Introduction: What is the SET 11+ Test?
The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (sometimes called the SET 11+ or the 11 Plus Sutton) is a standardised assessment used by a small group of academically selective schools in the Sutton area of Surrey. 11 Plus SET papers are designed to gauge prospective pupils’ abilities across Maths and English.
If you live in Surrey and are interested in sending your child to one of the Sutton grammar schools for 11 plus which uses the SET 11+ for entry, we can help you understand everything you need to know. In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide to preparing your child for this important 11+ test.
- Introduction: What is the SET 11+ Test?
- The SET 11+: An Overview
- Sutton 11+ Registration and Exam Dates
- The SET 11 Plus Exam Format
- 11+ SET Assessment Syllabus
- How can my child prepare for the 11+ SET assessment?
- Tips to solve the 11+ Sutton Test Papers
- How well do you know the 11+ SET-Style Exam? [Quiz]
- 11 Plus SET Papers
- Which Schools Use the SET Style 11+ Entrance Test?
- FAQs
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The SET 11+: An Overview
The SET 11+ is used by six leading schools (Nonsuch High School for Girls, Sutton Grammar School for Boys, Wallington County Grammar School, Wallington High School for Girls, Wilson’s School, Greenshaw High School).
It’s important to be aware that, unlike most other 11Plus tests, the Sutton area SET 11+ can involve two stages. So, if your child passes the initial SET 11+, several of the schools listed above will then invite him or her to sit a second assessment. Thus, we recommend getting in contact with the individual schools listed to check whether they use both stages of the SET 11 Plus or not.
In order to prepare your child for the Sutton 11 plus test, you should focus on developing their confidence, knowledge and abilities across:
Sutton 11+ Registration and Exam Dates
To register for the 11+ SET test, parents need to visit Sutton Council’s website. It has full details of the application process.
The 2021 Sutton 11+ test (for pupils entering secondary school in Autumn 2022) will be held on September 14th 2021. The results from the first stage of the SET 11 Plus will be issued in October, and final allocations of places will be issued in March.
The SET 11 Plus Exam Format
The initial SET 11+ exam is made up of two test papers- one on English and one on Maths. These are multiple choice papers which last approximately 45 minutes each.
As mentioned above, some of the schools which use the SET eleven plus for selection will invite successful pupils to complete a second assessment. In these cases, the second assessment differs from the initial 11+ SET in that it will be in standard format- requiring extended writing- as opposed to the multiple-choice format of the initial test.
11+ SET Assessment Syllabus
What Maths topics does the 11Plus SET Test Cover?
The SET 11 Plus Maths paper is designed to assess pupils’ abilities across the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. Therefore, it will be extremely important to ensure that your child is confident across these core mathematical areas.
Below, we’ve listed the key syllabus topics to give you an overview. However, we also recommend reviewing SET 11 Plus practice papers. As it will help the pupils to gain a more specific understanding of the types of questions they might encounter on the exam day.
- 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 & Proportion: Speed, distance & time
- Geometry: 2D shapes, Area and perimeter of shapes, Angles, Coordinates, Reflections and Translations
- Measurements: Unit conversions, Mass, Length, Area, Capacity/Volume, Money, Time
- Graphs & Statistics: Pictograms, Bar charts, Pie charts, Line charts, Mean, median, mode & range, Venn diagrams
- Train & Bus Timetables
11+ SET Mathematics Sample Questions
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What English Syllabus does the 11+ SET Test Cover?
The SET’s 11Plus English paper will assess a broad range of topics spread across the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum.
Below, you’ll find an overview of key topics which your child could be assessed on in the SET 11plus. However, as with the Maths paper, we strongly recommend reviewing a range of English SET 11 Plus Practice Papers to give yourself a more clear and specific picture of the types of questions your child might encounter.
- Comprehension: Identifying and gather information from the text, Understanding literary techniques, Inference, Understanding character, Summarising sections of a passage, Explaining the meaning of high-level Vocabulary
- Vocabulary: Synonyms and Antonyms, Latin and Greek Root Words, Gendered Words, Idioms, Spelling, Homophones
- 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
- Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms & Antonyms, Word puzzles, Cloze tests, Jumbled sentences/stories, Odd One Out
11+ SET English Sample Questions
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How can my child prepare for the 11+ SET assessment?
