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11 Plus (11+) Exam Syllabus, Formula Sheets, Worksheets

11 Plus Maths Past Solved Papers with Detailed Answers

11+ Subjects and Exam Syllabus

The 11 Plus test is used by both grammar schools and independent schools throughout the UK as part of their selective admissions process. Since this test is designed to assess children’s academic knowledge and abilities in several different core areas, it’s important for parents and children to have a strong understanding of the 11 Plus exam syllabus in the months leading up to the exam, so that they can tailor their preparation accordingly. 

If you are in the process of helping your child prepare for this important exam, we’ve prepared the following short guide to understanding the core curricular areas which your child will need to be familiar with in order to succeed in their test. Read on to find out more about the 11Plus syllabus, alongside quality resources and practice papers.

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Check this Out: Top 5 Resources for 11+ Exam Revision & Practice to Score 100%

Which subjects are covered in the 11+ Exam?

While the 11 plus exam can come in various formats (which we’ll come back to shortly), it will virtually always cover the following core subjects:

 Depending on the 11 plus exam board administering the test, these subjects could be assessed in four separate corresponding papers, or in a more blended form. Similarly, the exam board in question will also determine whether your child will encounter multiple choice format questions (where they must select answers from a range of choices) or standard format questions (wherein they are required to generate a written answer). 

For example, the 11Plus test administered by Granada Learning (GL) involves four separate multiple choice papers across these subjects, while the 11+ exam set by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) tends to present subject areas in a more blended manner. Other 11 Plus exam boards like SET, CSSE or ISEB  might present questions differently again. With this in mind, we strongly recommend checking in advance what type of 11 Plus  paper your child will sit on their exam day, so that you can shape your preparation accordingly.

The 11+ Exam English Syllabus

Let’s start with the basics: your child’s abilities across English will be extremely important when it comes to sitting the 11plus exam. The good news here is that the 11 Plus English syllabus is based around Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Curriculum, and therefore the core knowledge and skills required are the same ones which your child will be focusing on in school.

To break things down further, we recommend giving your child plenty of opportunities to improve their proficiency in spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence structure; like any single element of the test, these things won’t be sufficient on their own to secure a pass, but a sound grasp of these areas (or lack thereof) won’t go unnoticed by markers.

Your child will also need to possess strong reading comprehension skills: they should develop a confident ability to read appropriately challenging texts and answer questions with precision, clarity and in a full manner. In particular, an ability to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases from context will be extremely beneficial. 

A wide vocabulary and (in many cases) an ability to write creatively on a topic set in the exam paper are two other core skills we recommend helping your child to develop continually as they prepare for their 11+ test. Remember that it is a good idea to prioritise focusing on areas which your child finds challenging; for many children, creative writing fits this description and therefore we recommend giving them plenty of opportunities to use 11+ English past papers in advance of their test.

Sample Questions from 11+ English Practice Papers

11+ CEM English Sample Questions


11+ English GL Style Sample Questions


11+ CSSE English Sample Questions


11+ SET English Sample Questions


The 11+ Exam Maths Syllabus

As with the English component, the 11Plus Maths syllabus is broadly centered around the KS2 National Curriculum. Therefore, your child will need to have a sound grasp of basic numeracy skills and mathematical concepts. To give you a broad idea of what this includes, see the topics below:

  • Number and place value
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
  • Fractions, percentages, decimals
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Algebra
  • Measurement
  • Geometry (properties and position of shapes, co-ordinates)
  • Statistics

As this list suggests, the Maths syllabus is relatively wide-ranging in terms of the skills and knowledge it covers, and therefore a great deal of revision, regular practice and consolidation across KS2 topics will be extremely beneficial for most children. 

Indeed, by the same token, we recommend avoiding the temptation to assume that pushing your child to advance further into KS3 topics as they prepare for the 11 Plus Exam is automatically a good strategy. This approach can often yield disappointing results as the test itself will not generally require knowledge far beyond KS2. Therefore, time is usually better spent on areas of KS2 which your child finds challenging (for instance, ensure they possess a thorough and confident ability to handle fractions, decimals and percentages, rather than a rusty or uncertain one).

One of the best ways to allow your child to consolidate their knowledge of the Maths syllabus is to use 11 Plus Maths past papers.

Sample Questions from 11+ Maths Practice Papers

11+ CEM Mathematics Sample Questions


11+ Maths GL Style Sample Questions


11+ CSSE Mathematics Sample Questions


11+ SET Mathematics Sample Questions


11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Skills

Unlike the English and Maths 11Plus syllabuses, which have the advantage of closely corresponding with skills and knowledge your child will have encountered in the classroom, the Non-Verbal Reasoning component of the 11Plus will likely be less familiar to most children. 

The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper requires children to engage with shapes, patterns and their logical relationships; this is an area which some children find intuitive and enjoyable and others may find challenging or confusing. Here are some of the common question types found in the Non-Verbal Reasoning component:

  • Like shapes
  • Odd one out
  • Rotations
  • Code breaker
  • Missing sequence
  • Most like
  • Nets 

The best way to help your child become more familiar with this area of the 11+ exam syllabus is to slowly introduce them to practice papers and past papers which contain plenty of examples of these sorts of questions.

Sample Questions from 11+ NVR Practice Papers

11+ Non - Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions:


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Verbal Reasoning Skills

The last area of the 11Plus syllabus to consider is the Verbal Reasoning component, 

This part of the 11Plus assesses children’s ability to handle both language and conceptual thinking. As mentioned before, different exam boards will assess this area in different ways, but it might be helpful to think of the Verbal Reasoning element as an area which combines your child’s learning across both the Maths and English syllabuses, as they will likely use skills from both of these areas. Common Verbal Reasoning question types can include:

  • Anagrams
  • Closest meaning
  • Complete the sum
  • Complete the word
  • Compound words
  • Following instructions
  • Hidden words
  • Letters for numbers
  • Letters for symbols
  • Number series

To give you a clearer picture of the Verbal Reasoning component of your child’s 11+ test, we recommend using Practice tasks, which will allow your child to gain an understanding of the sorts of skills which will be required of them in this area. Alternatively, you could invest in an 11+ online mock test, which would allow your child to practice some Verbal Reasoning questions in exam conditions.

Sample Questions from 11+ VR Practice Papers

11+ Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions:


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Online Courses, Mocks & Tuition for the 11 Plus Syllabus

When it comes to helping their children become confident across the entire 11Plus syllabus, many parents are aware of their limitations and feel less than confident in at least one or two areas. If this is the case for you, our final recommendation is to consider hiring an 11 Plus tutor to provide expert support to your child. Having an expert on hand to identify and focus on syllabus areas which your child finds challenging can work wonders in overcoming these difficulties.

Also, 11+ Online Courses and Mocks can be an excellent way to help your child in their journey toward sitting their 11Plus exam. If you want to identify the areas of the 11Plus syllabus which your child is struggling with, we recommend taking a diagnostic assessment. This will help you in identifying the areas in which your child needs tutoring.

FAQs

What Parents Are Saying?
  • Great Resources for 11+ Exams. My daughter achieved in her exams, thanks piacademy for recommending these papers.
    Viswa, 11+ Parent
    Thank you for creating these practice papers. Not found anywhere on the web. Very unique and helpful.
    Anonymous, 11+ Parent
  • The NVR arranged in topics are so useful and the explanations given in the answers are very clear to understand.
    Cherry Walker, 11+ Parent
    These papers really helped my daughter to improve her skills and gave her so much confidence for attending 11 plus, Thanks PiAcademy 😍
    Komala, 11+ Parent
  • Good practice test papers to prepare for 11+ exams.
    Narendra, 11+ Parent
    Great Resources for 11+ Exams. My daughter achieved in her exams, thanks piacademy for recommending these papers.
    Viswa, 11+ Parent
  • Great Resources for 11+ Exams. My daughter achieved in her exams, thanks piacademy for recommending these papers.
    Viswa, 11+ Parent
  • Thank you for creating these practice papers. Not found anywhere on the web. Very unique and helpful.
    Anonymous, 11+ Parent
  • The NVR arranged in topics are so useful and the explanations given in the answers are very clear to understand.
    Cherry Walker, 11+ Parent
  • These papers really helped my daughter to improve her skills and gave her so much confidence for attending 11 plus, Thanks PiAcademy 😍
    Komala, 11+ Parent
  • Good practice test papers to prepare for 11+ exams.
    Narendra, 11+ Parent
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