If your child is in Year 5 and you keep hearing other parents mention it, you’re probably wondering the same thing so many families do: what is the 11 plus, and is it something you need to think about? In short, the 11 plus is an entrance exam used by grammar schools and many independent schools to select pupils for Year 7, usually sat at the start of Year 6. It isn’t one national test, it varies by region and school, and that’s exactly why it confuses so many parents. Here’s the whole thing explained clearly, so you can decide what’s right for your child.
So what is the 11 plus, really?
The 11 plus is a selective entrance exam taken by children in the autumn of Year 6, when they’re ten or eleven, hence the name. Passing it can earn your child a place at a state grammar school (which is free) or help with entry to a fee-paying independent school. It sits outside the normal secondary school application, so it’s an extra step you opt into, not something every child takes.
The important thing to understand from the start is that there is no single 11+ paper sat by everyone. Different areas use different exam boards, test different subjects, and set their own dates and pass marks. A child in Kent sits a different exam from a child in Essex, who sits a different one again from a child aiming at a London independent school. So the first job for any parent is not revision. It’s finding out which test your target schools actually use.
Who sits the 11 plus?
Broadly, three groups of families:
- Those aiming for a state grammar school, where the 11 plus is the entry route and the place is free.
- Those applying to independent (fee-paying) schools, many of which run their own 11+ style entrance exams or use a shared pre-test.
- Those in partially selective areas, where a strong 11+ score opens up extra options alongside the normal school application.
You don’t have to sit it. Plenty of children go straight to an excellent local secondary without ever taking the 11 plus. It’s a choice you make based on the schools near you and what suits your child.
What does the 11+ test?
Across most grammar school regions, the 11+ assesses up to four areas:
- English covers reading comprehension, grammar, spelling and vocabulary, and sometimes a short piece of writing.
- Maths follows the primary curriculum but pushes further into multi-step problem solving.
- Verbal Reasoning is word based logic: codes, sequences, analogies and puzzles that test how a child thinks with language.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning applies that same problem solving to shapes and patterns rather than words.
Not every region tests all four. Some areas test English and Maths only, with no reasoning at all. Others lean heavily on reasoning. This is why knowing your specific test matters so much, because preparing for the wrong format is one of the most common and costly mistakes I see.
The exam boards, briefly
Most 11+ exams come from one of a few providers:
- GL Assessment is now the most widely used board for state grammar schools across many regions. You can check the format on the GL Assessment website.
- CEM used to be common and is now delivered online.
- ISEB Common Pre-Test is used by a large number of independent schools as a first stage.
- Some consortiums set their own papers. In Essex, for example, the CSSE runs a shared exam of English and Maths only, with no verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
Boards, and even individual schools, can change what they use from year to year. Always check directly with your target school rather than assuming, because it’s the difference between preparing for the right paper and the wrong one.
How is the 11+ scored?
This part surprises a lot of parents. Most boards use an age standardised score, not a raw mark out of a hundred. That means your child’s score is adjusted for their age in months, so a child born in August isn’t disadvantaged against a child born the previous September. Raw marks get converted onto a common scale, and schools set a qualifying score on that scale.
Two things follow from this. First, hitting the qualifying score usually makes your child eligible for a place, but in oversubscribed areas it doesn’t guarantee one, because places can then be allocated by catchment or ranking. Second, the pass mark can shift slightly year to year depending on how everyone performs. So the goal isn’t a magic number, it’s for your child to walk in prepared enough to perform at their best on the day.
When does the 11 plus happen?
The rhythm is fairly consistent across regions, even though the exact dates differ:
- Registration typically opens in spring and closes across early to mid summer, often in June or July. In most areas there is no late entry, so missing the window means waiting a year.
- The exams are usually sat in September of Year 6, often in the first few weeks of term, with some regions testing later in September or into October.
- Results generally arrive in mid-October.
- You then list your school choices on the Common Application Form, usually due by 31 October, and national offers land the following 1 March.
If you take one thing from this section, let it be the registration deadline. It’s the step families trip over most.
Is the 11 plus right for my child?
This is the real question, and it’s a personal one. The 11 plus suits children who are working at or above the expected level, who cope well with a challenge, and who have the temperament for a competitive exam. It is not the only path to a great education, and it isn’t the right fit for every child, even bright ones.
A few honest questions worth sitting with: Does your child enjoy problem solving, or does pressure tend to overwhelm them? Are the grammar or independent schools near you actually a good match for who they are? And is your family able to support a calm, steady run of preparation without it taking over the household? There’s no wrong answer. Choosing not to sit the 11 plus is a perfectly good decision.
If you do decide to go for it, the preparation is very manageable when it’s spread out and kept light. I’ve written a full guide on how to prepare for the 11+ over the summer that walks through the routine I’d suggest.
How I’d support a child through it
Here’s the part I care about most. The 11 plus isn’t really a test of how many worksheets a child grinds through. It’s a test of confident, flexible thinking under a bit of time pressure, and that’s built slowly, through lots of small moments of getting unstuck.
Those moments almost always happen when no tutor or teacher is in the room. Your child hits a reasoning type that won’t click, or a maths topic that keeps tripping them up, and if the answer has to wait a whole week, a small wobble can harden into “I’m just bad at this.” That’s the gap I built Atlas Learn to close. My students and their parents can message between lessons for homework help, and there are group sessions where children realise they’re not the only one finding something tricky. Over a preparation season, that steady support between the lessons is often what keeps momentum going and stops confidence dips before they take root.
If you reach the point of wondering whether to bring in a tutor at all, my guide on how to choose the right tutor for your child is a good next read.
In short
The 11 plus is a selective entrance exam for grammar and many independent schools, sat at the start of Year 6, and it varies by region in format, board and dates. Your first job is to find out exactly which test your target schools use and when registration closes. After that, it’s about deciding honestly whether it suits your child, and if it does, preparing calmly and steadily with good support in the moments that matter most.
Frequently asked questions
What age do children sit the 11 plus?
Children sit the 11 plus at the start of Year 6, when they are ten or eleven years old. The exam is taken the year before they start secondary school, and registration usually needs to be done the summer beforehand.
What subjects are in the 11 plus?
Most 11 plus exams test some combination of English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Some regions test English and Maths only, so always check the format your specific schools use.
Is the 11 plus free to sit?
For state grammar schools, sitting the 11 plus is free, and a place at the school is free too. Independent schools that run their own entrance exams may charge an assessment or registration fee, so check with each school.
Do you have to take the 11 plus?
No. The 11 plus is optional and only relevant if you’re aiming for a grammar or selective independent school. Many children go straight to an excellent local secondary without ever taking it.
Thinking about the 11 plus for your child?
I’m Yasindu, and I run Atlas Learn by Yasindu: hand-matched, one-to-one online tutoring with something most tutors don’t offer, real support between lessons so your child never stays stuck for long. If you’d like to talk through whether the 11 plus is right for your family, book a free trial lesson and we’ll take it from there.
