11+ Frequently Asked Questions

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination taken by primary school pupils in the UK at the start of Year 6 (typically September). It determines admission into state-funded selective grammar schools and certain partially selective academies for Year 7 entry at age 11.

The '11+' refers to the age of the child on entry to secondary school (11 years or older). It was originally established under the Education Act 1944 as part of the Tripartite System to allocate students to grammar, secondary modern, or technical schools.

No. The 11+ exam is 100% voluntary and opt-in. In almost all areas of the UK (except Buckinghamshire, where an opt-out system is used), parents must actively register their child with the grammar school consortium or local authority by early summer of Year 5.

Children sit the 11+ exam in September of Year 6, when they are 10 or 11 years old. Registration opens and closes earlier, during the summer term of Year 5 (between May and July).

No. All 163 state grammar schools in England are state-funded and 100% tuition-free. They operate as academies or maintained schools funded by the Department for Education. Fee-paying schools are independent schools, not state grammar schools.

Grammar schools are state-funded, non-fee-paying secondary schools that select pupils based solely on academic entrance test scores. Independent schools are privately funded, charge tuition fees (£15,000–£30,000+ per year), and use their own admissions assessments (such as the ISEB Common Pre-Test) combined with interviews and school reports.

The recommended preparation window begins in the autumn term of Year 5 (giving 10 to 12 months of structured study). Year 4 is ideal for building wide reading habits, strong times-tables automaticity, and vocabulary foundations. Starting earlier than Year 4 can cause burnout and anxiety without improving test-day outcomes.

Yes. Thousands of pupils pass the 11+ every year through home study. Success requires disciplined daily micro-practice (15–20 minutes), consistent reading, authentic exam board practice papers, and systematic mistake review. Digital platforms like LuraPrep provide the structured curriculum, instant marking, and analytics that traditionally required a private tutor.

Aim for 15 to 20 minutes on weekdays (covering 10 to 15 focused questions) and one 45-minute timed paper or practice session on weekends during Year 5. In the final two months before the exam, practice should shift towards full-length timed mock exams. Marathon 2-hour daily sessions lead to diminishing cognitive returns and test fatigue.

Yes, this is completely standard across the UK. State primary schools follow the National Curriculum and are legally prohibited from spending classroom time coaching pupils for selective grammar school tests. Parents must take full responsibility for 11+ preparation at home or through private study.

Private 1:1 tutoring typically costs between £2,000 and £5,000 per year (£40–£80 per hour). Self-study using physical workbooks (CGP, Bond) costs roughly £150–£300. Digital self-study with full adaptive question banks and mock exams on LuraPrep costs under £15 per month, making high-caliber preparation accessible to every family.

This is completely normal. National Curriculum KS2 tests assess expected mastery of age-appropriate basics. In contrast, the 11+ is a selective rank-order competition containing Year 6 and early Year 7 concepts, untaught multi-step problem solving, and aggressive time constraints (roughly 45 to 60 seconds per question). A 50% score at the start of Year 5 is a solid foundation to build from.

11+ Maths includes topics typically introduced in Year 6 or Year 7: algebraic substitution and simple equations, ratio and proportion, compound area and perimeter, percentage increases/decreases, probability, mean/median/mode/range, angle rules on intersecting lines, and coordinate geometry across 4 quadrants.

Verbal Reasoning evaluates a child's ability to solve problems, extract logic, and recognise relationships using words and letters. It tests advanced vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms), word codes, hidden words across sentence boundaries, letter sequences, and deductive logic.

GL Assessment uses 21 specific question types, including: Insert a Letter, Related Words (Synonyms/Antonyms), Word Codes, Hidden Word, Compound Words, Make a Word, Letter Series, Number Sequences, Word-Number Codes, and Logical Deductions. Mastering the structural rules for each of the 21 types is essential for GL regions.

Non-Verbal Reasoning tests visual problem-solving using shapes, diagrams, and patterns rather than words. Spatial reasoning adds 3D manipulation: folding 2D nets into cubes, counting hidden blocks in 3D structures, 2D/3D rotations, and line-of-symmetry mirror reflections.

A Cloze test is a passage with missing words or letters that the student must fill in. In GL and CEM exams, this includes 'Bank Cloze' (choosing from a word bank), 'Multiple-Choice Cloze' (selecting from 4-5 options per gap), and 'Missing Letters' (where the first and last letters are given). It tests vocabulary breadth and syntactic context.

11+ reading passages are typically 600 to 1,000 words long, followed by 15 to 25 questions, all to be completed within 45 to 50 minutes. Children must read comfortably at 150 to 200 words per minute while maintaining comprehension to leave sufficient time for answering inference and vocabulary questions.

