11+ Preparation

How to Prepare for the 11+

A practical, step-by-step plan you can follow at home — no teaching degree required.

Preparing for the 11+ can feel overwhelming, especially if you did not sit it yourself. The good news is that it does not require anything magical. It requires a clear plan, consistent effort, and a bit of patience. This guide gives you both — the plan and the perspective.

We have broken it into seven steps. You do not need to do them all at once — work through them over the months leading up to the exam. For timing advice, see our when to start guide.

Know Your Exam Board

This is the single most important first step. Your child’s exam will be set by either GL Assessment or CEM (or, rarely, an independent school consortium). The format, question types, and preparation approach differ significantly between the two.

Check the website of your target grammar school, or read our GL vs CEM comparison guide for a full breakdown.

Getting this wrong means practising the wrong format — which wastes time and can create false confidence or unnecessary panic on exam day.

Assess the Starting Point

Before you start practising, find out where your child stands. This is not about labelling them — it is about being efficient with your preparation time.

Give them an untimed (or loosely timed) mock paper and see what happens. Do not worry about the score — look at which areas caused difficulty. Most children will find:

✓Maths and English are familiar from school, though possibly at a lower level than the 11+ requires
✓Verbal Reasoning is partially new — some question types will click, others will be completely unfamiliar
✓Non-Verbal Reasoning is often the biggest surprise — children either take to it quickly or need significant practice

Build a Routine

The most effective preparation is 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Not two hours on a Saturday. Not an hour before bed when everyone is tired. A short, focused session at a consistent time.

Here is a sample weekly schedule that works for many families:

Monday

Verbal Reasoning

Tuesday

Maths

Wednesday

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Thursday

English / Comprehension

Friday

Weak area focus or mixed practice

Weekend

Rest (or a mock test once a month)

Focus on Weak Areas

This is where most parents go wrong. It is tempting to let your child practise what they are good at — it is more enjoyable for them and less stressful for you. But the biggest gains come from working on weaknesses.

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning usually need the most attention because they are not covered in the school curriculum. Your child will be seeing these question types for the first time, so they need dedicated practice.

SATs Arcade’s 11+ readiness score identifies exactly which topics need work, so you do not have to guess. It is like having a diagnostic report updated after every practice session.

Practise Under Timed Conditions

Speed matters in the 11+. Most papers give roughly one minute per question, and many children who know the material still struggle to finish in time. Time management is a skill that needs to be practised separately.

Do not introduce timing too early — let your child build confidence with the question types first. Then gradually add time pressure:

1.Start untimed — focus on accuracy
2.Time individual sections (e.g. “try these 10 questions in 10 minutes”)
3.Progress to full timed papers
4.Teach the “skip and return” strategy — do not get stuck on one question

Mock Tests

Mock tests are the single best predictor of how your child will perform on exam day. They build familiarity with the format, train time management, and reduce anxiety — because the real thing feels less intimidating when they have done it before.

Aim for at least 3–4 full mock tests before the real exam, ideally one every two weeks in the final months. Treat them as close to real exam conditions as possible:

✓Quiet room, no interruptions
✓Proper timing with a visible clock
✓No help or hints during the test
✓Review answers together afterwards — this is where the real learning happens

Manage the Pressure

This is the step most preparation guides skip, and it might be the most important one.

The 11+ is a test. It is not a verdict on your child’s worth, intelligence, or future prospects. Children who do not pass the 11+ go on to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and everything in between. Grammar school is one excellent pathway, not the only one.

Here is what actually helps:

✓Celebrate effort, not just results. “I noticed you did not give up on that hard question” matters more than “You got 85%”.
✓Never use the 11+ as a threat. “If you don’t practise, you won’t get into grammar school” creates anxiety, not motivation.
✓Keep perspective. Your child is 10 years old. This is one test on one day. It does not define them.
✓Watch your own body language. If you are visibly stressed about the 11+, your child will absorb that stress.

Resources — An Honest Comparison

There is no shortage of 11+ preparation resources. Here is a frank look at the main options, including what they cost:

Private Tutor

£35–50/hr

Typically £150–200/month for weekly sessions. A good tutor provides personalised attention, motivation, and expertise. But quality varies enormously, and the cost adds up quickly over 12–18 months.

Best for: children who need significant support, or parents who want expert guidance.

Practice Books (Bond, CGP)

£5–8/book

Excellent value. A full set of books for all subjects costs £40–60. They are well-structured and widely used. The downside is that marking and tracking progress falls on you, and there is no adaptive difficulty.

Best for: organised parents who are comfortable managing the preparation schedule.

SATs Arcade (Online Practice)

£7.99/month

590+ 11+ questions across VR, NVR, Maths, and English. Automatic marking, progress tracking, readiness scores, and timed mock tests. Your child practises independently while you monitor progress. Works alongside books or a tutor.

Best for: families who want structured daily practice without the cost of tutoring.

Free Resources

£0

Sample papers from exam boards, free question banks, YouTube tutorials, and library books. Quality is mixed and it takes time to find and organise good material, but there are genuine gems out there.

Best for: supplementing other resources, or families on a tight budget.

The Real Cost Comparison

Over a 12-month preparation period: a private tutor costs roughly £1,800–2,400. Books cost around £40–60 (one-off). SATs Arcade costs £96 for the year. Most families find that a combination of books + online practice gives the best balance of structure, cost, and effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prepare my child without a tutor?+

Yes. Many children pass the 11+ with home preparation alone. The key ingredients are: consistent daily practice (15-20 minutes), good resources (books or an online platform), and a parent who reviews progress and adjusts the focus as needed. You do not need to be an expert — you just need to be organised.

Which practice books are best for the 11+?+

Bond 11+ and CGP 11+ are the two most popular ranges and both are excellent. For GL, the Bond Assessment Papers and CGP 10-Minute Tests are particularly good. For CEM, CGP's CEM-specific range is well-regarded. Start with one series and stick with it rather than buying everything.

How do I know which areas to focus on?+

Start with a baseline assessment or untimed mock test. The results will show you exactly where the gaps are. Most children find VR and NVR the most challenging because these are not taught in school. Maths and English gaps can usually be identified from school reports and homework performance.

Should my child practise under timed conditions?+

Eventually, yes — but not from the start. Begin untimed to build understanding and confidence. Introduce timing gradually (perhaps timing individual sections before full papers). By 2-3 months before the exam, all practice should be timed to build exam stamina.

How many mock tests should my child do before the exam?+

Between 4 and 8 full mock tests is ideal, spread across the final 3-4 months of preparation. More than that and you risk burnout and running out of fresh material. Fewer than that and your child may not be comfortable with the exam format and timing.

My child gets anxious about the 11+ — what should I do?+

First, check your own anxiety — children pick up on parental stress. Frame the 11+ as an opportunity, not a life-defining event. Remind them that plenty of successful people did not go to grammar school. Keep practice low-pressure and celebrate effort. If anxiety is severe, consider speaking to their school or a child psychologist.

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