11 Plus Exam: What Age Should You Start Preparing Your Child?
11 Plus exam preparation is often more stressful for parents than it is for kids! As the 11 Plus is not part of the UK national curriculum, schools are limited with the help they can provide. So where do you begin?
We’ve been receiving tons of questions from parents, such as “when is the right to start preparing for the 11 Plus exam?” “Are there 11 Plus mock tests available?” “How best can we help our child prepare for the 11 Plus?” We have the answers to all these questions, with additional resources to help get you started.
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11 Plus exam preparation: The basics…
Before we look at when you should start preparing your child for their 11 Plus, you need to understand the basics.
What is the 11 Plus?
The 11 plus is an optional selective entrance exam that pupils usually sit at the beginning of Year 6. The candidate’s score is then used to assess academic ability and admission into English grammar and independent schools.
It’s worth noting that pupils in Scotland and Wales do not sit the 11 Plus exam, and it is mostly phased out in Northern Ireland, now called the ‘Northern Ireland Transfer Test’. Only selected local authorities in England still have grammar schools.
The 11 Plus test covers four areas: English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.
- The English part of the 11 Plus exam is the only part of the of the test which is NOT multiple choice. It focuses on the candidate’s creative writing ability.
- The maths part of the 11 Plus test focuses on arithmetic, problem-solving and mathematical concepts.
- Verbal reasoning tests the candidate’s English grammar and vocabulary skills.
- Non-verbal reasoning involves some maths, using illustrations and diagrams to solve problems.
When is the 11 Plus?
Year 6 pupils usually sit the 11 Plus exam in September of each year, with the transition to secondary school 12 months later. Results are released around 6 weeks after, which is mid-October.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 11+ test is delayed for most pupils by 30 days, taking place on 15th October. With that said, local councils have a degree of autonomy as to when they hold their exams.
In 2021, the 11 Plus test is scheduled for September as usual. Be sure to come back and check this blog as we’ll be regularly updating this blog throughout the year!
What age should you start preparing for the 11 Plus?
Typically, parents start preparing their child for the 11 Plus around 12 months before the test. That means that most kids are 9 or 10 years old.
However, this isn’t set in stone. You’ll find some parents even start preparing their children for the 11 Plus in Key Stage 1 – although this isn’t recommended. A discussion on Mumsnet from several years ago suggests that most parents start thinking about this when their child is in Year 4.
Ultimately, it’s a personal choice as to what’s best for your child. Don’t forget that you can always ask their primary school teacher for a more professional opinion. Most parents want to believe that their child can sit the 11 Plus, but realistically this isn’t always the case. Primary school teachers are likely to give you an honest opinion as to whether your child is a suitable candidate. Remember that preparing for the 11 Plus can be stressful for children, so it’s important to think long and hard before committing to a decision.
How can you prepare your child?
There are several popular methods parents use to prepare their child for the 11 Plus. While we highlighted that primary schools are limited as to how much help they can provide, you should know that some do hold a mock test. This is because the image of primary schools increases if they can prove they have sent some students to grammar schools after Year 6.
Using 11+ practice books
Bond have long provided handbooks and assessment papers for kids to prepare for their 11+ test. They are widely regarded to be as close as you can get to the actual 11 Plus questions.
Bond have practice books for English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. However, you should be warned that they can be quite expensive when purchased altogether. It might be a good idea to shop around rather than purchasing directly from their website.
If you’re looking for 11 Plus practice papers and mock exams you can download a free one here:
11 Plus online tuition
For many years, tutors have been the preferred choice for 11 Plus exam preparation. Over time this has gradually transitioned to the digital world, even more so in 2020 for obvious reasons.
Online tutors are especially effective as they specialise in the style of questions children can expect to answer in the 11+ test. With the 2020 11+ test due to take place next week, parents will be looking to find an online tutor in preparation for next year’s 11 Plus exam.
Think Academy UK provides Year 4 and Year 5 pupils with specialised maths tuition in the form of online classes. Tutors introduce children to the 11 Plus question format and the mathematical concepts frequently included in the test. Most importantly, Think Academy’s tutors teach kids how to answer these questions. With homework set every week, a review of the homework in each lesson, personalised feedback and additional learning resources; Think Academy UK is a popular and affordable option when it comes to 11 Plus preparation.
Think Academy UK is now offering a 12-week online maths courses (1 lesson per week) at £90.00 per child. Learn more here:
11 Plus Exam Preparation – Online maths tuition Year 4
11 Plus Exam Preparation – Online maths tuition Year 5
Over the coming weeks we will also be making some free resources available for effective 11 Plus preparation. For your 11 Plus preparation pack with a mock test, worksheets and more, please see the link below:
11 Plus Preparation Pack: 11+ mock test and maths worksheets
You might also like to read:
The Homework Debate 2020: Should Homework be Banned in the UK?
