Eleven plus examination Breakdown: Format & Timeline (2026 Entry)

The eleven plus examination is not one national paper. Grammar schools commonly use GL Assessment-style multiple choice, CEM-style reasoning-heavy papers (where still used), or bespoke tests written by schools/consortia; many independents set their own maths and English papers, sometimes alongside online pre-tests. Before buying materials, confirm your target schools’ exam provider and whether the maths paper is multiple choice or standard written, because timing strategy is different.

Registration usually opens in the summer term of Year 5 and closes early in the autumn term of Year 6. Exams are typically sat in September (Year 6) for most grammar schools; independent schools often test from late autumn to January, followed by interviews and school reports. If your child is aiming for both grammars and independents, plan for two peaks: September for grammar, then a second wave for independent assessments.

Here is your formatted 11+ exam components table:

Subject	Time Allowed	Question Type (Multiple Choice/Standard)	Key Skills
Maths	45–60 mins (varies by area)	Both used (region/school dependent)	Fractions, percentages, ratio, speed with 4 operations, multi-step word problems, area/perimeter
English	45–60 mins (varies)	Often standard written	Comprehension inference, vocabulary in context, grammar and punctuation accuracy
Verbal Reasoning	45–60 mins (varies)	Often multiple choice	Synonyms/antonyms, codes, sequences, cloze, speed reading and logic
Non-Verbal Reasoning	30–45 mins (varies)	Often multiple choice	Pattern recognition, rotations, symmetry, spatial logic, timed decision-making

Strategic Preparation Roadmap

For most families, the fastest improvement comes from replacing “more worksheets” with a tighter feedback loop: short timed sets, rapid marking, error analysis, and targeted reteaching. At Think Academy we focus on mastering the logic using the CPA method (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract), because that is what transfers across GL-style, CEM-style, and bespoke maths papers.

If you want a plan that matches your exact exam format, book a short placement assessment and we will tell you which topics and question types are currently suppressing marks, and what to fix first.

Year 4 (Spring–Summer): Build the foundations that actually move scores

Year 4 is where you should make maths automatic, especially number facts and written methods, because speed becomes a bottleneck later. For reasoning, start light familiarisation rather than full papers: 10–15 minutes, 3–4 times a week, focusing on method not volume.

• Maths non-negotiables: times tables to instant recall, fraction equivalence (e.g., 3/6 = 1/2), and written multiplication/division without hesitation.
• Problem-solving habits: draw bar models for ratio/fraction word problems; show working even on “mental” questions to reduce silly errors.
• Verbal Reasoning familiarisation: start in the summer term of Year 4 with common question stems (codes, letter sequences, synonyms).

Year 5 (Autumn–Spring): Move from topic practice to exam behaviours

Year 5 is where high-performing candidates separate: they learn to handle time pressure, mixed-topic switching, and multi-step wording. Aim for one timed section per week by autumn, building to two by spring, but keep sessions short so accuracy doesn’t collapse.

• Maths: shift to mixed sets (fractions + ratio + measures + geometry) so children practise choosing methods, not just repeating one skill.
• English: prioritise comprehension inference and vocabulary-in-context; many children lose marks by copying text rather than answering the question asked.
• Reasoning: teach question “templates” (e.g., in VR, spot the instruction fast; in NVR, eliminate options systematically).

Year 5 Summer Holidays: Light, consistent revision that prevents September burnout

The summer holidays should consolidate, not exhaust. A sustainable pattern is 4 days a week, 45–60 minutes total, split across maths and one other component, plus one mini-mock every 2 weeks under timed conditions.

• Do: short timed maths sets (10–15 questions), then spend longer reviewing mistakes than doing new questions.
• Don’t: do full papers back-to-back without analysis; it inflates workload while keeping the same errors.
• Target: reduce avoidable mistakes (misreading, poor layout, unit errors) because these are “free marks”.

Year 6 (Autumn): Peak performance for the test window

From late August to exam day, prioritise timing strategy and mark protection. Teach children a default approach: bank easy marks first, flag hard questions, and return only if time remains, because many papers reward coverage more than perfection.

• Two timed practices per week maximum, plus targeted drills on the top 3 error types.
• Final 10 days: reduce volume, keep sleep consistent, and avoid introducing unfamiliar content.

People Also Ask: Eleven plus examination FAQs

Q1: What is a “good score” in the eleven plus examination?
Most grammar-school tests convert raw marks into a Standardised Age Score (SAS), commonly centred around 100 with a spread that varies by area. In many competitive regions, offers can require an SAS that sits well above the average cohort, especially for out-of-catchment applicants. The practical takeaway is to ask your target schools or local authority for historic guidance, then aim for consistent top-quartile performance in timed mocks rather than chasing a single “magic number”. For official admissions and testing notes, check your local authority site and GOV.UK.

Q2: Do we need a tutor for the eleven plus examination?
Not always, but most successful candidates do have structured support: either tutoring, a coached online programme, or a highly organised parent-led plan with marked work and feedback. Families typically struggle with two things without help: choosing exam-accurate materials (GL-style multiple choice vs bespoke written maths) and diagnosing why marks are stuck (speed, misconceptions, or strategy). If your child’s scores plateau across three timed papers, targeted teaching usually saves time versus doing more papers.

Q3: Is it too late to start in Year 6?
If your grammar-school test is in September of Year 6, starting from scratch in Year 6 is high-risk unless the child is already working securely at Greater Depth across Key Stage 2 maths and has strong reading stamina. A realistic plan in that scenario is to prioritise maths fundamentals (fractions/percentage/ratio), timing strategy, and error reduction, while limiting full mocks to avoid overload. For independent schools with later tests, a Year 6 start can still be workable if the plan is tight and diagnostic-led.

Q4: What’s the difference between grammar and independent school tests?
Grammar school selection is primarily rank-based: your child’s standardised score is compared against other candidates, and catchment distance can matter heavily even after a pass. Independent schools often combine tests with interviews and school reports, so “borderline” scores can sometimes be balanced by strong teacher references or interview performance. This is why your revision plan should include confidence with explaining methods in maths, not just getting an answer.

How to Choose Materials That Match Your Paper

Buy resources only after you confirm the provider and question style. GL-style maths often rewards speed and careful multiple-choice technique (working efficiently, avoiding option traps), while standard written papers reward layout, method marks, and reasoning clarity.

Use official and provider-aligned sources where possible. For example, if your region uses GL-style components, start with provider-aligned familiarisation from GL Assessment, then add mixed-topic practice that targets your child’s weak strands (typically fractions/ratio and multi-step word problems).

Mark-Winning Maths: What Actually Lifts Scores

In the eleven plus examination, the biggest maths gains usually come from tightening fraction and percentage logic, not learning “harder” topics. Many children can do calculations but lose marks on interpretation: what the question is asking, which information is relevant, and how to set it up.

We teach CPA to make this predictable. Concrete builds meaning (e.g., fraction tiles), pictorial builds structure (bar models for ratios and comparison), and abstract builds speed (equations and efficient written methods). This reduces panic on unfamiliar wordings, which is exactly what bespoke papers are designed to test.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The eleven plus examination is manageable when you treat it like a project: confirm the paper format early, build foundations in Year 4, switch to timed exam behaviours in Year 5, and protect marks with strategy in Year 6. If you want a tailored plan for your child’s target schools, we can map a 12-month schedule and the exact skill gaps to close so you’re not revising blind for the eleven plus examination.