11 Plus Features

The 11 Plus (11+) exam is an entrance test used by selective secondary schools, such as grammar schools and independent schools, to assess students for admission at the age of 11. The test typically takes place in Year 6 (the final year of primary school in the UK), and it evaluates a student’s aptitude in several key areas. While the specific content and format can vary depending on the region or school, the core features of the 11 Plus exam typically include the following sections:

1. English

The English section of the 11 Plus test assesses a student’s reading, writing, grammar, and comprehension skills. It usually contains a mix of the following:

Reading Comprehension: Students are given a passage to read, followed by questions that test their understanding of the text, ability to infer meaning, and ability to interpret the author’s intentions. Questions may ask about the main idea, themes, vocabulary, and details from the passage.
Grammar and Punctuation: This may involve identifying grammatical errors, correcting sentences, or placing punctuation correctly.
Spelling: Some exams may have a section that tests a student’s ability to spell words correctly.
Creative Writing (in some cases): Students may be asked to write a short essay or story on a given topic. This tests their ability to organize their thoughts, use appropriate vocabulary, and structure their writing well.

2. Mathematics

The Mathematics section tests a student’s understanding of various mathematical concepts. This section typically includes questions covering:

Basic Arithmetic: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages: Working with these number types, converting between them, and solving related problems.
Geometry and Measurement: Questions on shapes, area, perimeter, volume, angles, and units of measurement.
Algebra: Basic equations, sequences, and solving for unknowns.
Word Problems: These require students to apply mathematical reasoning to solve problems described in text form.
Time and Money Problems: Questions involving calculations related to time and money.

3. Verbal Reasoning (VR)

Verbal reasoning tests measure a student’s ability to work with and understand words, language, and logic. The types of questions can include:

Synonyms and Antonyms: Identifying words that are similar or opposite in meaning.
Word Analogies: Finding relationships between pairs of words (e.g., cat is to kitten as dog is to puppy).
Word Patterns: Recognizing patterns in letters or identifying which word does not belong in a group.
Word Associations: Understanding the connections between different words.
Cloze Tests: Completing sentences by filling in the missing word.
Jumbled Sentences: Rearranging words to form a grammatically correct sentence.
Logic and Sequences: Understanding letter or number sequences and solving logical puzzles.

4. Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR)

Non-verbal reasoning tests focus on a student’s ability to solve problems without the use of words. Instead, these questions involve visual or spatial reasoning. The types of questions typically include:

Patterns and Shapes: Recognizing patterns in shapes, finding the next shape in a sequence, or identifying which shape doesn’t belong.
Mirror Images: Identifying reflections of shapes.
Rotation and Transformation: Understanding how shapes change when they are rotated, flipped, or altered in some way.
3D Shapes: Interpreting diagrams of three-dimensional shapes and solving problems based on how they would look from different angles.
Matrices: Completing grids of shapes by understanding the logical relationships between them.

5. Spatial Reasoning

Some 11 Plus exams may include spatial reasoning tests, which are similar to non-verbal reasoning but with a specific focus on understanding and interpreting space and movement in two or three dimensions. Students might be asked to:

Visualize 3D Objects: Identifying how shapes would look when folded or unfolded.
Cube Nets: Recognizing which flat patterns (nets) can be folded into a cube.
Shape Matching: Matching shapes that have been rotated or reflected.

6. Creative Writing (in some cases)

Some 11 Plus exams include a creative writing component in addition to multiple-choice questions. In these sections, students may be asked to write a short story, essay, or letter based on a prompt. The creative writing section assesses a student’s ability to:

Plan and structure their ideas.
Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Employ a range of vocabulary.
Develop ideas and characters in a coherent and imaginative way.
Demonstrate creativity and originality in their writing.

7. Time Limits and Format

The 11 Plus exam is a timed test. Each section usually has strict time limits, ranging from 20 to 60 minutes depending on the subject and the school’s format. The exam is often composed of:

Multiple-choice questions: Many sections (especially in Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning) are multiple-choice, where students select the correct answer from a list.
Standard written questions: Some schools may use more traditional written questions, particularly for English or Maths.

