Introduction
In any 11+ exam, English is a core part of what is being assessed. However, “English” is a broad term and if you are helping your child to prepare for their 11Plus, the chances are you will want to find out as much as you can about what skills are required to pass 11+ English papers.
There is no straightforward answer as to exactly what your child will encounter in their English 11 Plus. This is because the content and format of the paper can vary significantly depending on the exam board and the school.
The good news, however, is that you can still tailor your child’s preparation for their 11Plus English exam by using this helpful guide.
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What Will Be in the 11 Plus English Paper?
A good way to start preparing your child for the 11Plus English test is to be aware of the key areas that could be assessed. As mentioned before, this can depend a lot on the individual school or the exam board administering the test.
Some 11+ English papers (such as the CSSE English papers) are known for pushing at the outer limits of Year 6 reading comprehension, requiring children to grapple with fairly sophisticated vocabulary. Meanwhile, the 11Plus set bRegardless of the 11+ English paper, it’s almost inevitable that most of the topics from 11+ English Syllabus listed below will be covered in some way, under the umbrella of National Key Stage 2 English skills:y the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) tends to involve a mixed format (both multiple choice and standard questions) and often uses Cloze passages. The Granada Learning (GL) 11 Plus, on the other hand, presents pupils with a 45 minute paper made up of multiple choice questions.
Regardless of the 11+ English paper, it’s almost inevitable that most of the topics from 11+ English Syllabus listed below will be covered in some way, under the umbrella of National Key Stage 2 English skills:
As this list is only covering general skill areas that will be important in all 11Plus entrance tests, we strongly recommend finding out which 11 Plus English paper your child will be sitting. You can usually find this out on school or council websites. Once you have this information, you will be able to use 11+ English practice papers and past papers to help your child prepare effectively.
How can I help my child prepare for the 11+ English Exam Paper?
As with any test or exam, the earlier you begin preparing your son or daughter, the better: we recommend helping your child to adopt a manageable, organised study routine far in advance of the 11+ exam date. Using a range of 11+ English study materials can be an excellent way to organise this.
Remember that a lot of your child’s preparation for 11 Plus English Entrance Paper can also take the form of informal and enjoyable activities: encouraging your child to read appropriately challenging texts (for example, ones listed in the KS2 curriculum) daily is an excellent way to build up their vocabulary and comprehension.
We also recommend taking an active interest in your child’s homework tasks and their coursework throughout the school year. This can help you gain a sense of their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to core skills such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary use. For example, if you notice your child is a good speller but they struggle with correct grammar, this will give you a good idea of what to focus on going forward.
On that note, if your child is preparing their 11+ English paper but has significant challenges in certain areas, it might be worth considering using targeted materials designed by expert 11+ English tutors to help improve these core skills.
Top Tips for Success in the 11Plus English Test
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- Double Check Spelling
Spelling isn’t by any means the only important skill, but examiners do take notice of children’s spelling abilities and so it’s worthwhile using targeted materials to help your child become as proficient as they can.
- Use Proper Punctuation
A sound grasp of the right and wrong ways to use punctuation marks is essential in the 11Plus English test. Give your child plenty of opportunities to become confident and used to punctuating their work, and to spotting and correcting missing punctuation.
- Understand Sentence Structure
Structuring sentences is an important aspect of English grammar. If your child finds this difficult, consider using resources designed to develop your child’s awareness of what rules govern the use of subjects, verbs, objects, phrases, clauses and how to properly join these together to make fully grammatical sentences.
- Broaden Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a key area in the 11Plus English entrance exam. This could cover multiple areas- e.g., the ability to use good vocabulary, the ability to comprehend vocabulary in a text, or indeed the ability to work out the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary using context. Consider using targeted materials if this is an area your child finds challenging.
- Prepare for the 11+ English Comprehension Test
Most children will be familiar with tasks where they are presented with a text, followed by questions they need to answer. To approach this task in the 11Plus context effectively, give your child plenty of chances to practice good technique- such as reading the whole text first, ensuring they read questions very carefully, and checking that their answers are accurate, full and worded in complete sentences.
- Prepare for a Creative Writing Essay
Some (not all) Eleven Plus papers require children to produce a piece of creative writing. The key here is the quality of written expression (spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and grammar) as well as the composition or structure (i.e., it should be well-organised and easy for the marker to follow). If your child’s 11+ English test will include a creative writing paper, we strongly recommend giving your child opportunities to practice their skills in this area.
11 Plus English Practice Papers
As mentioned before, it is extremely beneficial to find out what type of 11Plus English paper your child will be sitting. This depends on the school and the exam board, and you can usually find out this key information through visiting council or school websites. In general, practising 11+ english past papers could boost your child’s confidence in 11+ English skills.
CEM 11Plus English practice papers
The CEM English paper tends to blend question types and present children with a mixed format. For this reason, it can be an excellent idea to use CEM 11+ English practice papers to help your child become familiar with the kinds of tasks they might be presented with.
11+ CEM English Sample Questions
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GL 11Plus English practice papers
The GL 11Plus English exam is widely regarded as a more traditional style of test- it tends to follow a multiple choice format. If your child is sitting a GL 11Plus, consider using GL 11+-style practice papers to help them prepare.
11+ English GL Style Sample Questions
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CSSE 11Plus English practice papers
The CSSE is an 11Plus exam used by a consortium of grammar schools in Essex. If this is the 11Plus which your child is due to sit, we recommend taking a look at a range of practice papers which provide CSSE-style 11Plus English questions.
11+ CSSE English Sample Questions
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SET 11Plus English practice papers
The SET 11Plus (sometimes referred to as the Sutton 11+) is used by a consortium of schools in Surrey. If you have a child preparing to sit the SET 11Plus English paper, you might find it helpful to use SET-style 11Plus practice papers.
11+ SET English Sample Questions
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Independent school 11Plus English practice papers
If your child is preparing for entry to an independent school, they might sit a different type of 11Plus exam from those set by grammar schools. It can therefore be useful to look at independent-style 11Plus English practice papers.
11 Plus English Tutors
If you’ve made it through our guide but are feeling slightly daunted by the prospect of preparing your child for the 11+ English test, remember that help is available.
Our final recommendation is to consider hiring an online 11+ English tutor, who can use their expertise to help your child become confident and capable across the key areas that the 11Plus English exam will involve.
