Practice Papers and Mock Tests
Kent Test Practice Papers and Where to Find Them
An honest inventory of every genuinely free Kent Test practice resource, why real past papers do not exist, and how Kent scoring actually works.
14 min read
11+ learning library
Clear 11+ guides for calmer, better-informed preparation
Source-led explanations of how local 11+ tests work, for parents and tutors.
- 68 guides
- 7 topics
- Updated 14 Oct 2026
68 guides
Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning Practice in Year 5
In many areas the 11+ is sat in the opening days of Year 6, which makes Year 5 the whole preparation window. Here is a term-by-term plan for verbal and non-verbal reasoning, with a clear order of question families and honest accuracy targets.
13 min read
Printable Non Verbal Reasoning Worksheets for the 11 Plus
A segmented set of non verbal reasoning worksheets covering all twelve question families at easy, medium and hard, plus the marking routine, weekly volume and timing advice that turns printed sheets into progress.
13 min read
Verbal Reasoning Codes and Letter Sequences
Codes and letter sequences look like two separate 11+ topics, but they run on one skill: knowing where a letter sits in the alphabet and counting hops accurately at speed. Here is the method, the traps and 20 practice questions with worked answers.
15 min read
Spatial Reasoning in the 11 Plus
A source-led guide to spatial reasoning for 11+ families: six worked question types, what the official Buckinghamshire familiarisation booklet says about exam conditions, and a decision guide on whether your child needs to revise it separately.
15 min read
Non Verbal Reasoning Questions With Answers
Nine original non-verbal reasoning questions with full answers, written out on the page, plus the reason every wrong option is wrong and how the real timed sections work.
14 min read
The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test Explained
A source-led parent playbook for the Sutton SET: the six schools that use it, the two very different outcomes a pass can produce, the 2027-entry dates, and why stage two is nothing like stage one.
14 min read
Warwickshire 11 Plus and Grammar School Entry
A source-led guide to the Warwickshire 11+: the shared West Midlands test, the six grammar schools, the two separate deadlines and how places are really decided.
12 min read
Bexley 11 Plus Selection Test and Grammar Schools
Bexley's Selection Test is now written by Quest Assessments, not GL. Here is what changed, what did not, and how each of the four grammar schools actually allocates its places.
13 min read
The Medway Test Explained for Parents
A current, source-led guide to the Medway Test: three papers, no writing task, how the x2/x2/x1 weighting works, the published minimum scores, and what out-of-area families need to know.
14 min read
Wirral Grammar Schools and the Wirral Selection Test
Wirral has six grammar schools but two entirely separate entrance routes, and the council assessment is no longer a GL Assessment paper. Here is the current cycle, milestone by milestone.
14 min read
Manchester and Trafford Grammar Schools and the 11 Plus
There are no state grammar schools in the City of Manchester: all seven sit in Trafford, and they run three different entrance tests. Here is which school uses which test, what is on each paper, and the deadlines that decide whether your child sits it at all.
13 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
GL Assessment Style Practice Papers and How They Differ
A source-led walkthrough for checking whether a downloaded paper is genuinely GL style, including a seven-point checklist for spotting mislabelled or obsolete files, and free printable and online sets to start with.
13 min read
11 Plus Exam Dates and Registration Deadlines by Region
A maintained guide to 11 plus exam dates, registration deadlines and results days across Kent, Essex, London, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire, with a triage block that tells you which dates are still live for you.
14 min read
11 Plus Reading List by Year Group
Book suggestions for Years 3 to 6, with comprehension skills to discuss, classics, poetry, non-fiction and options for reluctant readers. Choose by interest and comfort, not an invented reading-age label.
11 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
11 Plus English Papers: Comprehension, SPaG and Writing Tasks
Finding an 11 plus English paper takes thirty seconds; marking one honestly is the hard part. This is a walkthrough of running a full paper at home, from choosing the right format to awarding each comprehension mark and grading the writing task.