If you’re daunted by the prospect of preparing your child for the 11+ Sutton grammar school selective eligibility test, don’t worry- there are several highly effective strategies for ensuring your child is well prepared.
For instance, we recommend helping your child to make an early start in their preparation by introducing a “little and often” approach. Also, Daily questions tasks can be one excellent way of helping your child become acclimated to a wide variety of 11+ Maths questions. Read on for some more tips and guidance on how to help your child prepare for the SET 11+.
SET 11+ Maths Preparation
To help your child prepare for the Maths paper, we recommend ensuring that they review core skills across KS2 Maths, making sure they spend plenty of time practicing questions across areas such as numbers, algebra, ratio & proportion, geometry, measurement, and graphs, charts & statistics.
One of the best ways to do this is to make regular use of SET-style Maths practice papers to help your child become highly familiar with the question formats and topics which they are likely to encounter. Reviewing your child’s work with them will also allow you and them to identify any areas of difficulty which they might need help to improve in as they prepare.
SET 11Plus English Preparation
To help your child prepare for the SET 11+ English paper, we recommend helping them develop an organic habit of reading appropriate texts often (daily, if possible) in order to give them plenty of opportunities to develop comprehension, inference skills and vocabulary. Alongside this, we recommend supporting them in developing a strong understanding of key grammatical concepts, spelling and punctuation, which will prove key in the SET 11+ test.
If your child is invited to undertake a second stage of the SET 11 Plus, they will be required to answer standard format answers, meaning that their written expression will be scrutinised. You can help them prepare for this by using resources designed to broaden vocabulary; you might also find it helpful to use activities designed to develop creative writing abilities.
Tips to solve the 11+ Sutton Test Papers
With the best will in the world, knowledge alone isn’t always enough to allow children to shine on the day of an 11+ Sutton Selective Eligibility Test; sometimes having a set of sound exam techniques at their fingertips is just as important. With this in mind, below are some of our top hints for solving SET 11+ questions:
- Time management is key. Encourage your child to avoid spending too much or too little time on each question- no single question is weighted heavily enough that it will be responsible for them passing or failing- therefore, when they get stuck, help them practice the art of knowing when to move on.
- Keep the stress low. It can be difficult to balance the obvious significance of your child’s 11Plus test day alongside the importance of not overloading your child with pressure to succeed- not least because such pressure can easily backfire. Reassure your child as much as possible that they only need to focus on doing their best, and try to help them not worry about the outcome.
- Write down your working. In the second Maths stage of the 11plus SET test, this habit is important, as it can give the marker a clear picture of a child’s knowledge and understanding. Sometimes, writing out correct working means partial marks will be awarded, even if the final answer is wrong.
- Prioritise questions based on difficulty. Help your child practice identifying challenging questions and get in the habit of returning to these if necessary after they’ve tackled other easier ones. This can be an helpful strategy in both Maths and English papers, allowing children to pace their concentration in a productive way.
How well do you know the 11+ SET-Style Exam? [Quiz]
True or False?
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11 Plus SET Papers
Using practice papers which are specifically designed to mirror the formats and types of questions which your child will encounter in a real SET as 11+ Sutton Mock Tests, is the best way of preparing your child for their exam day.
- For SET 11Plus Maths preparation, consider using a SET Maths 11+ Practice Papers, which contains several full-length practice papers along with step-by-step solutions, making this a fantastic and indispensable resource in preparing for the SET 11Plus.
- Elsewhere, our English SET 11 Plus Practice Papers contains several full-length practice test papers. Full solutions are available too, so you can help your child develop an excellent grasp of SET 11Plus-style English questions.
- Are you keen to help your child develop an increased confidence in Verbal Reasoning-style questions? If so, consider using 11+ Verbal Reasoning practice papers.
- Meanwhile, if you would like to give your child opportunities to practice Non-Verbal Reasoning, you might consider using our 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning practice pack.
Which Schools Use the SET Style 11+ Entrance Test?
- Nonsuch High School for Girls
- Sutton Grammar School for Boys
- Wallington County Grammar School
- Wallington High School for Girls
- Wilson’s School
- Greenshaw High School
