition for vocabulary. Review new words after 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 21 days — proven to drive long-term retention. Apps like Anki work brilliantly for older Y5/Y6 children.
- Worked examples before practice papers. Watch or read a tutor walkthrough, then attempt similar questions — your child learns the method, not just the answer.
- One topic at a time. Don't mix maths topics in one session in early prep. Build mastery of fractions, then ratio, then percentages. Mix later as exam day approaches.
- End every session on a win. If your child has struggled, finish with a question they'll get right. Confidence carries them back to the next session.
- Review every mistake, twice. Mark it now, redo it in two days. If they still get it wrong, the gap is a method gap — find the worked example.
Pair these techniques with realistic 11 plus mock exams in the final months to build exam stamina.
11 Plus Tutoring vs Self-Study at Home — Which Works Best?
The single biggest decision parents face is whether to use a tutor or prepare at home. Both can work — but for different reasons, and at different cost points.
| 11 Plus Tutoring | Self-Study at Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £30–£80 per hour typically | £0–£300 total over 18 months (papers + books) |
| Strengths | Personalised feedback, accountability, expert eye on weaknesses | Flexible, low cost, parent-child bonding when done well |
| Weaknesses | Expensive, dependent on tutor quality, can crowd out free play | Hard to spot blind spots; requires parent confidence |
| Best for | Specific weaknesses, parents short on time, late starts | Engaged parents starting in good time with strong resources |
A growing third option: video-led practice papers, where every question comes with a tutor's video walkthrough. This is effectively having an on-demand tutor at home — at a fraction of the cost of weekly tuition. See how it works with a free 11+ paper with video walkthroughs.