Start here: the 11+ explained
What is the 11+ exam? A complete guide for parents
What is the 11+ exam? Who sits it, what's tested, how it's scored, and the timeline for registration, results and grammar school offers — explained simply.
Read the guide →11+ exam boards explained: GL Assessment vs CEM vs Kent Test vs ISEB
The differences between GL Assessment, CEM, the Kent Test and the ISEB Pre-Test: how each 11+ exam is structured and how to prepare for your child's format.
Read the guide →GL Assessment 11+ English: what to expect and how to prepare
What's in a GL-style 11+ English paper — comprehension, spelling, punctuation and sentence completion — how the answer sheet works, and how to prepare.
Read the guide →Planning and exam day
When to start 11+ preparation: a Year 3 to Year 6 timeline
When should you start preparing for the 11+? A realistic timeline from Year 3 to exam day, with what to focus on in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.
Read the guide →How to prepare for the 11+ at home without a tutor
Yes, you can prepare for the 11+ without a tutor. The resources you need, a weekly routine, how to review mistakes and keep your child motivated.
Read the guide →11+ exam day tips: the final week, the morning and handling nerves
How to prepare your child for 11+ exam day: the final week, the night before, the morning, what to bring, in-exam strategies and handling nerves.
Read the guide →11+ preparation in Year 4: what to do (and what not to)
Is Year 4 too early for the 11+? What to focus on — reading, vocabulary, spelling, times tables and good habits — without practice papers or burnout.
Read the guide →Creative and non-fiction writing
11+ creative writing tips: how to write a top-scoring story
Practical 11+ creative writing tips: five-minute planning, story structure, strong openings, show-don't-tell, ambitious vocabulary and mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide →30 story openings for 11+ creative writing
30 example story openings for 11+ creative writing — dialogue, action, setting, mystery and more — plus the techniques behind them.
Read the guide →11+ descriptive writing: how to describe a setting
How to write a top-scoring 11+ description: the five senses, zooming in, figurative language, varied sentences and an annotated model answer.
Read the guide →Describing words for 11+ writing: 200+ ambitious words by topic
Ambitious describing words for 11+ writing, grouped by topic: feelings, characters, settings, weather, light, sound and movement — with tips on using them.
Read the guide →11+ persuasive writing: techniques, structure and a model answer
How to write a persuasive piece for the 11+: a clear structure, techniques from rhetorical questions to the rule of three, and an annotated model answer.
Read the guide →11+ non-fiction writing: letters, diaries and newspaper reports
How to write a letter, diary entry and newspaper report for the 11+: the features examiners look for, layouts, tone, and a checklist for each form.
Read the guide →Vocabulary
11+ vocabulary list: 100 essential words with meanings
A free 11+ vocabulary list of 100 essential words with meanings, example sentences and synonyms — plus how to learn 11+ words so they actually stick.
Read the guide →11+ synonyms and antonyms: word list, question types and tips
11+ synonyms and antonyms explained: how they're tested, techniques for tricky questions, and a free list of 90+ 11+ words with synonyms and antonyms.
Read the guide →Prefixes, suffixes and word roots for the 11+
How prefixes, suffixes and Latin and Greek word roots help children decode unfamiliar 11+ vocabulary — with lists of the most useful ones and examples.
Read the guide →Reading
Comprehension
11+ comprehension tips: techniques for every question type
How to tackle 11+ comprehension: reading the passage, retrieval, inference, vocabulary and language questions, multiple-choice strategy and timing.
Read the guide →Figurative language for the 11+: 15 techniques with examples
Simile, metaphor, personification, pathetic fallacy and more: 15 figurative language techniques for the 11+, with examples and how they are tested.
Read the guide →English skills
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
20 common 11+ SPAG mistakes (and how to fix them)
The spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes that cost the most 11+ marks — apostrophes, commas, direct speech, homophones — with simple rules to fix them.
Read the guide →11+ spelling list: 100 tricky words and the rules behind them
The Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling words every 11+ candidate should know, the rules behind them, and how to practise for spot-the-mistake questions.
Read the guide →11+ grammar terms explained: a parent's glossary with examples
Fronted adverbials, subordinate clauses, modal verbs, determiners — every grammar term your child meets in 11+ English, explained simply with examples.
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