What is the 11+? A parent's guide to the exam, the timeline and preparing well

What the 11+ is

The 11+ is an entrance exam for selective secondary schools, mainly grammar schools and some independent schools. Children usually sit it in the autumn of Year 6, aged 10 or 11, for entry to Year 7 the following September. Some independent schools test earlier or later, and some use their own timetable.

It is not a national exam. There is no single 11+. Each area, and sometimes each school, decides whether to use a test, what it covers and what score counts as a pass. A pass does not always guarantee a place either, because many schools are oversubscribed and rank candidates by score and other admission rules.

Where it is used

Selective grammar schools are concentrated in some parts of England and absent from others. Areas with grammar schools include Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, parts of Birmingham, Trafford, Slough and several London boroughs. Many independent schools across the country also use entrance tests at 11.

Because arrangements change, always check the admissions page of the school or local authority for the year your child is applying. Do not rely on last year's information, or on what friends tell you.

What the tests contain

Papers vary by area, but they are drawn from a small number of subjects. The two best-known test providers in England are GL Assessment and CEM. Some schools set their own papers instead.

• Maths: usually based on the Year 5 and early Year 6 national curriculum, with some harder problem-solving.
• English: comprehension, and sometimes grammar, punctuation and spelling. Some schools also set a short piece of writing.
• Verbal reasoning: questions on words, letters, codes and logic.
• Non-verbal reasoning: questions on shapes, patterns and spatial thinking.

Not every test includes all four. Some areas use only maths and English, and others only reasoning papers. Many use multiple-choice answer sheets, which means children need to practise the format as well as the content. The style of the questions differs between GL and CEM-style tests, so use practice material that matches your target school.

A typical timeline

Dates vary, so treat this as a rough pattern and check each school.

1. Year 5 (spring and summer): research schools, visit open days, and begin gentle preparation.
2. Summer before Year 6: many areas open registration for the test. Deadlines can be early, and missing them can rule your child out.
3. Early Year 6 (September to November): the tests are often held in the autumn term. Independent schools may test in the autumn or in January.
4. 31 October: the usual deadline for state secondary school applications through your local authority. Include the schools you want, in your order of preference.
5. 1 March (or the next working day): national offer day for secondary schools.

How to prepare

Start with the basics. A child who is secure in Year 5 maths and reads widely is in a good place. For most children, a steady pace over many months works better than an intense burst in the weeks before the test.

• Reading: encourage a mix of fiction and non-fiction. It builds vocabulary for both English and verbal reasoning.
• Maths: fluency in times tables, fractions, percentages, ratio and word problems.
• Reasoning: short, regular practice with the question types, so nothing looks strange on the day.
• Timing: introduce timed practice gradually. Many children need to learn to move on from a hard question.
• Format: practise using answer sheets if your test uses them.

Find out exactly what your target school's test contains before buying any practice books. A reasoning-only test and a maths-and-English test need very different preparation.

On the day

Make the day as ordinary as you can. Arrive in good time, bring the pencils and equipment the school asks for, and keep the morning calm. Tell your child that nobody expects them to finish every question, and that guessing sensibly on a multiple-choice paper is fine. Check beforehand whether wrong answers lose marks; in most tests they do not.

Afterwards, avoid going through each question. It does not change the result and it can upset a child who remembers an answer they now think was wrong. Do something enjoyable together instead.

Looking after your child

The 11+ is stressful for some children, and it is easy for parents to add to the pressure without meaning to. A few habits help.

• Keep sessions short, around 20 to 40 minutes, and stop when focus drops.
• Praise effort and method, rather than scores.
• Keep sport, play and time with friends in the week.
• Have a second school in mind that you would be happy with. It takes the weight off one result.
• Talk about the test as one route, not a verdict on who your child is.

Remember that the test is a snapshot. Plenty of children thrive in non-selective schools, and plenty who pass find the pace tough. Choose the school where your child is likely to be happy.

Where tutoring can fit

Some families prepare at home, some use a tutor, and some do both. A tutor can find gaps, explain methods differently from school and build confidence with unfamiliar question types, which is useful for reasoning papers that are rarely taught in class.

If you are considering it, we match tutors to your child's target tests, with lessons live and one to one. Take a look at our 11+ tutoring hub, or the specific pages for 11+ maths and 11+ verbal reasoning. If you have questions about how it works, see our FAQ.