Most free 11+ English papers give you an answer key and nothing else. When your child gets a question wrong, you're left guessing why. Each of these papers comes with an explanation for all 50 answers, a skill tracker that shows what to practise next, and a writing guide that teaches the techniques, not just the task.
“The Causeway”
A girl races the incoming tide across a flooded causeway to fetch help for her grandfather. The story was written for this paper, with tension and figurative language to analyse, and it sets up the creative writing task.
- 50 questions
- 50 minutes
- +30 min writing
“Save Hollins Wood”
A resident writes to her local newspaper to stop an ancient wood being turned into a car park. The questions test fact and opinion, purpose and audience, and persuasive techniques, and they lead into a persuasive writing task.
- 50 questions
- 50 minutes
- +30 min writing
What's in each paper
| Section | What it tests | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| A · Comprehension | A line-numbered passage of about 50 lines. Retrieval, inference, vocabulary in context, language techniques, structure, and word classes. Paper 2 adds fact and opinion, purpose and audience. | 26 |
| B · Spelling | Spot the misspelled word in each line, or choose N for no mistake. Covers common 11+ traps such as double letters (communities, necessary), dropped syllables (difference) and words that are often misspelled (because, definitely). | 8 |
| C · Punctuation | Spot the mistake: capital letters, apostrophes, speech punctuation, hyphens and paired commas. | 8 |
| D · Sentence completion | A non-fiction passage with gaps. Some test vocabulary, others grammar or homophones (patience or patients?). | 8 |
| E · Writing | A choice of three tasks, with a 5-part planning box and lined pages. Paper 1 focuses on stories; Paper 2 on persuasive writing. | 1 task |
There's a GL-style answer sheet at the back, so your child practises marking answers in boxes, just as they will on exam day.
Try a question
In line 3, the sea is described as “nosing at the causeway stones”. This suggests the sea is…
A crashing violently · B smelling strongly of salt · C moving away · D creeping forward steadily, like an animal exploring
Answer: D. An animal “noses” at something when it pushes forward with its nose, curiously and persistently. The word makes the sea seem alive and quietly determined, which builds the tension long before any water reaches the causeway.
A Old Mr Fenwick, who B had known Grandad for C fifty years didn’t D hesitate for a second. N no mistake
Answer: C. The extra information opens with a comma after “Fenwick”, so it must close with one after “years”. Commas come in pairs, like brackets.
Every question in the answers booklet is explained like this, including why the most tempting wrong answer is wrong.
Learn creative writing, not just practise it
Telling a child to “add more description” rarely helps. The writing guide in Paper 1’s answers booklet takes a different approach: it shows your child seven techniques the author of “The Causeway” used to create tension, quoting the line where each one appears, then asks them to try it in their own story.
- Set a ticking clock. Give the character a deadline early, so every delay feels tense.
- Show, don’t tell. Use a detail like cold, half-drunk tea instead of “Grandad was very ill”.
- The one-line paragraph. Save it for the turning point.
- Make the setting an enemy. Use personification to make the place work against your character.
- Use contrast. Show the place at its safest, then start the next sentence with “Now…”.
- Plant it early, pay it off later. Bring back a saying or object at the climax.
- End on an image. Finish with something your character sees or does, not an explanation.
The guide also includes a 5-minute planning frame, a full model story with numbered notes on what makes it work, “upgrade your sentence” examples, and a simple marking guide for parents. For more, read our guides to 11+ creative writing, story openings and descriptive writing.
Learn persuasive writing
Persuasive letters, speeches and articles come up regularly in 11+ writing tasks. Paper 2’s guide uses “Save Hollins Wood” as a worked example of eight persuasive techniques:
- Hook with a picture before making any argument.
- Say clearly what you want, early on.
- Answer the other side, with a counter-argument: “This is a fair point. However…”.
- Use evidence: facts, numbers and real examples.
- Ask rhetorical questions, but only one or two.
- Tell a personal story, so the argument feels human.
- Offer a solution, not just an objection.
- Repeat, and end with a call to action: tell the reader what to do next.
It also has a planning frame for persuasive letters and a model letter to a headteacher, annotated line by line. The notes explain when to sign off “Yours sincerely” and when to use “Yours faithfully”. More in our guides to persuasive writing and letters and reports.
How to get the most from a practice paper
- Sit it under exam conditions. A quiet table, a clock, 50 minutes, no help. Save the writing task for another day.
- Mark it together. Use the quick answer key, then read the explanations for every question your child got wrong and any they guessed.
- Fill in the skill tracker. It groups the questions by skill (retrieval, inference, vocabulary, language, structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation), so you can see where marks were lost.
- Practise that one skill. A week of targeted practice does more than another full paper.
- Don’t read too much into one score. Real 11+ results are standardised against everyone sitting the test, so a raw practice score can’t tell you whether your child would pass. Look for trends across several papers instead.
This is a practice paper in the style of a GL Assessment 11+ English paper. It is not an official GL paper and is not endorsed by GL Assessment. Exam formats vary by area and school and can change from year to year. Check your target school’s admissions page, and read our guide to GL, CEM, Kent and ISEB if you’re not sure which format your child will sit.
Want more 11+ English papers?
The Elevenplus FC app builds timed 11+ English mock exams in GL, Kent, CEM and ISEB styles, marks them instantly, and sends every mistake to a revision list. Any paper can be printed as a PDF with its answer key. Its creative writing coach also gives feedback on your child’s own writing, typed or photographed.
Frequently asked questions
Are these 11+ English papers really free?
Yes. Download, print and copy them as often as you like for home or classroom use. There's no sign-up and no email address needed.
Are these official GL Assessment papers?
No. GL Assessment doesn't release its papers for public use. These papers follow the structure of a GL-style English paper: a line-numbered comprehension passage, lettered spot-the-mistake spelling and punctuation, and sentence completion. Every question was written and checked by hand. Formats vary between areas and schools, so always check your target school's own guidance.
Which paper should we start with?
Either works. Paper 1 is based on a story and has a creative writing task; Paper 2 is based on a persuasive letter and has a persuasive writing task. Most 11+ papers use fiction, so Paper 1 is a natural first choice, but doing both covers the two kinds of text children are most likely to meet.
What age are the papers for?
They're pitched at children in Year 5 and early Year 6 who are preparing for a September 11+ exam. Confident Year 4 readers can try them untimed as a learning exercise.
How long does each paper take?
Sections A to D (50 multiple-choice questions) take 50 minutes. The writing task in Section E takes another 30 minutes: 5 to plan and 25 to write. We suggest doing it on a different day or after a break.
How do I mark the writing?
Each answers booklet includes a simple 20-mark guide, plus a full model answer with notes explaining why it works. Use it to give one piece of praise and one target, rather than correcting everything.
Does it include verbal reasoning, maths or non-verbal reasoning?
No. This is an English paper. In GL-style exams, verbal reasoning is usually a separate paper. You can practise all 8 verbal reasoning question types in the Elevenplus FC app.
Will there be more papers?
Yes. We're adding new papers, each with an original passage and a different writing focus. The Elevenplus FC app also builds new timed English mock exams in GL, Kent, CEM and ISEB styles whenever you want one.