The 11+ exam is a widely used testing system which assesses children for entry into secondary schools. Prep schools generally begin preparing at the start of Year 5 and children take the tests at the start of Year 6.

Most 11+ exams consist of a maths element, requiring children to have mastered all maths topics in the Year 5-6 curriculum, an English element which generally comprises a high-level comprehension and extended creative piece and a reasoning element which includes verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

For some schools, only some of these elements are included so it is important to let us know which schools you are hoping to sit exams for so we can tailor your child’s learning programme accordingly.

Children will begin sitting 11+ exams in the autumn term of Year 6. Specific dates vary depending on which schools you wish to apply for and interviews take place after this, generally from January.

If your child is at a prep school, a Future Schools adviser will generally meet with you in Year 5 to discuss potential schools that may suit your child. Orion Education are also able to offer informal advice based on your child’s learning level.

Generally, the higher the school is on league tables, the more competitive it is likely to be so schools such as Westminster, Latymer Upper, St Paul’s, Wimbledon High, Godolphin and Latymer and King’s are highly competitive. It can be something of a lottery with these schools and children who are achieving at the top of their year group may still not gain a place depending on their performance on the day!

Other highly regarded schools such as Putney High, Francis Holland for girls or Whitgift for boys have grown increasingly competitive and even schools which were previously seen as ‘mid of the range’ such as Harrodian and Emmanuel now have massive demand for every place.

Usually, it is therefore recommended to be realistic in your choices based on your child’s current aptitude and achievement and to choose a range of options, some of which will be more ambitious and some more achievable. For example, you may want to have one more ambitious choice and two or three other schools which cover a range so that you are more likely to receive an offer.

It is also important to remember that you do not need to leave at 11+. If your child is not quite ready in Year 6 or does not gain offers which you are happy with you can also retry at 13+ (which takes place in Year 8) for school spaces. Many children who are not quite ready in Year 6 go on to thrive at 13+.

Normally, Year 5 is when the preparation for 11+ starts in earnest but the exams are so wide-reaching it is important to be up to a good level in maths and English before that in Year 3 and Year 4.

One of the hardest areas to build at the last minute is vocabulary and this can be where many children struggle, both in the verbal reasoning and in the English components of 11+. It is therefore recommended to start gently building vocabulary and reasoning skills in Year 4 so that your child can enjoy gradually gaining confidence as it gets harder in Year 5 in the lead up to the tests in Year 6.

Verbal reasoning consists of 21 different types of questions assessing your child’s ability to spot patterns and connections between words and letters.

Numbers are used for some question types and problem-solving is necessary for types such as word-number codes. Having a wide vocabulary is essential for many question types such as odd words out and synonyms.

Non verbal reasoning is based on visual and spatial awareness and spotting patterns in shapes. Types of questions include finding the shape that carries on a sequence or finishes a matrix or finding the odd one out.