16 min read
11 Plus Books, Papers and Online Practice: What Is Worth Buying
An independent look at the main 11+ book series, rated on difficulty against the real papers and on how well their answers actually explain anything. The right book depends on the test your child is sitting, and that is set locally.
13 min read
The 11 Plus in London: Consortium Tests and Sutton SET
A dated, source-led walkthrough of how the London 11 plus actually resolves into an offer: borough by borough, test by test, from May registration to March national offer day.
13 min read
Verbal Reasoning Questions and Answers by Type
A worked bank of 11+ verbal reasoning questions grouped by GL question family, where every answer comes with the method and a named explanation of the wrong answer children actually pick.
14 min read
11 Plus Creative Writing: Tasks, Marking Criteria and Model Answers
The official assessment statements markers of KS2 writing work from, what each 11+ exam board actually asks for, and annotated model scripts showing why one answer outscores another.
15 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
11 Plus Maths Papers and Topic Tests with Answers
Download full 11 plus maths papers labelled by board style, timing and difficulty, then reslice the same library into short topic tests so one weak area maps to one download.
15 min read
Is the 11 Plus Hard? Difficulty, Competition and Managing Pressure
Most pages answer this with an unsourced "top 10 to 25%". Buckinghamshire Council expects about 37% of its test-takers to qualify. Here is what the admission authorities actually publish about difficulty, competition and pressure.
15 min read
How 11 Plus Standardised Scores and Age Weighting Work
Understand 11+ standardised scores and age weighting, with a worked calculation from the published CSSE 2026-entry report. Check which method and qualifying rules apply to your area; a home practice mark cannot predict an official result.
14 min read
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test: A Parent Guide
A chronological guide to the Buckinghamshire 11+, from automatic entry and the withdrawal deadline through to results day, the Selection Review and the honest odds on appeal.
14 min read
Non-Verbal Reasoning in the 11 Plus: Format, Timing and Marks
Non-verbal reasoning is not one test, and in some areas it is not tested at all. Here is where NVR appears region by region, how long each section runs and what share of the score it carries.
14 min read
11 Plus Vocabulary: Word List and How to Learn It
A tiered 11 plus vocabulary list with definitions and example sentences, built from what real GL and CSSE papers actually ask. Includes a day 1, 3, 7 and 21 revision schedule and free printable flashcards.
14 min read
11 Plus Pass Marks and Qualifying Scores by Area
Compare published 11+ qualifying scores by area, with official sources. Understand why raw percentages, qualification rules and the last score offered a place are different.
13 min read
The Birmingham and West Midlands 11 Plus Explained
A dated, source-linked guide to the eight grammar schools in Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield: the two-stage application, the 205 and 224 scores, and why catchment often matters more than the test result.
15 min read
11 Plus Comprehension: Question Types and How to Answer Them
A decision-led guide to 11 plus comprehension: which question type you are looking at, how many points the marker needs to see, and how to answer each one at full credit rather than partial credit.
15 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
11 Plus Mock Exams: Online, In Centre and at Home
An honest comparison of the three ways to sit an 11 plus mock exam, with real 2026 prices, official test formats to match, and what a mock score can and cannot tell you.
14 min read
How to Pass the 11 Plus: Exam Technique and Timing Strategy
Most 11+ advice tells parents to keep an eye on the time and never says what the time is. This guide turns published test timings into seconds-per-question budgets, checkpoint pacing, answer-sheet discipline and a structured wrong-answer review.
15 min read
The CAT4 Test: What Schools Use It For and How Practice Helps
GL Assessment advises against CAT4 practice while prep sites sell it. The contradiction dissolves once you know whether your child is sitting a diagnostic CAT4 or an admissions one.
15 min read
The CSSE Exam in Essex: What Makes It Different
Most guides describe the CSSE 11+ from the outside: two papers, sixty minutes, not multiple choice. We opened the actual papers, mark schemes and standardisation report to show what really decides an Essex grammar school place.
