Preparation of 11 Plus Exam for Grammar Schools
By Truemaths Tech, Last Updated 11 Oct, 2023 8 min read
Here is a guide for parents who are looking for the preparation of the 11 Plus Exam for their child. This is the best way to get admission to Grammar Schools in England. Who does not want their child to study in one of the best schools in England? The right guidance, quality education, and enormous prospects are some of the important factors that every parent expects from a school. Grammar Schools are one such school. It can be the best choice for your child. But, how to get into one such Grammar?
The journey from India to one of the best schools in England cannot be an easy job. You have to work hard to get there. Preparation for the 11 Plus exam is very important. We will help you there.
About Preparation of 11 Plus Exam
Under the Tripartite System of secondary education in England, approximately a fourth of all children were selected by the eleven plus exam for entry to grammar schools. This exam is a really important exam, as the grammar schools are a completely different league in themselves.
There are currently 32,770 schools in the UK of which, 4,188 are secondary schools. Out of these, some schools are selective and take their admissions through a different entrance exam, for all 11-year-old students, thus being called the 11+ exam. These selective schools or grammar schools are 163 in number and are fully state-funded.
The eleven-plus exam is a part of the Tripartite System which assigns different kinds of schools for Different academic levels of students.
- Grammar Schools
- Secondary Modern Schools
- Technical Schools
It is based on the elementary idea that “different skills require a different schooling.”
It is also known as the transfer test and derives its name from the age group of 11-12 years. The examination tests a student’s ability to solve academic problems with traditional papers in verbal and non-verbal reasoning and is now being taken in the domains of Maths and English also.
The eleven plus exam started out as a general IQ test but has evolved to test the whole curriculum taught in junior schools. It can be regarded as a correct measure of all the studies done by a student until KS2 and his primary school aptitude.
11 Plus Registration – Step-by-Step Process
We meet many parents on a day-to-day basis who are very passionate about seeing their child in a Grammar School. They are even more into the preparation for the 11 Plus Exam. But, at the same time, they are equally confused about the registration process. And some of them are so clueless that they even forget the thought of admission in the first place. Let us sort this out for you in some easy steps:
- First of all, you need to go through the information about all the grammar schools.
- Now, shortlist a few schools that you find suitable for your child.
- Try to gather as much information as possible about these shortlisted schools. If possible, attend open days and gather more information with all doubts answered.
- Now, the most important step, start filling up the registration forms for the shortlisted schools (Don’t miss their deadlines).
- Check your council website for the CAF application. This is the form you must fill up with your council (normally 31st October) to give 6 choices of the schools in the order of your preference.
- Keep checking your communication with the school about test day information.
Important Dates
Most grammar schools will start their registration in the months of April and May and set the last date as the end of June or the start of July for parents to register their child for the 11+ exam. Eleven-plus tests take place in September of children’s final primary school year, with results provided to parents in October to allow application.
You must be aware of the fact that students who really want to clear the exam start their preparation of 11 Plus exam in the month of January. Yes, even before the process of registration.
Preparation for the 11 Plus Exam
The best way for the preparation of 11 Plus exam is to plan ahead and gradually prepare your child over time. Our experts at Truemaths will help you with this. We not only provide you with the best notes for preparation but we also take your regular tests to track of your child’s progress and academic strengths.
We send him the worksheets and assignments every week. They are designed in such a way that the students understand them easily. We lay stress on the techniques of visualization and conceptualization of the eleven plus exam curriculum in a distinctive way. Our idea is to designate every student a different study path, that is unique to his study habits, merits, and demerits.
We will help your child with the gradual preparation of the 11 Plus exam to get admission to the best Grammar Schools in England. This will be done without intensifying the preparatory process or adding any extra pressure onto the students. We are the best 11 Plus Exam preparation Institute for your child. We are determined to make students crack the prestigious eleven plus exam for admission to Grammar Schools. Talk to us right away.
More on this at the end of this article. First, know the syllabus for the preparation of the 11 Plus Exam. Also, for a better understanding, you should solve the sample papers for the Preparation of 11 Plus Exam. This will help you a lot to crack the exam.
11 Plus Exam Structure
When a parent starts the preparation for the 11 Plus Exam, the biggest challenge is to figure out the structure of the exam. Once you know the structure and syllabus of the exam, your child has won half the battle. The structure of the 11 Plus exam has varied over time. If you want to know the usual structure, let us tell you, it consists of three papers:
- Arithmetic – A mental arithmetic test.
- Writing – An essay question on a general subject.
- General Problem Solving – A test of general knowledge, assessing the ability to apply logic to simple problems.
The major components needed for the preparation of the 11 Plus Exam are Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English.
