Eleven Plus/Common Entrance

We teach the necessary techniques in each of the 11 plus disciplines (English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.) We will then work through practise papers (and look at exam technique) to ensure your child is fully prepared when the examination day arrives.

English

The format of the 11+ English paper varies considerably from school to school. In some cases the school simply sets its own paper and changes the style of the paper from year to year in order to keep the material fresh and to prevent parents passing on “inside information” about the test. Other schools use a pre-set paper written by a publisher such as GL Assessment (formerly NFER) and this will usually be in a multiple choice format.

An English examination will usually consist of comprehension and  an essay

• Comprehensions: Read a passage and answer questions of fact, inference, evaluation.
• Write an essay/short story/description  within a limited time frame

Mathematics

We cover all the skills necessary for success in these examinations.  A strong emphasis is placed on times tables – knowing these by heart will maximise your child’s success.

Independent schools tend to test from a wider syllabus than selective state schools. The exams may also be a little longer, at one hour, rather than the 50 minutes commonly found in the 11 plus tests.

The core topics are broadly similar, and are based on the syllabus for Key Stage 2 (KS2) Maths. However the independent sector exams tend to have harder and more taxing questions towards the end of the examination. These questions may be used by the school as indicators of which children are potential scholarship candidates.

The questions are often “worded problems”, requiring the child to use the written information to come to an answer.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is understanding and reasoning using concepts framed in words. It aims at evaluating the ability to think constructively, rather than at simple fluency or vocabulary recognition. There are 21 main types of questions that tend to appear in 11+ Exams which can be classified into 3 main groups which are: • Vocabulary Questions • Arithmetic Questions • Codes Questions.  We will take children through each question type and provide practise material to ensure they’ve understood each concept before moving onto the next.  We develop vocabulary with a wide range of games and on-line resources.  An extensive vocabulary will maximise your child’s chances of success in this examination.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning involves answering problem solving questions that appear in diagrammatic or pictorial form.  These tests allow potential to be measured as complex problems can be solved without relying upon, or being limited by, language skills. As these types of questions don’t require reading, they can give a valuable insight into the abilities of those who have difficulty with reading and thinking verbally.  We provide a detailed explanation of all the different question types.  Further practise will be provided until each concept is fully understood.