What is the 11+ exam? A complete parent guide

The 11+ is a selective entrance exam taken by children in Year 6 (typically aged 10 to 11) in England and Northern Ireland, used by grammar schools and some independent schools to decide admissions. Passing a good score does not guarantee a place, since competition for popular schools is high, but it is the main gateway families need to prepare for.

Who sits the 11+?

Children in state primary schools who want to apply to a grammar school in a selective area, and children applying to independent schools that use 11+-style testing as part of their own entrance process. Some areas (Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and others) are fully selective; others have a handful of grammar schools competing with comprehensives.

When does it happen?

Most 11+ exams take place in September of Year 6, around a year before the child starts secondary school. Exact dates vary by local authority and by individual independent schools, so always check your target schools' current guidance rather than relying on a generic timetable.

What does it cover?

• Maths — arithmetic, fractions, ratio, algebra basics, word problems and reasoning
• English — comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and sometimes creative writing
• Verbal reasoning — word-based puzzles, codes, sequences and logic
• Non-verbal reasoning — shape sequences, pattern spotting and spatial reasoning

Exact formats differ by exam board and region (GL Assessment and CEM are the two most common providers), so a question style that appears in one area may not appear in another. This is why checking your target schools' guidance matters more than following generic advice.

How should a family prepare?

Little and often beats cramming. Short, focused practice sessions — ten to twenty minutes a few times a week, starting well before Year 6 if possible — build familiarity with question types without creating exam fatigue. A worked answer after every question matters: children learn far more from understanding why an answer is right than from simply being told whether they got it right.

Managing exam anxiety

The 11+ can feel high-stakes to a ten-year-old. Keeping practice calm, celebrating effort rather than just scores, and avoiding language that frames the exam as a single make-or-break moment all help. A place offer is wonderful, but it is one route among several good ones — plenty of children thrive at non-selective schools too.

Prepare for Grammar offers original 11+ practice questions across all four subject areas, each with a worked answer and a tutor's tip, so your child can build confidence at their own pace. Start with a 7-day free trial on the pricing page.