What Are 11 Plus Exams? – A Complete 11 Plus Guide For Parents
If you have a specific grammar school in mind, we will present a comprehensive 11 Plus guide for this exam. It will assist you in making it through the admissions process for Grammar Schools. It must be a general observation that an expert team of tutors have aided thousands of students and parents in preparing for their 11 Plus. They compiled their experience to help your child get ready for the next stage in their education. But Before moving deep, first, we should understand” ‘what is the 11 Plus exam”? Moreover, how an online 11 Plus tutoring could help.
What is the 11 Plus Exam?
The 11 Plus is an exam for entrance into selective Grammar Schools funded by the state and independent schools. More than 160 Grammar Schools in the UK and several other schools utilise 11 Plus tests to select students for Year 7. The exam is designed to measure your child’s ability to master fundamental subjects and determine their academic capabilities.
What Will Your Child Be Tested On?
There are four parts for the 11 Plus test, regardless of the exam board your country is using. They are:
English & Maths
Online tutoring platforms are playing an important role for 11 Plus exam preparation all across the UK for Grammar School admissions. The Maths and English sections are built upon the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. They’re not meant to confuse your child, but they can assess Level 6 content for Year 6. Therefore, some concepts might not yet be taught in the classroom.
Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
The non-verbal and verbal reasoning sections assess an individual’s academic ability. They are not taught in primary schools as non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning isn’t a subject in the National Curriculum subjects. The two tests are intended to assess your child’s cognitive capability or, in other words, the ability to think abstractly or critically to discern patterns, codes and problems.
What Percentage Of Pupils Pass The 11 Plus?
There is no “pass” score. It’s all dependent on how many people sit the test during a specific year. Selective schools tend to accept the top 5 to 15 percent of the students who take the test. If your child has a habit of receiving an 80% passing mark on their mock tests, they have a high chance of getting into the grammar school they want to attend.
How many students fail the 11 Plus exam?
The 11 Plus exam is designed to determine the best students. Unfortunately, about 90% of the students taking the test won’t get a chance to attend an exclusive school. There is not any set pass or fail mark, and it’s all correlated to the scores of the other students.
When is the best time to begin 11 Plus preparation?
We will give a complete 11 Plus guide on preparing for the exam and how to modify practice through Key Stage 2. The exam consists of the following:
11 Plus English
The 11 Plus English tests your child’s language abilities in many ways. It is primarily an exam in reading. Students must complete a comprehension test that consists of a brief extract given, then questions on the text. In addition to the comprehension section for reading, other questions will focus on the importance of word punctuation, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, depending on the exam’s instructor.
11 Plus Maths
Maths 11 Plus test is similar to the students’ test on KS2, The National Curriculum content. The issue is the nature of questions asked. It requires more reasoning and deduction than simple mathematical reasoning. Students must have high levels of fluency in numbers to pass the maths portion of the 11 Plus.
11 Plus Verbal Reasoning
The 11 Plus tests children’s verbal reasoning ability to solve problems and measures their ability to comprehend verbal information. The test requires students to:
- Use logical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Identify and follow patterns and regulation
- Define the word’s meaning.
- Spell it correctly
- Apply the core maths skills
- Work in a systematic manner
Searching Words
- Jumbled Words
- Anagrams
- Hidden words
11 Plus Vocabulary
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Odd Ones Out
- Spot the Connection
- Homonym
- Builder Words
- Join the Words
- Transfer the Letter
- Remember the Morph Word
- Missing Letters
Logic
- Statement Logic
- Deductions
Codes and Sequences
- The letters, numbers, and symbol codes
- Number and letter sequences
11 Plus Non-Verbal Reasoning
Although some say that you can’t revise for non-verbal reasoning tests since they don’t require prior knowledge. There are important strategies your child must master to achieve success in this section of the 11 Plus. Some specific techniques and exercises can be utilised to improve the skills that will allow your child to achieve success. This test will check the child’s natural intelligence, spatial skills, and capacity to reason and identify patterns.
The Interpretation of Shapes
- The Odd One Out
- Matching Groups
- Matrices
- Search for the Cod
- Manipulating Shapes
- Parts inside the form
- Reflections and rotations
- Cubes and nets
- Combining shapes in 3D
- 3D forms from above
Preparation Timeline for 11 Plus exam?
Year 4
When your child enters Year 4, you need to concentrate on ensuring that your child has exceeded expectations in the fundamental areas of Maths and English.
Year 5
September
This is the point at which the 11 Plus mock tests are a great way to test your child’s knowledge. Your child is advised to sit down and practice tests for English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, and Non Verbal reasoning online to precisely determine the comfortable areas.
October December
Examine the feedback or test results and pinpoint areas for improvement. Worksheets or exercises to practice these areas until a percentage mark is consistently reached. Be sure to gradually increase the amount of time as a child of 9 years old is unlikely to focus for a full 50-minute test right away.
January September
Year 6
Exam time! The majority of 11 Plus tests are held during September/October. You will receive your results later in October. Then, you must fill out your Common Application Form (CAF) on or before the 31st of October and list your institutions. The CAF is available via the local authority’s website.
Closing words
It’s over for today! It is very imperative nowadays. That’s why I present a brief 11 Plus guide of the entire process to assist you. You can make a scheduled appointment for your desired education experts to discuss any additional questions you might have regarding the 11 Plus.