https://tracelearn.app/blog/ Practical 11+ preparation guides for parents and tutors. en-gb https://tracelearn.app/blog/kent-test-practice-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/kent-test-practice-papers/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT An honest inventory of every genuinely free Kent Test practice resource, why real past papers do not exist, and how Kent scoring actually works. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/reasoning-practice-in-year-5/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/reasoning-practice-in-year-5/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-worksheets/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-worksheets/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-codes-and-letter-sequences/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-codes-and-letter-sequences/ Sun, 11 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/spatial-reasoning-in-the-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/spatial-reasoning-in-the-11-plus/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-questions-with-answers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-questions-with-answers/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/sutton-selective-eligibility-test/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/sutton-selective-eligibility-test/ Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/warwickshire-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/warwickshire-11-plus/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/bexley-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/bexley-11-plus/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/medway-test-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/medway-test-guide/ Sun, 04 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/wirral-11-plus-selection-test/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/wirral-11-plus-selection-test/ Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/manchester-and-trafford-grammar-schools/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/manchester-and-trafford-grammar-schools/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/gl-assessment-practice-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/gl-assessment-practice-papers/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-exam-dates/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-exam-dates/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-reading-list/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-reading-list/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-english-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-english-papers/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-books-and-resources/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-books-and-resources/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/london-11-plus-consortiums/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/london-11-plus-consortiums/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-questions-with-answers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-questions-with-answers/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-creative-writing/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-creative-writing/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-papers/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/is-the-11-plus-hard/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/is-the-11-plus-hard/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-standardised-scores-calculator/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-standardised-scores-calculator/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/buckinghamshire-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/buckinghamshire-11-plus/ Sat, 19 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-in-the-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-in-the-11-plus/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-vocabulary-list/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-vocabulary-list/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-pass-marks-and-qualifying-scores/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-pass-marks-and-qualifying-scores/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/birmingham-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/birmingham-11-plus/ Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-comprehension-questions/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-comprehension-questions/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-mock-exams/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-mock-exams/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/how-to-pass-the-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/how-to-pass-the-11-plus/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/cat4-test-guide-for-parents/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/cat4-test-guide-for-parents/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/csse-essex-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/csse-essex-11-plus/ Mon, 07 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-english-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-english-guide/ Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/free-11-plus-papers-with-answers-pdf/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/free-11-plus-papers-with-answers-pdf/ Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-revision-timetable/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-revision-timetable/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/iseb-common-pre-test-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/iseb-common-pre-test-guide/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT Understand ISEB’s published timings, adaptive testing and results access. Try our original practice examples and use the official test-player walkthrough. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/kent-test-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/kent-test-guide/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-question-types/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/verbal-reasoning-question-types/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-questions-with-answers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-questions-with-answers/ Sun, 30 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-past-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-past-papers/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-preparation-in-year-4/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-preparation-in-year-4/ Fri, 28 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-school-demand-and-private-school-costs/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-school-demand-and-private-school-costs/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:11:00 GMT 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. School Admissions https://tracelearn.app/blog/uk-home-education-statistics/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/uk-home-education-statistics/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:10:00 GMT 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. School Admissions https://tracelearn.app/blog/home-education-law-england/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/home-education-law-england/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:09:00 GMT 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. School Admissions https://tracelearn.app/blog/home-education-structure-and-progress/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/home-education-structure-and-progress/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:08:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/how-to-choose-an-11-plus-learning-platform/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/how-to-choose-an-11-plus-learning-platform/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:07:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/boys-writing-and-the-11-plus/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/boys-writing-and-the-11-plus/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:06:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/child-refuses-11-plus-practice/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/child-refuses-11-plus-practice/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:05:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/short-daily-11-plus-practice/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/short-daily-11-plus-practice/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:04:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/what-grammar-schools-select-for/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/what-grammar-schools-select-for/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:03:00 GMT 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. School Admissions https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-access-arrangements/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-access-arrangements/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:02:00 GMT 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. School Admissions https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-schools-using-fsce/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-schools-using-fsce/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:01:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/fsce-11-plus-exam-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/fsce-11-plus-exam-guide/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT FSCE test specifications vary by school. Read a school-specific familiarisation example, understand the answer formats and check the current guide before choosing preparation. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-results-day-and-appeals/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-results-day-and-appeals/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-tutor-or-self-study/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-tutor-or-self-study/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/bond-and-cgp-11-plus-books-compared/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/bond-and-cgp-11-plus-books-compared/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/gl-cem-iseb-exam-boards-compared/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/gl-cem-iseb-exam-boards-compared/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-schools-near-me/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/grammar-schools-near-me/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Regional Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-question-types/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/non-verbal-reasoning-question-types/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Reasoning Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-topics-and-question-types/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-maths-topics-and-question-types/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/free-11-plus-practice-papers/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/free-11-plus-practice-papers/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Practice Papers and Mock Tests https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-preparation-plan/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-preparation-plan/ Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Preparation Plans https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-exam-explained/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-exam-explained/ Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT 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. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-non-verbal-reasoning-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-non-verbal-reasoning-guide/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:10:00 GMT Help children break non-verbal reasoning into manageable checks for shape, number, position, rotation, reflection, matrices and folded figures. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-verbal-reasoning-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/11-plus-verbal-reasoning-guide/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:10:00 GMT Learn the main families of 11+ verbal reasoning questions and use a repeatable method that builds vocabulary, accuracy and timing in the right order. Subject Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/what-is-the-11-plus-parent-guide/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/what-is-the-11-plus-parent-guide/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:10:00 GMT Understand what the 11+ is, why formats differ by area, which subjects may appear and how testing fits into the grammar-school application process. Parent Guides https://tracelearn.app/blog/when-to-start-11-plus-preparation/ https://tracelearn.app/blog/when-to-start-11-plus-preparation/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:10:00 GMT A calm, practical guide to building foundations in Years 3 and 4, adding structured preparation in Year 5 and using timed practice proportionately. Preparation Plans