15 min read
11 Plus English: What the Papers Test and How to Improve
Most guides list the four 11 plus English topics and stop. We use published papers and mark schemes to show what each section is actually worth, and how that should change your revision.
14 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
Free 11 Plus Papers with Answers to Download
Find free 11+ papers with answers from official providers, check which files fit your test, and use a clear marking and error-review routine. A practice percentage is useful feedback, not an official standardised score.
12 min read
Building an 11 Plus Revision Timetable That Your Child Will Keep To
Three complete 11 plus revision timetables (12 months, 6 months and 6 weeks), counted backwards from the real test date rather than forwards from today. Free, ungated and built around spacing, interleaving and a recovery plan for the weeks you miss.
15 min read
The ISEB Common Pre-Test: Format, Timing and How to Prepare
Understand ISEB’s published timings, adaptive testing and results access. Try our original practice examples and use the official test-player walkthrough.
12 min read
The Kent Test: Format, Dates and How to Prepare
A source-led guide to the Kent Test for parents: the real timeline, exact paper timings, why the qualifying score moves every year, and why individual grammar schools admit at far higher scores than the county threshold.
14 min read
Verbal Reasoning: All the Question Types and How to Solve Them
The 21 verbal reasoning question types every 11+ family is told to learn, sourced against what the exam boards actually publish, with an original worked example for each and per-type time budgets taken from a real 25-minute paper.
13 min read
11 Plus Maths Questions with Worked Answers
Twenty-two original 11+ maths questions on the page, ordered easy to hard the way a real paper is, each with the full method and the fastest mental route. Plus the technique split nobody mentions: multiple-choice papers and written papers reward different tactics.
15 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
11 Plus Past Papers: Where to Find Genuine School and Board Papers
Most things sold as 11 plus past papers are practice papers written by publishers, because GL and Cambridge do not release live tests. Here is what genuinely exists, school by school, and how to use it.
15 min read
Starting 11 Plus Preparation in Year 4: What Actually Matters
Build reading, vocabulary and maths foundations in Year 4. Use school-specific registration and test dates, termly checks and a manageable workload to plan what comes next.
15 min read
Are More Families Considering Grammar Schools? What the Evidence Shows
VAT on private school fees is real and precisely dated, but the official application data shows no national grammar school surge. Here is how to tell which claims hold up, and what actually decides whether your child gets a place.
14 min read
UK Home Education Statistics: What the Latest Data Shows
Two official figures for home education are in circulation and they are not interchangeable. Here is what 126,000 and 175,900 each mean, why no honest UK-wide total exists, and how much of the rise is better counting.
13 min read
Home Education in England: What Suitable Education Means
A precise, dated guide to what section 7 actually requires, what a local authority can and cannot make you do, and which parts of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 are genuinely in force.
16 min read
How to Add Structure to Home Education Without Recreating School
The law does not require a timetable, set hours or marked work, but it does reward evidence of progress. Here is a four-part system (goals, rhythm, review, evidence) that keeps home education defensible without turning your house into a classroom.
15 min read
How to Choose an 11 Plus Learning Platform
A disclosed buyer guide written by a company that sells one: how to decode the word adaptive, test whether a progress report is real evidence, and run a seven-day trial that actually decides.
15 min read
Boys, Writing and the 11 Plus: What the Evidence Does and Does Not Show
The official data confirms a real boys-girls writing gap, then explains almost nothing about your own child. Here is what the numbers say, whether the writing task even counts where you are applying, and a diagnostic that routes to three different fixes.
14 min read
When Your Child Hates 11 Plus Practice: A Lower-Pressure Reset
A step-by-step reset for parents whose child has stopped co-operating with 11 plus practice: how to tell ordinary resistance from real distress, a seven-day pause, the exact words to use, and how to decide whether to reduce, pause or stop.
16 min read
Why Short 11 Plus Sessions Beat Cramming
The 11+ advice online tells you to practise for seven minutes, twenty minutes, forty-five minutes or two whole papers a day. Here is what the evidence really supports, and what it does not.
