Timeline for the 11+ exam for grammar school

You should have chosen the grammar schools you plan to apply to. To get a better sense of each school and determine whether it is the appropriate fit for your child, you should take them there. 

11 plus exam preparation in April 2023:

The majority of grammar schools will start accepting enrollments in April or May, with deadlines for parents to sign up their children for the 11+ test being set for June or July. Because there is some variation, please confirm these dates with your specific institutions. All primary school students in Buckinghamshire are automatically registered for the 11+ test, and the county has an opt-out policy that requires parents to voluntarily remove their child from the application process.

11+ exam preparation in September 2023

The 11+ test will take place during the first two weeks of September 2023  for the majority of grammar schools. Because there is some variation, please confirm the date with your specific schools.

 11+ exam preparation in October 2023

The majority of grammar schools will announce the 11+ results in the middle of October 2023.

11+ exam preparation in March 2024: On March 1, 2024, school assignments are verified. 

 Year 7 new intake starts in September 2024 at each of the 164 grammar schools.

What is the 11 plus exam?

What does 11+ mean? A standardised test called the eleven plus, which is given to some children in England and Northern Ireland during their last year of primary school, determines entrance to grammar schools and other secondary institutions that utilise academic selection. The term is derived from the secondary entering age range of 11 to 12 years.

In locations where state-funded grammar schools are still in operation or for applicants to some elite private institutions, the 11 plus test is required. 11 plus is used to determine which kids are the most academically gifted and is administered near the conclusion of Year 5 or the start of Year 6 of primary school.

 There are two main exam boards for the 11 plus Exam. Depending on where the grammar school is located, students will either take the GL Assessment or the CEM. 

CEM or GL: What is the difference in regards to 11+ exam

GL for 11+ exam (Granada Learning): What Does GL assessment mean? If you are beginning your child’s 11+ preparations, you may have heard of the abbreviation GL. GL stands for “Granada Learning,” a national leader in the delivery of the 11+ exam for more than 35 years. The 11 Plus examinations are created and delivered by GL Assessment in several grammar school districts. As of 2016, the GL Assessment is used in Dorset, Kent, Lancashire & Cumbria, Northern Ireland, Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire, Plymouth, Lincolnshire. 

CEM for 11+ exam (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring): The Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring at Cambridge Assessment creates the CEM tests. In response to concerns that the 11 Plus examinations were already too transparent, CEM tests were created. To reduce “teaching to the test,” CEM doesn’t issue study guides and modifies exam formats. 

 When should we start revising for the 11+ exam?

What Age Should You Start Preparing Your Child? Your preparation before Year 4 can concentrate on developing the abilities necessary before beginning 11+ work. This is the perfect moment to hone these skills. Some kids need more arithmetic to solidify fundamental concepts of maths for 11+ or more English to expand their vocabulary. The majority of children gain from several months of help, including consistent weekly instruction, developing rigour and polish across basic abilities, being completely stretched and intellectually pushed, and then adjusting their performance to the exam’s requirements. Any assistance or instruction geared toward the 11+ test preparation is also very beneficial to your child’s overall academic performance and self-confidence.

H2: What to Expect from 11+ Examinations

Exams for the 11 Plus mostly assess verbal thinking, nonverbal reasoning, arithmetic, and English. The mix of the topics varies amongst grammar schools, and various regions and exam boards have varying preferences for the format of the papers and duration of the exams. You can check eleven plus guide in a Guardian article to understand what to expect from the exam.

 Do we need a tutor for the 11+ exam?

Tutors have always been the go-to option for 11+ test preparation. This has increasingly moved to the digital realm over time, and 2020 will see an even greater shift toward this for obvious reasons.

Due to their specialisation in the types of questions that kids might anticipate answering on the 11+ test, online instructors are particularly beneficial. Parents will be searching online for tutors to help them study for the examination.

Not simply in locations where finding a teacher is difficult owing to proximity or competition, online tutoring is becoming a more and more popular option. Math-related subjects call for a lot of tutoring work. Although there are several local math tutors available, an established online tutoring service can be more beneficial.

How to prepare for 11+ exam maths section

Our tutor Matthew Henderson specialised in 11+ Maths thinks that like mastering any trade, practice is the key to success. Whilst the 11+ entrance tests do not, in theory, go beyond the primary syllabus, knowledge beyond the scope of primary maths is often required. At Think Academy, we target weaker topics and improve through repetition. The ultimate resource is practice papers, learning how to deal with question styles, and time constraints required at this level. 

Learning resources to prepare your child for the 11+ exam

Use our further help if you are unsure if you could enrol in an independent school. Even though you’ve already started looking at independent schools or have expanded on your previous research, Think Academy UK can assist you in taking the next step. While we provide a challenging online maths course created specifically to help Year 4 and Year 5 students prepare for the 11 plus test, we also provide a wealth of free online resources to assist parents and children in their preparation.

At Think Academy UK, we want to make sure you have the resources you need to assist your child in studying for the 11+ test. Because of this, our knowledgeable teaching staff works hard to provide parents all around the UK with as many materials as possible, including free 11+ practice tests. In addition to offering specialised online activities like webinars to assist your child study for the 11 plus test, we also provide workbooks and online arithmetic exercises.

You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:

Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 List

Best Grammar Schools in the UK: Top 100 List 

A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests

11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2022

Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results

When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam