GL Assessment for 11+
GL (Granada Learning) is an exam board that provides tests for 11 plus exams. Previously known as nferNelson (NFER - National Foundation for Educational Research), in 2000, it became a part of the Granada Learning group.
GL Assessment is a reputed name now, as, for more than two decades, they have provided premium quality assessments which many grammar schools use as 11+ entrance exams.
Table of Contents.
Check this Out: Top 5 Tips for Guaranteed Success in GL Style 11+ Exam
Subjects tested in the 11+ GL assessments
GL offers assessments for five subjects:
- English
- Maths
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-verbal Reasoning.
- Spatial Reasoning
The schools can choose a combination of these subjects for their entrance exams depending on their selection criteria.
11Plus GL Exam format
Most GL papers are in the multiple-choice format with five answer choices. Some schools can follow the standard format where answer choices are not provided, and students are expected to work out the answer on their own.
Calculators are not allowed in the exam.
Exam time
The typical exam time for each subject is given below.
English | 48 to 50 questions | 50 minutes |
Maths | 50 questions | 50 minutes |
Verbal Reasoning | 80 questions | 50 minutes |
Non-verbal reasoning | Four sections with 20 questions each | 10 minutes per section |
11Plus GL Assessment Syllabus.
11+ GL Assessment Maths Syllabus
The 11 plus GL maths test covers questions based on topics and concepts covered in the Key Stage 2 curriculum.
Few questions are asked from topics not covered in the KS2 curriculum, such as algebra and logical questions. Practising GL style maths questions will be of great help for understanding these concepts and solving the questions.
Different topics from which questions are asked in 11+ Maths GL Style papers are mentioned below.
Numbers | Reading and writing numbers Number lines Order and compare Place values Prime numbers Square numbers Cube numbers Operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division Patterns and sequences Fractions and decimals Percentages Word problems |
Algebra | BIDMAS Simple linear equations |
Ratio and Proportion | Speed distance time Word problems |
Geometry | 2D shapes Area and perimeter of shapes Angles Coordinates Reflections and Translations |
Measurements | Unit conversions Mass Length Area Capacity/Volume Money Time |
Statistics | Pictograms Bar charts Pie charts Line charts Mean, median, mode, range Venn diagrams |
Train time tables | |
Logical Questions |
11+ GL Assessment English Syllabus
The 11 plus GL English paper is designed to test your child’s knowledge in various subject areas. The 11+ English GL paper consists of four sections; comprehension, spelling, capital letter/punctuation, and grammar.
The comprehension section consists of twenty-five multiple-choice questions regarding the extract, while the spelling, capital letter/punctuation, and grammar sections are smaller, with around six to ten questions.
The English paper will test your child on their ability to read and understand a given text. They will also be asked to apply their knowledge of 11+ vocabulary and 11+ SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar).
The different topics covered in the test are detailed below.
Comprehension | Identify and gather information from the text. Understanding the literary technique Inference Understanding character Summarise sections of the passage Explain the meaning of high-level Vocabulary |
Vocabulary | Synonyms and Antonyms Latin and Greek Root Words Gendered Words Idioms |
Grammar | Tenses Main and Subordinate Clauses Pronouns Prepositions Determiners Conjunctions Verbs (Modal, Verb Agreement) Nouns Adjectives Plurals Suffixes Prefixes Compound words Active/passive voice |
Punctuation | Speech Hyphens Parentheses Commas Full Stops Semi-Colons Hyphens |
11+ GL assessment Verbal Reasoning Syllabus
Verbal reasoning (VR) questions in the 11 plus GL assessment test more than one ability of the children. This section tests the child’s vocabulary along with their ability to create words and manipulate them to identify other words.
Additionally, some 11 plus verbal reasoning questions also put the child’s problem-solving skills to test by associating letters with numbers and asking students to work out the codes for different letters and words.
GL assessment has 21 types of questions on verbal reasoning, as shown below:
Word Meanings | Opposite meaning Similar meaning Word connections Closest meaning Two odd ones out Reading information |
Making Words | Insert a letter Hidden word Missing word Move a letter Compound words Make a word |
Maths | Letters for numbers Number series Complete the sum Related numbers |
Codes | Letter series Letter connections Word letter codes Word number codes |
11+ GL assessment Non - verbal Reasoning Syllabus
Non-verbal reasoning (NVR) in the 11+ GL assessment includes reasoning with abstract shapes. This part challenges the student to deal with patterns, codes, similarities, differences, orientations, and many other aspects associated with shapes.
A detailed breakdown of the different question types is given below:
Series | Find the shape which follows the pattern of shapes given in the question. |
Analogies | Figure out the rule between two shapes given in the question and select the shape which follows the same rule with the test shape. |
Like figures | Select the shape which has common properties with the shapes given in the question. |
Codes | Two or three letters(making up a code) are associated with one shape, and like this, there will be three or four figures. Each letter will mean different aspects of the shape. Select the code which is appropriate for the test shape. |
Odd one out | Select the shape which is unique or is very unlike the other shapes given in the question. |
Matrices | There will be 2 x 2 and/or 3 x 3 squares, in which one of the squares will be empty. Select an appropriate shape that will fill the empty square. |
Merge Shapes | Select the small shape which is hidden in the large shape. Select the new shape when two shapes are added together or subtracted from each other. |
11+ GL assessment Spatial Reasoning Syllabus
Spatial reasoning questions in the 11 plus GL Assessment challenge the students’ spatial awareness and imagination. Some of the important topics are rotation, reflection, and nets of cubes. New topics are added every year, like Folding and Punching.
A detailed description of important topics in Spatial Reasoning is given below for your convenience.
Nets of cubes | Select a cube from the options which can be made out of the given net of the cube. |
Select a net of cube from the options which can make the cube given in the question. | |
Reflections and Rotations | Select the shape which will be the result of rotating the shape in the question, 90o clockwise or 90o anti-clockwise or 180o |
Select the shape which will be a mirror image of the shape in the question. | |
Folding and Punching | A square paper is folded, and holes are punched in it. Select the shape which will look like after it is unfolded. |
3D shapes | Select the 2D view of a 3D shape when viewed from a certain point mentioned in the question. |
How to prepare for the 11+ GL assessment?
The GL assessment provides familiarisation papers for students on their website. Parents can download the papers for different subjects and accustomize the students to the different types of questions. These papers are not full-length tests but just a taster of what the questions on the GL assessment look like.
Note: The answers to these questions are to be marked on a separate sheet and these sheets are then read by computers and students are marked accordingly. Also, it would be a good practice to familiarise the student with the answer sheet.
As for any other exam, practising papers is of utmost importance. The more a student practices GL style questions, the more they get accustomed to the test and gain confidence.
Take a look at the GL specific question papers by Pi Academy to enhance your 11+ preparation for English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-verbal Reasoning.
Tips to solve the 11+ GL Assessment Maths Papers
The 11 plus GL maths assessments are known to be more difficult than other styles of exams.
Here are some helpful tips for students:-
- Time management is very important; don’t try to solve every question.
- There will be difficult questions that may not be solved in the given time, come back to it after attempting the easy and medium level questions.
- It is okay if the student is not able to complete all the questions.
- The trick lies in optimising the score by solving as many questions as possible.
Tips to Solve 11+ GL Assessment English Papers
- When it comes to solving GL papers, there are many ways to find the correct answer. These tests are known to be trickier than others, so here are some helpful tips to aid your child on their way to success:
- Highlight the keywords in every question. This will help to understand precisely what the question is asking.
- Time management; do not rush. Sometimes you might have to re-read a passage multiple times before the answer becomes clear.
- If you do not understand a word, use its context to try and figure it out.
- Use the process of elimination for trickier questions.
- If you do not know the answer to a question, move on and return to it if you have time in the end.
How well do you know about the 11+ GL Style Exam? [Quiz]
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Which PiAcademy Packs can you use for 11 Plus GL practice?
Preparation for the 11 plus GL assessments may seem like a daunting task, owing to the number of subjects tested and even within them the different types of questions asked. For this very reason, we have created special packs to help you prepare well for the 11+ GL assessments.
- Subject-wise Packs: We have designed subject-wise bundle packs for each of the 11 plus subjects. These packs can help you individually prepare for each subject in the GL Assessment. Our tests cover every question type, and practising these subject-wise papers will boost students’ confidence.
- Maths
- 11+ Maths GL Style Bundle
- The bundle contains 16 full-length GL Style Math test papers with 800 questions in multiple-choice format. Answers and detailed solutions to these papers are also available on our website.
- English
- 11+ English GL Style Bundle
- The 11 plus English GL bundle contains 16 full-length test papers with more than 800 questions in multiple-choice format. We have included all question types - Comprehension, Spelling exercises, Punctuation exercises, and Grammar exercises. Answers to these papers are also available on our website.
- Verbal Reasoning
- 11+ Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- Here we have designed 11 plus VR practice papers that are sorted topic wise, so there are separate practice papers for different topics. They cover all the 21 different question types in Verbal Reasoning. With more than 1100 questions in total, these papers are a must-have to supplement your VR practice. Answers to these papers are also available on our website.
- Non - verbal Reasoning
- 11+ Non - verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- There are topic-wise NVR practice papers, which include 45 papers on various non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning topics such as analogies, series, the odd one out, matrices, reflections, and rotations, like figures, merge shapes, codes shapes, nets, and 3D shapes.
- Additionally, there are 20 test papers with mixed topics, which simulate the GL style non-verbal reasoning paper pattern. We recommend this pack which has more than 1300 questions for a solid practice in non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning. Detailed answers to these papers are also available on our website.
- 11+ Mock Exams: We provided 11 plus mock exams with different combinations of subjects that schools usually choose for the test. Practising these papers in the prescribed time frame will put the students in the right frame of mind as they change from one subject to another and make them better prepared for the actual exam. You can pick a pack if the schools you aim for tests the students on a combination of two subjects on a single paper.
- Maths & English: 11+ GL Style Mock Exams Pack 1
This pack contains three full-length GL style tests. Each test paper has a Maths and an English test. Perfectly suitable for QE Boys, Kent, Tiffin, and many other grammar schools - Maths & Verbal reasoning: 11+ GL Style Mock Exams Pack 2
This pack contains three full-length GL style tests. Each test paper has a Maths and a Verbal reasoning test. Perfectly suitable for Henrietta Barnet, QE Boys, The Latymer, and many other grammar schools - Non-verbal reasoning & Verbal reasoning: 11+ GL Style Mock Exams Pack 3
This pack contains three full-length GL style tests. Each test paper has a Non-verbal reasoning and a Verbal Reasoning test. Perfectly suitable for Henrietta Barnet, QE Boys, Newstead wood, and many other grammar schools.
- Maths & English: 11+ GL Style Mock Exams Pack 1
- 11+ Past papers: If you are looking for past maths papers of different independent schools, this is the one-stop destination for you. Also, we have 141 past Maths question papers from different schools across different years with detailed step by step solutions
- We provide 11 plus English solved past papers with answer explanations and hints.
- We have past papers from the Merchant Taylors’ school, Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, City of London School for Girls, and many more.
Which Schools Follow the GL Style?
Region Wise List of schools that follow GL Assesment.
11+ GL Assessment Sample Resources
Here are few questions from our 11 plus GL Maths Packs.
Have a look at below question from our 11+ English GL Style Bundle:
Below are a few questions from our 11+ Verbal Reasoning Papers
Here are a few questions from our 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Papers