15 min read
What Grammar Schools Select For: Tests, Scores and Admission Rules
Grammar schools do not look for a type of child. They run a published, legally governed allocation procedure, and passing the test is usually only eligibility, not currency.
13 min read
11 Plus Access Arrangements for SEND: Evidence, Deadlines and Support
Access arrangements for the 11+ are decided by your admission authority, not by a national rulebook. Here is how to find out which body decides, what evidence it will demand, and what to do if it says no.
15 min read
Which Grammar Schools Use the FSCE 11 Plus?
Compare school-specific FSCE entrance routes and announced future changes. Check the entry year, source links and whether schools share a sitting or require separate registration.
12 min read
What Is the FSCE 11 Plus Exam? Format, Skills and Preparation
FSCE test specifications vary by school. Read a school-specific familiarisation example, understand the answer formats and check the current guide before choosing preparation.
11 min read
11 Plus Results Day: Understanding the Letter and Your Options
A region-by-region guide to 11+ results dates and qualifying scores, with the steps from the results letter to your council’s application deadline, National Offer Day and grammar school appeals.
10 min read
11 Plus Tutors, Apps and Self Study: Costs and How to Choose
Verified 2026 tutor and app prices, free council and GL Assessment familiarisation materials, and three fully costed 12-month budgets so you can choose a route on evidence rather than anxiety.
15 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
Bond and CGP 11 Plus Books Compared
A neutral, non-retail comparison of Bond 11 plus and CGP 11 plus books: question-style fidelity, answer quality, cost per question, and where each brand is genuinely weak.
14 min read
GL Assessment, CEM and ISEB: Which 11 Plus Exam Will Your Child Sit
Most 11+ guides explain GL Assessment and stop there. This one compares all five boards UK parents actually meet, and shows how format changes the way you prepare.
13 min read
Grammar Schools in the UK: Find Your Area and Its Entrance Test
A region-by-region guide to where the UK grammar schools are, which entrance test each area uses, what it tests, and when registration opens and closes. Includes the deadline most parents miss.
14 min read
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Every Question Type with Worked Examples
A complete taxonomy of 11+ non-verbal reasoning question types, each with a worked example, a repeatable solving rule and the distractor examiners plant. Includes official ISEB and GL exam facts.
15 min read
11 Plus Maths: Every Topic and Question Type Explained
A complete 11 plus maths topic list, organised as a decision guide rather than a directory. Includes the four areas school teaches after the exam is over, the classic traps per topic, and how pace differs by board.
13 min read
Practice Papers and Mock Tests
Free 11 Plus Practice Papers with Answers
A curated library of free 11 plus papers where every entry tells you its duration, question count, whether answers are included and whether it matches your local board before you download it.
13 min read
How to Prepare for the 11 Plus: a Year by Year Plan
Start with a fifteen minute diagnostic, not a reading list. This guide routes you to one of three plans, gives weekly time budgets in minutes from Year 3 to exam week, and tells you exactly what to cut when time runs short.
12 min read
The 11 Plus Exam: What It Is, Who Sits It and How It Works
The 11 plus is not one exam. It is roughly fifteen different tests sharing a name, and which one your child sits depends entirely on your postcode. Here is how to find yours.
13 min read
11+ non-verbal reasoning: patterns, rotations and a clear solving method
Help children break non-verbal reasoning into manageable checks for shape, number, position, rotation, reflection, matrices and folded figures.
6 min read
11+ verbal reasoning: question families and a better way to practise
Learn the main families of 11+ verbal reasoning questions and use a repeatable method that builds vocabulary, accuracy and timing in the right order.
6 min read
What is the 11+? A practical parent guide to tests, subjects and applications
Understand what the 11+ is, why formats differ by area, which subjects may appear and how testing fits into the grammar-school application process.
6 min read
When should a child start 11+ preparation? A year-by-year plan
A calm, practical guide to building foundations in Years 3 and 4, adding structured preparation in Year 5 and using timed practice proportionately.
6 min read
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