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How can I prepare my child for the 11+ exam?

Are you confused about how your child should study for the 11+ exam? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The 11+ exam lessons vary by area and school so you need to know which material is right for you. We’re going to explain how to find the best 11+ exam tutor so that your child will ace their 11+ exam course.

What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ exam is used in England and is optional to take. Kids usually sit it when they are around 10 years old because it takes place in their final year of primary school. The name “11+ exam” simply stems from the fact that kids usually enter secondary school when they are 11 or 12 years old and this exam is sat to get into grammar schools or selective schools from Year 7.

The 11+ exam officially ceased in 2008 in Northern Ireland. However, you will find many of the ex-grammar schools use what’s known as the Northern Ireland Transfer Test instead.

Who should take the 11+ exam?

Your kid will need to take the 11+ exam if you want them to attend a grammar school. Generally, children who sit the 11+ exam are academically gifted and get above average results. You should talk to your teacher if you’re not sure whether or not your child should take the test.

What does the 11+ exam consist of?

The 11+ exam your child needs to take will depend on which area you live in and/or which school you are applying for. There are four different 11+ exam courses that can be covered.

What are the 11+ exam lessons covered?

The four types of possible 11+ exam lessons your child could be expected to cover are:

• Verbal Reasoning - requires good vocabulary, basic maths, and/or problem-solving

• Non-verbal Reasoning - requires abstract problem-solving type questions using shapes and patterns, and is not related to English or language skills

• English - requires an understanding of literary terms (e.g. a noun), grammar, and comprehension shown after reading a piece of text

• Maths - requires the use of concepts taught in Key Stage 2

When should you start 11+ exam revision?

When your child should start 11+ exam revision will depend on a number of factors. However, it’s never too early to brush up on these skills and there are some fun study practices we’ll share with you after.

Since much of the 11+ exam course content will have been taught in Key Stage 2 this is an important indication of how far in advance your kid should start their 11+ exam revision.

If they have confidently soared through everything, then a few months of revision and plenty of practice 11+ exams can be enough but if they have any problem areas as most kids will have done, it’s wise to start at least one year in advance so it’s a gradual process.

There are concepts that you should get them practicing even before this, especially non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning. While this is often an innate skill, promoting brain-training games like crosswords and sudoku early on will help your child immensely with their 11+ exam and into the future.

What should I revise for the 11+ exam?

You will need to research the exams related to your area or which school you plan on applying for because they vary vastly depending on which body administers the 11+ exam. The types of questions will differ and the response type too (e.g. multiple choice or full answer).

A good 11+ exam private tuition school will prepare your child for the appropriate 11+ exam in your area. Our dedicated 11+ exam tutors at GoStudent make this their priority for you.

How do you study for the 11+ exam?

To give you a general idea of 11+ exam revision strategies, we have broken them down into each possible 11+ exam course.

11+ exam revision for Verbal Reasoning

Some useful tips for studying for the verbal reasoning 11+ exam are to encourage your child to do spelling quizzes/exercises, crosswords and puzzles to get into the habit of practicing this way of thinking. They should also be across the Key Stage 2 English course content. You should also find practice material that is specific to the types of questions your area will include on this 11+ exam.

11+ exam revision for Non-verbal Reasoning

You should look to enhance your child’s spatial awareness to ace this 11+ exam course. Fun activities you can promote at home are 3D jigsaw puzzles, model-making kits, brain training games, and sudoku are all helpful here.

11+ exam revision for English

Reading is useful for the English 11+ exam for obvious reasons but most importantly to cement grammatical uses and enhance their vocabulary. There will usually be an essay question too so your child should practice writing and short stories within a time limit.

11+ exam revision for Maths

You should make sure your child is familiar with all of the concepts taught during Key Stage 2. These include fractions, prime numbers, percentages, averages, etc. When studying at home, your child should practice the times tables until they know them inside out, and find games that involve the various principles they need to improve on that were a part of Key Stage 2, and revise their school books.