11 Plus Preparation Guide

11 Plus Exam – General Information

11 Plus Exams is a term generally used to describe the tests which selective grammar schools use to assess the child, to check their current academic suitability for studying in a grammar school. Good independent schools also adopt the same approach while selecting the student into their year 7 intake.

Most of the 11 plus exams assess the competency of the child using subjects like Maths, English ,Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning papers, however various 11 plus tests vary in their individual exam format as they are prepared by different agencies. For example, 11 plus exams papers for grammar schools in Kent is prepared by GL Assessment company and their 11 plus exam questions are based on Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning. On the other hand, super selective grammar schools like St Olave Grammar School and Wilson Grammar School create their own 11 plus exam papers, in-house.

Furthermore, 11 plus test questions can vary in their format and style. Some papers require answers in a standard format but some require answers in 11 plus multiple choice format. In 11+ standard format, the child is expected to write down the answers along with their workings on the actual test paper, whereas in the case of 11 plus multiple choice papers, the child marks down the answers by shading one answer out of four options, on a separate answer booklet , also known as the omr sheet.

11 Plus Preparation

Many parents wonder – what is the best time to start preparing for 11 plus exams? The best time to start the 11 plus preparation for your son or daughter depends largely on their current attainment in primary school. If a year 4 or year 5 student is thinking of taking the 11 plus exam, a formal workable plan of action will be needed for 11 plus preparation to cater for their specific needs. To cover up gaps in their learning, the pupil will definitely benefit from a regular weekly tuition. Positively, any support focused on the 11 plus will also pay dividends in general schoolwork and SATS.

11 plus preparation means that apart from learning core subjects like English and Maths, students will also need to learn how to do or write the exam papers. This is because for many students, it is their first experience in appearing for an exam like this, in a very formal setting. Needless to say, this creates a lot of stress and anxiety for both the child and parents alike. This can be further aggravated by super competitive parental group pressure. At Elite 11 Plus Tuitions, we help the child, as well as the parent, by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude required to excel in 11 plus exams.

For most of the selective grammar schools tests, the child will need a focused and methodical approach for 11 plus preparation. This can be provided by a tutor who would provide a framework for 11 plus preparation, with appropriate structure, pace and rigour. A tutor can cater to individual student’s needs while keeping an eye on his progress rate.

Advice on pupil’s current attainment and specific areas of improvement are provided by Elite 11 plus tuition after initial assessment. Benchmark tests are provided for year 4 and Year 5 pupils. At Elite 11 plus tuition, specialist advice and techniques are provided to children when preparing for 11 plus exams, especially in the 3 months before exams. This prepares the students to be in a peak state to excel in the 11 plus examination.

11 Plus English & 11 Plus Maths

Many parents agree that 11 plus preparation should be focused on areas requiring attention when it comes to boys and girls. Boys may lag behind girls when it comes to English vocabulary, grammar & punctuation but may perform well in maths. Relatively, girls demonstrate better vocabulary, grammar and comprehension skills than boys. Therefore, boys require a focused and methodical preparation regime to come on tops in the English papers and vice versa. Elite 11 plus tuition focus on developing core skills of verbal, non-verbal reasoning , comprehension and essay composition skills. Strategies are taught to improve child’s creativity and language skills.
Special focus is paid by Elite tuition on the development of vocabulary and verbal dexterity. Many students struggle with 11 plus English paper as they lack the rich vocabulary and comprehension skills which are needed to perform well in 11 plus English papers. Elite tuition recommends reading and post reading discussions as a core strategy to improve verbal dexterity.

We at Elite 11 plus tuition, use our unique teaching methods and resources to help the child understand core concepts and skills in maths. Special focus is given on mastery of fundamentals. Many children are perfectly able to handle the complex areas as soon as their understanding & mastery of core maths skills is improved.

It cannot be emphasised enough times that for 11 plus exams, the child is not only required to be well versed with the core subject knowledge and skills, but also in the exam writing techniques. We at Elite 11 plus tuition fill up the subject knowledge and skills gaps first, which in turn helps the child to easily and thoroughly practice the exams taking techniques. In our experience, only a combination of these two, helps a student secure high 11 plus scores.

Elite 11 plus tutors equip their pupils with strategies for improving speed and accuracy as part of the 11 plus exam preparation skills. We also advise students on preparatory resources like 11 plus books, assessment papers and 11 plus mock papers and mock exams. Internal mock exams are regularly taken by our students and advise is given on taking different third-party mock tests, specialising in 11 plus formats of different schools. We aim to help alleviate the child’s anxiety and hone their exam taking skills.

Preparing for the 11 plus exams can be tough on the child if regular training and focused attention is not provided. At Elite 11 plus Tuition, we believe in lending a helping hand to the parents, who believe that their child has the potential and who are certain that their child would benefit greatly from a grammar school education. We believe in instilling a sense of discipline in our students as this will not only help them in this exam but also in later in life. At Elite 11 plus tuition, we aspire to provide the right knowledge, skills and attitude for your child to achieve a high score in 11 plus exams and thereby secure a seat in the grammar school of their choice.

Please call Elite 11 Plus Tuitions now at 0330 1137 996 to register your child and get advice.