How to pass the 11 plus exam.

The eleven plus will be your child’s first experience of a formal exam. They will need to prepare well by developing their exam skills in order to pass. This is a breakdown of the skills needed to pass the eleven plus exam.

Joy Learning

It is best to be well prepared for the 11 plus exam, this will provide your child the confidence needed to perform well, reduce anxiety and secure their place in your chosen grammar school.

Preparation takes time so we recommend your child starts practising and developing their skills from year 4 onwards. You will need to ensure their mathematics and english attainment levels are as high as possible, they are reading a wide range of books, are practising 11+ questions and you've sought the support of an 11+ tutor.

The 11+ exam questions are not a part of the national curriculum so they will not be taught these skills in school. Having a knowledgeable tutor will point your child in the right direction in order to have a targeted approach towards the exams.

Mathematics and English

Your child will need to have a secure understanding of national curriculum maths and english. Make sure to monitor their progress in school and seek support from their teachers on areas for improvement.

Reading a wide range of challenging books will expose them to vocabulary they will come across during the exam, this will offer a real advantage to helping them understand the questions that are being asked.

Mental arithmetic is particularly important as it will support your child's speed during the exam allowing them to complete it on time.

Time Management

Time management is an essential part of the 11 plus exam and is often the main decider between a pass or a fail for equally able students. Leaving questions unanswered or rushing can be costly so your child will need to learn essential time management skills and approach each question in the most efficient way.

Most exam papers will be 45 minutes long. Doing regular practice exam papers under timed questions will ensure your child learns a good pace to work at. Learns when to leave a question behind and return to it and learns how long to give each question.

Reading through the paper and going through the questions at the start of the test is a good idea to familiarise themselves with the paper and to build their confidence through starting with the questions they find the easiest then working their way up to the hardest. This ensure they don't leave any easy questions behind which would be a sad loss of points.

Practise tests and mock exams

Completing practice tests and mock exams regularly under timed conditions provides essential skills and subject knowledge required to pass the 11 plus exam. Verbal and nonverbal reasoning is not taught in schools so your child will need ample practise nwith this.

Like with most things repetition can make you an expert in most things. Practise exam questions ensures your child is exposed to a variety of question styles and problems that they will need to solve in an unusual or unfamiliar way. The more practice questions that are completed the less likely a question will throw them off and confuse them on exam day.

Vocabulary Practise

As mentioned earlier, english and comprehension are vital to your child’s success on exam day. However, special attention needs to be paid to vocabulary. A limited vocabulary will hinder any chances of success, so ensure your child has a good dictionary and gets into the habit of discovering and using new words. Incorporate this into daily life through a game or daily vocab quizzes.

Getting the support of a great online 11 plus tutor can make all the difference for your child's confidence and success on the 11 plus exam.