11 Plus Exam Syllabus
Students starting their preparation for the 11 Plus Exam must be well aware of its syllabus. This can become your winning factor among others preparing for the same exam.
Mathematics Syllabus for 11 Plus Exam
The 11 plus exam aims to check the mental level of the students who have just passed the primary school. So, the Mathematics portion is not difficult for students who are in regular touch with the basic syllabus. Mainly, there are algebra, decimals, uncomplicated ratios, and fractions. If we talk about the specific topics, there are:
- Basic Arithmetic Operations
- Fractions
- Percentage
- L.C.M. and H.C.F. of 2 numbers
- Prime and Composite Numbers
- Bar/ Pie/ Line Graphs and Data Tables (Data Analysis)
- Basic Algebra
- Area and Perimeter of Squares, Rectangles, and Triangles
- Problem Sums involving direct relation
- Points and their coordinates
- Symmetry
- Dice and cube visualisation
Non-verbal Reasoning Syllabus
The non-verbal reasoning portion of the 11 plus examination is based on pattern recognition. There are a few topics that you must teach to your child while preparing for the 11 Plus Exam:
- Find a Figure Like the First Two
- Complete the Series of 5 figures
- Find the correct Figure To complete the given series
- Odd One Out
- Vertical Coding and Decoding
- Completing the Grid (2X2 or 3X3)
Verbal Reasoning Syllabus
In this part of Verbal Reasoning, there is a type of problem-solving that is centred around language and words. They expect students to consider language, utilising given instructions to come to a solution, spotting letter sequences, and cracking codes based on the letter and numerical codes. So, some of the major topics from this section are:
- Alphabetical Sequence
- Alphabetical Sort
- Coded Maths
- Hidden words
- Jumbled Words
- Partial word
- Numbers grid
- Numeric sequence
- Word connection
English Syllabus for Preparation of 11 Plus Exam
This is one of the most important sections for the preparation of 11 Plus exam for admission to Grammar Schools. It has so many topics that you must be familiar with. Like, there are compound words, full stops, spotting odd words in sentences, writing essays, using capital letters when writing, comprehension passages, etc.
- Sentence structures
- Vocabulary
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Latin and Greek Root Words
- Gendered Words
- Idioms
- 3 Tenses
- Main and Subordinate Clauses
- Pronouns
- Prepositions
- Determiners
- Conjunctions
- Modal Verbs
- Verb Agreement
- Active and Passive Voice
- Subjunctive Verb Forms
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Plurals
- Suffixes
- Compound words
- Prefixes
Coaching for the Preparation of the 11 Plus Exam
If you are preparing your child for this exam, then this is obvious that you must be looking for coaching for the preparation of the 11 Plus Exam. Truemaths can help you with that. We have a group of expert teachers who are specialised in this specific exam. They not only give you the necessary guidance but also prepare you with the best mock tests, practice papers, and previous year papers of the same exam.
At Truemaths, we make a regular timetable for the student so that not a single topic gets missed. We also track your child’s progress by taking weekly tests. This helps the students to strive for the better, and at the same time, regular growth can easily be noticed.
We are available both online and offline. So, now you don’t need to send your child out of the comfort of your home. Our experts can connect with you online, which will save you time and energy. And eventually, this will help the student to be more focused on his studies.
Our Suggestion
For the preparation of the 11 Plus Exam, your strategy should be foolproof. A little mistake can cost you so much. So, find a good teacher for yourself who can help you throughout. You may talk to our experts regarding this. They will help you right from registration to preparation. Don’t hesitate to talk to get the necessary information. We are just a call away.
FAQs
What is the 11 Plus Exam?
11 Plus Exam is an entrance test that is administered to some candidates in England and Northern Ireland, in the final year of their primary education. This controls their entry into Grammar schools, as well as other secondary schools. For this reason, pupils will start from the very beginning on the passage of the 11 Plus exam.
What percentage is required for passing the 11 Plus Exam?
Approximately, a child needs a score of about 80-85% to pass the 11 Plus Exam, although in more competitive areas, this may be higher. Once again, preparation for the 11 Plus exam has to start before the student even completes their registration form. This must be the most important part.
How difficult is the 11 plus exam to pass?
The 11 Plus exam should not be too difficult for the child with adequate preparation. Although the subjects covered within the 11 plus exam, such as English and Maths, are based on the National Curriculum, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning are not taught in school as part of their academic curriculum.
The high number of questions, along with the time limit of typically working through two to three questions per minute, increases the level of difficulty for this exam compared to any other test. Therefore, it can only be cracked if you have the right help along with practice papers and the previous year’s papers. Overall, the right preparation for the 11 Plus exam is essential to finally get there.