11+ exam boards frequently draw comprehension extracts from 19th and early 20th-century literature. Recommended authors and books include: The Secret Garden (Burnett), Treasure Island (Stevenson), The Railway Children (Nesbit), White Fang (London), Black Beauty (Sewell), and Goodnight Mister Tom (Magorian). Encourage reading 20 minutes daily with a personal vocabulary notebook.

GL Assessment is the dominant UK provider (Kent, Bucks, Barnet, SW Herts), featuring distinct papers for Maths, English, VR, and NVR with standard multiple-choice optical answer sheets. CEM (used in parts of Birmingham and Medway) uses mixed-subject papers with strict internal timed sections. CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex) creates its own written Maths and English papers with no VR/NVR.

GL Assessment is by far the most widely used exam board across English grammar school consortia, including Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, South West Hertfordshire, and many London borough grammar schools.

The vast majority of grammar school exams (including all GL Assessment regions) use multiple-choice questions where answers are marked on a separate optical answer sheet. However, CSSE Essex, St Olave's Stage 2, and several independent schools use standard written response papers where working and full sentences are marked by hand.

Yes. As long as the exam dates do not clash and you are willing to travel, your child can sit exams for multiple consortia (for example, sitting the Kent Test, the Bexley Test, and the CSSE Essex test in the same month). You must register separately for each test.

Yes. In GL Assessment and CSSE exams, children are allowed to write calculations and notes directly on the question booklet margins or on designated rough working sheets provided by the invigilators. Rough paper is shredded after the test and not marked.

No. Calculators are strictly prohibited in all UK 11+ grammar school entrance exams and independent school pre-tests. All arithmetic and calculations must be completed using mental maths or written working on rough paper.

GL Assessment answer sheets are scanned by Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machines. Pupils must draw a clear horizontal pencil line through the box corresponding to their chosen letter (A, B, C, D, or E). If a child skips a question but fills in the answer on the wrong row, every subsequent question will be offset and marked incorrect. Training children to check question numbers after every 5 questions is a vital exam discipline.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online, computer-adaptive test used by independent senior schools (e.g. Eton, Harrow, Westminster) taken in Year 6 or Year 7. It adapts question difficulty dynamically based on whether the student answers correctly. Grammar school tests are paper-based and non-adaptive.

A Standardised Age Score (SAS) is a statistical score that normalizes raw test marks to account for the exact age of the pupil (down to the year and month) and test difficulty. The national average SAS is 100 with a standard deviation of 15. Approximately 68% of children score between 85 and 115, while scores above 120 place a child in the top 10% nationally.

No, summer-born children are not simply 'given extra marks'. Instead, statistical age standardisation compares a child's raw score only against other children born in the exact same calendar month across the national sample. A younger child born in August may need fewer raw correct answers to achieve the same SAS as an older September-born child who had 11 extra months of development.

Passing benchmarks vary by region: in Buckinghamshire, the qualifying threshold is a combined SAS of 121. In Kent, the qualifying benchmark is typically an aggregate SAS of 332 with no individual paper below 107. In super-selective schools like Queen Elizabeth's School (Barnet), scores are ranked from the top down, with successful cutoffs frequently exceeding 225+ out of 280.

Achieving the qualifying pass mark makes a child eligible for a grammar school place, but does not guarantee admission. If a grammar school has 180 places and 500 children qualify, places are offered based on admissions criteria (such as rank order of score, catchment distance, or sibling priority). The lowest score that actually receives a place is the 'admission cutoff'.

No. Marks are never deducted for incorrect answers in UK 11+ exams. Children should never leave an answer blank on a multiple-choice paper; if running out of time, they should make an educated guess across all remaining questions.

While it varies by paper difficulty, pupils typically need between 75% and 85% raw accuracy across all papers to secure an admission place at competitive grammar schools. Highly selective London schools (QE Barnet, Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin) often require raw scores in excess of 85% to 90%.

Test registration typically opens in May of Year 5 and closes in late June or early July of Year 5. If you miss this registration window, your child cannot sit the exam in September and will be ineligible for Year 7 grammar school entry.

Applying to a grammar school is a two-step process: First, you must register directly with the school or consortium in May/June to sit the entrance exam. Second, you must name the grammar school on your home Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF) by 31st October.

The national statutory deadline for submitting your secondary school Common Application Form (CAF) is 31st October at 11:59 PM in Year 6. You submit this form to your home local council regardless of where your target grammar schools are located.

No. Under the UK's statutory Equal Preference System, schools never see what preference rank you gave them. Every school ranks all applicants purely against their published admission criteria. Local councils then offer you the highest-ranked school on your list for which your child qualified. You should always put your genuine first-choice grammar school in position 1 without fear.

