11+ maths and English: what to expect

Maths

11+ maths is usually based on the primary national curriculum, typically up to about the end of Year 5, though some tests go further and independent schools often set harder papers. The difference from school is that the questions are often wordier, trickier and timed.

• Number and arithmetic: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.
• Measures, shape and data: perimeter, area, angles, time, charts and averages.
• Problem-solving: multi-step word problems where choosing the method is the hard part.

English

Where English is tested, it is usually comprehension, and sometimes also spelling, punctuation, grammar or a short piece of writing. Whether it is included depends entirely on the test, so check your child's.

• Comprehension: finding information, inferring meaning from a passage, and explaining word choices.
• Grammar and punctuation: using the Year 5 and 6 school grammar terms correctly.
• Writing (some independent schools): a short story or description, judged on ideas, structure and accuracy.

How to prepare

Secure the school curriculum first: times tables and mental arithmetic make a huge difference to maths speed. For English, reading widely, talking about what is read and practising short, accurate answers beats memorising techniques.

Then practise in the exam style, so the format feels familiar and timing is comfortable.