How To Prepare for the 11 Plus Exam
If you have just realised the 11+ is on your family’s horizon and you have no idea where to start, this article is for you. I have written it as the conversation I would have if you booked a free call with me tomorrow.
There is a lot to cover, so I have tried to do it in the order you actually need it.
Step 1: Understand the landscape
Before any preparation begins, you need a clear picture of three things.
Which schools you are targeting
London families typically choose between three categories of school: state grammar schools (QE Boys, Henrietta Barnett, Latymer, Tiffin, Sutton grammars), academically selective independent schools (NLCS, St Paul’s, Haberdashers’ Boys, Haberdashers’ Girls, Westminster, City of London), and a smaller list of regional grammars (Reading School, the Bucks consortium, Kent grammars). The exam your child sits, the timeline, and the format depend entirely on this list.
Which exam boards those schools use
There are three main 11+ exam boards: GL Assessment (used by most state grammars), Cambridge Select Insight (formerly CEM, used by Habs Boys and a handful of others), and the ISEB Common Pre Test (used by 50 plus independents). Some schools, like Latymer, City of London, Tiffin, and Reading School, set their own papers.
When the exams happen
Grammar schools sit their tests in the first weeks of September of Year 6. Independent schools using ISEB sit the pre test in November of Year 6, with stage 2 written papers and interviews in January. Habs Boys runs Cambridge Select Insight in late November. City of London tests in early December. Each pathway has different registration deadlines, often as early as June and July of Year 5.
Step 2: Build foundations early
- Reading. Daily, varied, slightly above their level. Talk about words. This single habit builds vocabulary, comprehension and writing fluency at the same time.
- Times tables. Fluent up to 12 by 12 by the end of Year 4. Slow tables means slow mental maths, which means lost marks under exam pressure.
- Mental maths. Quick recall of number facts, basic operations, fractions, percentages.
- Writing structure. Can your child write a paragraph independently with a beginning, middle and end? If not, address this first.
- Curiosity. A general knowledge of the world, picked up through conversation, museums, documentaries, books. Genuinely useful in the new style of exam (Reading School, the ISEB) where breadth of knowledge matters.
Step 3: Begin formal preparation in Year 5
Year 5 is when structured 11+ work begins. The four pillars are:
English
Comprehension of fiction and non fiction passages, written under timed conditions. Vocabulary in context. Grammar, punctuation and spelling. Creative writing for schools that test it (Latymer, Henrietta Barnett round 2, most independents). My weekly approach: one passage per week, marked carefully, with explicit teaching of the techniques the question types require.
Maths
Strong KS2 fluency, mental arithmetic speed, and crucially the ability to read a multi step word problem and decide what to do. The 11+ does not test difficult maths so much as it tests careful, accurate maths under pressure.
Verbal Reasoning
Word relationships, codes, sequences, logic. There are 21 standard question types, and once a child has met each one and learned the technique, scores improve dramatically. This is highly coachable.
Non-verbal Reasoning
Patterns, shapes, rotations, sequences. Children either love this or hate it. The fix for the second group is exposure and structured technique, not raw practice.
Step 4: Start mock exams in spring of Year 5
Mocks are diagnostic tools, not verdicts. Their value is twofold: they expose your child to genuine timed conditions in a room of strangers (which is a skill in itself), and they tell you exactly which question types still need work.
I recommend two to three mocks across summer term of Year 5, then three to five across autumn term of Year 6. Always mark and review them properly. A mock without a debrief is wasted.
Step 5: Don’t neglect interview practice (Independent Schools)
Step 6: Manage the run up calmly
In the final weeks before the exam, the temptation is to add more. More hours, more papers, more pressure. Resist it. The work that will pay off in the final weeks is:
- Targeted revision of specific weaknesses identified in mocks
- Light timed practice, to keep speed sharp
- Sleep, food, exercise. Often overlooked. All affect performance materially.
Conversations about how your child is feeling. Calm parents make calm children.
Step 7: On the day
Get there early. Take a bottle of water and a snack for after. Talk about anything except the exam in the car. Trust the work that has already been done. If your child sees you anxious, they will be anxious. If they see you calm, they have the best possible chance of bringing what they have prepared into the room.
How we structure all of this at Academic Success
If reading the above has felt overwhelming, it is meant to feel structured rather than overwhelming. Most families do not need to do all of this themselves.
Our weekly workshops in Years 4, 5 and 6 take care of the syllabus. Our half term and summer intensives compress the work in the right windows. Our mock exams give you honest data. Our Sunday English Masterclass and interview training cover the writing and speaking skills the most selective schools demand.
Whether you work with us or not, the principles in this article are the same. Start at the right time. Build the foundations. Layer in the right work in the right order. Use mocks as data. Keep your child whole.
Want a tailored plan for your child? Book a free 15 minute call and I will sketch out the next 12 to 18 months based on their year group, current strengths, and target schools.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important subject to focus on in 11+ prep?
Whichever your child is weakest in, but if I had to pick one I would say written English. Strong writing reflects strong thinking, strong reading and strong vocabulary, and it is also the hardest skill to fix late.
How do I find out which exam my child will sit?
Look up each target school’s admissions page. They will state the exam board (GL, Cambridge Select Insight, ISEB) or confirm they set their own papers. If you are applying to several schools, you may face several formats.
Should I focus on the school with the earliest exam date?
Yes, in terms of timing. But not in terms of preparation breadth. The skills required are largely overlapping, and a child prepared for grammar schools is in good shape for most independents too.
What if my child fails the 11+?
Then you have several excellent next steps. Comprehensive schools, late entry routes (12+, 13+), independent schools that select less competitively, or repeating Year 6 in some cases. The 11+ is not the only way into a good education and it is important your child knows that, before the result.
Should I prepare for the GCSE writing assessment they will take during 11+?
Some schools set their own papers that go beyond standard 11+ content. Latymer English is a good example. If your target school has its own paper, get hold of past or specimen papers as soon as you can, and prepare specifically.
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