Most grammar schools and local authorities require proof of permanent residency (e.g. council tax bill, completed property purchase, or signed 12-month tenancy agreement) by the 31st October CAF deadline. Some consortia require proof as early as the summer registration date. Temporary addresses or living with relatives are strictly audited and rejected.

Yes. Most grammar schools across England reserve a specific quota of Year 7 places (often 15% to 25%) for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium / Free School Meals and set a significantly lower qualifying score threshold to promote social mobility.

Bring a completely clear pencil case containing: 3 sharpened HB pencils, a soft eraser (white, non-smudge), a pencil sharpener with container, and a 15cm clear ruler. Water must be in a clear bottle with all labels removed. Watches with smart features or alarms are strictly prohibited in the exam hall.

Never send an unwell child to sit the 11+. If your child takes the exam while ill, exam boards will not allow a re-sit or adjust scores after the fact. Instead, contact the school or consortium admissions office immediately before the start of the test and obtain a medical certificate from your GP. An alternative catch-up test date is always scheduled for genuine illness.

Yes. Pupils with verified special educational needs (SEN) can receive access arrangements, most commonly 25% extra time, large-print papers, or rest breaks. Parents must submit formal diagnostic reports (such as an Educational Psychologist assessment or EHCP) to the consortium by the early summer registration deadline.

Yes, children are escorted to the toilet by an invigilator if necessary, but the exam clock does not stop for individual toilet breaks during a section. Children are strongly encouraged to use the facilities during the scheduled break between papers.

Test anxiety usually stems from feeling out of control under time pressure. Stop giving full-length 50-minute timed tests until confidence returns. Break practice into 5-question micro-tasks where accuracy is praised rather than speed. Practice relaxation breathing and reassure your child that the 11+ does not define their intelligence or self-worth.

No. No intensive revision or full mock exams should be conducted the day before the test. Cramming does not work for reasoning exams and only increases cognitive fatigue and cortisol levels. Spend the day doing light physical activity, check stationery supplies, and ensure an early night with a calm routine.

Under national admissions regulations, 11+ exam results must be communicated to parents in mid-October (typically around the second or third Friday of October), before the 31st October CAF deadline. This ensures parents know whether their child qualified before submitting their school preferences.

National Offer Day is on 1st March of Year 6 (or the next working day if 1st March falls on a weekend). Parents receive an email from their local authority portal informing them of their child's allocated secondary school place.

Yes. Every parent has a statutory right to appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel (IAP). To succeed, parents must demonstrate academic evidence of grammar school capability (such as Year 5 school reports, high CAT4 cognitive scores, or Greater Depth SATs predictions) alongside documented extenuating circumstances (e.g. bereavement, severe illness) that affected test-day performance.

Yes, waiting lists move substantially between March and September. Many pupils offered grammar school places decline them in favour of independent fee-paying schools, or families relocate. Places that are declined are offered to the next highest-ranking pupil on the waiting list under published oversubscription rules.

Under the UK Data Protection Act / GDPR, parents can submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) to receive their child's raw marks and standard scores. However, exam boards (such as GL Assessment) are legally exempt from releasing the actual question booklets and copyright-protected answer papers.

LuraPrep takes the guesswork out of daily practice by generating a fresh, personalised 15-minute study routine every day. It dynamically blends 3 targeted 5-minute micro-tasks based on your child's recent performance and spaced repetition, building effortless recall, calm focus, and genuine confidence.

Whenever a child answers a question incorrectly during mock exams or practice, it is automatically captured into their private Mistake Vault with error classification (e.g. Calculation Slip, Vocabulary Distractor, Instruction Trap). The platform schedules a 7-day spaced repetition challenge until the concept is answered correctly twice, at least 48 hours apart.

Traditional 3D practice diagrams often suffer from visual ambiguity, where front blocks hide the floor of interior courtyards and leave children guessing whether hidden blocks exist. LuraPrep uses a proprietary elevated 3D perspective designed specifically for 11+ exams, ensuring complete line-of-sight visibility into all hollow spaces, courtyards, and interior drop-walls for fair, mathematically solvable questions.

Yes. LuraPrep provides continuous full-length test sections matching official GL Assessment and CSSE paper timings (50 minutes for Maths and English, 60 minutes for Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning) with authentic question sequences and realistic pacing indicators.

Yes. Tutors can set up teacher accounts to assign targeted homework across all 105 canonical 11+ syllabus topics, monitor student progress across GL/CSSE paper simulations, and review aggregate student mistake trends without spending hours on manual marking.