The exam may be conducted in either one day or split into two sessions, depending on the school or local authority.

8. Scoring and Pass Marks

Scoring in the 11 Plus exam varies depending on the school or region. Generally, the scores are standardized to account for age differences (students born later in the academic year are given slight adjustments to their raw scores to ensure fairness). The pass mark is also dependent on the competition for places at the school, meaning that in some areas, the score needed to secure a place may be higher than in others.

Some schools might publish their required pass marks or percentage thresholds, while others keep this information confidential until after results are issued.

9. Areas Covered

The 11 Plus exam content is not based solely on the national curriculum but extends beyond it. While English and Maths will have familiar content from Year 6 studies, the Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning sections often include skills that are not directly taught in school and require additional preparation.

10. Preparation for the 11 Plus

Practice Papers: Completing practice papers is one of the most common ways to prepare for the 11 Plus. It familiarizes students with the question types, time pressures, and exam layout.
Tutoring: Many parents choose to hire a tutor to help prepare their child for the 11 Plus exam, particularly for the Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning sections, which may not be covered in school.
Study Resources: There are numerous books, online platforms, and resources available to help students revise key topics and practice specific question types.
Mock Exams: Some providers offer mock 11 Plus exams, which can give students a real sense of what to expect on the day and help reduce exam nerves.

11. Regional Variations

The format and content of the 11 Plus exam can vary significantly depending on where you are in the UK. In some areas, only certain parts of the test (e.g., Verbal Reasoning and Maths) may be required, while others may use all the subjects listed above. Additionally, different examining bodies set the tests in different areas, with some of the most well-known being:

GL Assessment (Granada Learning): They are the primary exam board for many 11 Plus tests and typically include Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English, and Maths.
CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring): Developed by Durham University, CEM tests are designed to be more “tutor-proof” and are less predictable in structure. They also focus on Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Numerical Reasoning.

12. Selective School Policies

Grammar schools and independent schools typically use the 11 Plus exam as part of a selective admission process. Some schools may also require additional assessments, such as interviews or further tests in specific subjects, like modern languages or science, to determine a student’s suitability for the school.

Eleven Plus Test Questions vary from exam to exam conducted by independent schools, grammar schools and any other 11 Plus Entrance Examination. These type of questions increase the ability to understand and analyze.

11pluehelp.co.uk provides Syllabus, Online Tutorials and Practice Tests for Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-verbal Reasoning. These are similar to Medway, Kent test practice papers and Bond Online 11 Plus Practice Papers.

Practice Exams and Review for the 11 Plus

There are many 11 Plus Practice papers for entrance exams, Independent school papers and more for the 11 tests. Ranging from 10 to 25 minutes, our multiple-choice and fill-up question types are ideal for all subjects revision. These are similar to Medway test practice papers.

Complimentary 11 Plus Math Practice Papers by Topic

Anxious about 11 Plus Exams? Math, English, Verbal Reasoning, or Non-Verbal?

11 Plus Topic-wise Free Practice Papers

There are many 11+ Practice tests to enhance your skills and check your overall knowledge to sit 11 plus tests. 11plusehelp.co.uk provides the different types of questions in the 11 Plus Maths Topic-Wise Free Practice Tests and provides detailed explanations for every problem. These explanations are right under each question’s answer that helps you understand the concept and the basics of the given questions right away. Moreover, you can save these explanations for your future references and practice. In this way, you will be able to understand theories, methods and problem-solving techniques.

Practice Tests for 11 Plus Mathematics

We focus on fundamentals, logic, basics and cover most of the syllabus for all 11 Plus exam patterns in the UK and Northern Ireland. For example, We cover Maths topic wise questions and fundamentals and how to apply them. We have various tests, time-based, short, long and various types, including standard mocks. All these tests lead to perfect practice, and the child should be fully prepared to face any 11 Plus Grammar School tests or Independent Schools tests. We provide the free 11 Plus Practice Papers, which are helpful for Bond 11 Plus,11 exam Birmingham, Essex past exam papers and Bucks 11 Plus. 11 Plus Books, Bond 11 Plus books, cem 11 Plus Books and GL 11 Plus Books are available 11 Plus Preparation.