When to start preparing your child for the 11+ exam

Getting ready for the 11+ test might be more difficult for parents than children. Since preparation for the 11+ is not mandated by law, schools in the United Kingdom cannot provide extensive support for the exam. In such a case, where do you even start?

Each family will find a different solution to their needs. You will be right if you keep in mind that in years three and four, you're mostly working on acquiring skills, and in year five, you're transitioning from accumulating skillset to testing them.

What is the 11+?

At the end of Year 5, students can take the 11+ exams, a selective admission test. Grammar schools and independent schools utilise the candidate's score as one criterion for entrance decisions.

When is the best time to begin studying for the 11+?

The average time parents spend preparing their kid for the 11+ is 12 months. That indicates the average age of children is between 9 and 10.

This, though, isn't etched in stone. Most parents begin preparing their children for the 11+ latest by year 4 in primary school..

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what's best for your kid. Remember that if you want a more objective view, you can always ask your child’s school teacher. Although, do bear in mind, most may not agree with selective testing. When asked, most parents would say they have faith in their child's ability to pass the 11+ exam, but the reality is often different. If you ask a primary school teacher, they may tell you the truth about whether or not your kid is ready  to sit the exam. It's important to remember that preparing for the 11+ may be difficult for kids, so consider each option before settling on one and remember to start early to avoid all round stress later on.

How to prepare your child?

School Prep

Getting your kid ready for the 11 + may be done in several ways. Some primary schools may give some support, but do bear in mind this is not part of the curriculum. It is up to each individual teacher.

11+ Prep Books

For quite some time, Bond has supplied study guides and tests to help pupils get ready for the 11+ exam. Their bond online learning programme is very good.  Others such as Atom Learning , (best for independent schools exams) are excellent. Eleven plus series, CGP and CEM Letts book series are all recommended.

English, mathematics, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning practice books are all available but you should know that buying all of them at once might become rather pricey. We recommend you look around before deciding what to buy.

11+ Online Tutoring

Preparing for the 11 Plus test with the help of a tutor has been the norm for many years. This shifted entirely to the online realm in 2020, and this trend will only accelerate.

For the 11+ exam, online instructors are particularly useful since they can tailor their lessons to the specific questions that students may encounter.

Get us to help your child prepare for the 11+ exam better. If you need more guidance, you can also get in contact with our experts.