11 Plus Exam Preparation
11 Plus Exam Preparation
MATHS
Based on the KS2 Maths Programme of Study. (GOV.UK)
Typical topics include:
- Number & Place Value
- Reading, writing, ordering numbers
- Comparing numbers
- Understanding place value (units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.)
- Rounding numbers (GOV.UK)
- Addition and Subtraction
- Mental methods and formal written methods
- Estimation
- Solving word / problem-based questions (GOV.UK)
- Multiplication and Division
- Times tables (often up to 12×12)
- Mental & written methods
- Division with remainders, etc. (Twinkl)
- Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Equivalent fractions, simplifying
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions
- Converting between fractions, decimals, percentages (Twinkl)
- Measurement
- Length, mass, volume / capacity
- Perimeter, area, sometimes volume
- Converting units (metric and sometimes imperial)
- Time – reading clocks, using time, calendars etc. (holywellschool.co.uk)
- Geometry
- Properties of shapes (2D and 3D), angles, symmetry
- Position & direction: coordinates, transformations (translations, reflections), and sometimes rotations (holywellschool.co.uk)
- Statistics
- Reading and interpreting data (charts, graphs, tables)
- Averages (mean, mode, median possibly)
- Probability in some cases, depending on the test board (holywellschool.co.uk)
- Ratio & Proportion (sometimes in upper KS2) (Twinkl)
- Basic Algebra (very simple)
- Patterns, simple equations
Missing number problems etc. (Grammar School Pathway)
ENGLISH
Covers comprehension, vocabulary, grammar & punctuation, often some creative writing. Based largely on KS2 English grammar, punctuation & vocabulary requirements. (Grammar School Pathway)
Usual topics:
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding passages: main ideas, inference, summarising
- Literal vs implicit meaning
- Answering questions based on texts (Grammar School Pathway)
- Vocabulary
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Prefixes, suffixes, roots, etymology in some cases
- Word meanings in context
- Spelling rules, commonly misspelt words (11plusehelp.co.uk)
- Grammar & Punctuation
- Parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, preposition etc.)
- Tenses, subject-verb agreement
- Sentence types (statements, questions, commands, exclamations)
- Clauses: main vs subordinate, relative clauses etc.
- Use of punctuation: full stops, commas, apostrophes, quotation/inverted commas, semi-colons, colons, brackets/parentheses, dashes etc. (GOV.UK)
- Spelling (in some exams, or as part of English)
- Common rules (e.g. doubling consonants, dropping the ‘e’, etc.)
- Prefixes/suffixes spelling, irregular words etc. (11plusehelp.co.uk)
- Creative / Extended Writing (if included)
- Writing stories, essays, imaginative / descriptive writing
- Organising ideas, paragraphs, style & tone, audience awareness (Grammar School Pathway)
VERBAL REASONING
These are logic / reasoning questions using words. Not part of the national curriculum, so schools and exam boards vary more. Common topic types:
- Analogies (word analogies)
- Opposites / antonyms
- Synonyms
- Word meanings, vocabulary in context
- Cloze tests (fill in missing words)
- Codes & code words (simple ciphers)
- Hidden words / missing letters
- Word puzzles: making words from letters, rearrangements (anagrams)
- Letter series / number-letter codes
- Word-number connections (e.g. letters represent numbers etc.)
- Following instructions with words, logical word problem statements (Education Quizzes)
NON - VERBAL REASONING
These test spatial, pattern, and visual logic skills. Again, more variable between exam boards / regions. Common topic types:
- Shape series (what comes next in a sequence of figures)
- Pattern / abstract shapes
- Matrices (figure matrices)
- Similar shapes / matching / odd one out in shape sets
- Codes using shapes / symbols
- Rotations, reflections of shapes
- Symmetry, mirror images
- Spatial reasoning: fitting shapes, visual puzzles etc.
ADDITIONAL TOPICS
- Some areas include numerical reasoning, separate from maths or VR.
- Some include creative writing as a separate paper.
- Some local grammar schools may include verbal skills, writing assessment or vocabulary papers.
Schedule & Fees

