How to prepare for the 11 Plus at home?

Understanding the 11 Plus Exam

The 11 Plus exam typically lasts 2-2.5 hours across multiple papers testing English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with formats varying by region (GL, CEM, or independent schools). Parents preparing at home need to grasp these differences for effective 11 plus prep. Formats include GL with 45-60 minute multiple-choice papers, CEM with shorter 25-30 minute tests featuring longer texts, and independent school exams often using essay-style comprehension.

Pass marks usually range from 70-80%, but this varies by area. In Kent, expect two longer papers, while Birmingham uses the CEM format with quick-paced questions. Regional differences mean tailoring your home study to local grammar school entrance requirements helps build exam confidence.

Understanding these variations supports year 5 revision and year 6 practice. Focus on official GL Assessment and CEM resources for accurate samples. This context guides your study schedule, weekly planner, and mock tests at home.

For homeschooling 11+, start with diagnostic tests to identify weak areas. Parental guidance through daily routines ensures steady progress in core subjects like verbal reasoning and maths worksheets.

Exam Format and Subjects

Most 11+ exams feature 4 core subjects: English (25-35 mins), Maths (30 mins), Verbal Reasoning (25 mins), Non-Verbal Reasoning (25 mins). These test reasoning skills and logical thinking essential for grammar school entrance. Home preparation involves practising each to improve speed drills and accuracy focus.

GL exams follow structured papers per official GL Assessment specs, while CEM uses integrated tests from sample papers. Kent often has two papers total, Birmingham sticks to CEM style. Use this breakdown for your timetable and practice papers.

Incorporate eleven plus books like Bond series or CGP guides for subject breakdown. Track progress with marking schemes to target score improvements in fractions, comprehension, and pattern sequences.

Common Question Types

11+ exams feature 12 core question types across subjects, blending multiple choice and short answer formats. Focus on these for exam technique and time management during home study. Practise with free worksheets and YouTube tutorials to master them.

• Synonyms (VR): Find words like cheerful for 'happy'. Example: 'Brave' matches courageous. Answer: courageous.
• Number series (Maths): Spot patterns, e.g., 2, 4, 8, 16,? Answer: 32.
• 3D shapes (NVR): Recognise cube nets or rotations. Example: Which net folds into a cube? Answer: The cross shape.
• Cloze comprehension (English): Fill gaps in passages. Example: The dog ran ___ the park. Answer: through.
• Antonyms (VR): Opposites like 'hot' to cold. Example: 'Ancient' is modern. Answer: modern.
• Pattern sequences (NVR): Continue rows of shapes. Example: Circle, square, triangle, circle,? Answer: square.
• Code breaking (VR): Decode letters, e.g., A=1, B=2 so 'CAT' is 3-1-20. Answer: 3120 (adjusted).
• Fractions (Maths): Simplify 4/8. Answer: 1/2.
• Analogy (VR): Hand is to glove as foot is to? Answer: shoe.
• Spatial awareness (NVR): Folded paper outcomes. Example: Which view matches? Answer: Option C.

These types build problem-solving and inference skills. Use flash cards, mind maps, and mental arithmetic drills for independent learning. Educational apps and BBC Bitesize aid vocabulary building and shape recognition.

For self-study tips, do daily spelling tests and grammar exercises. Mock tests reveal strengths, while parental forums share DIY tuition strategies for stress management and positive mindset.

Creating a Study Schedule

Effective 11+ preparation requires 10-15 hours weekly spread across 5 subjects, starting 12-18 months before exam. Begin with a Year 5 diagnostic in September or October to spot weak areas in maths, English, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and CEM or GL topics. This sets a strong base for grammar school entrance or independent school exams.

Move to Year 6 intensive phase from January to March, focusing on practice papers, mock tests, and past papers. Research suggests spaced repetition improves retention, so review topics regularly rather than cramming. Balance sessions to cover vocabulary building, mental arithmetic, shape recognition, and comprehension skills.

Enter the taper phase in April and May by reducing volume and emphasising exam technique, time management, and speed drills. A balanced schedule prevents burnout, with rest days for hobbies and family time. Track progress using diagnostic tests to build strengths and address gaps in fractions, inference skills, or pattern sequences.

Parental guidance helps with homeschooling 11+, using free worksheets, YouTube tutorials, or apps like Khan Academy. Adjust for your child's pace, incorporating flash cards and mind maps for independent learning. This structured approach boosts exam confidence and stress management.

Daily and Weekly Routines

Structure daily sessions as 45-min study + 15-min break cycles, totalling 2-3 hours weekdays and 4 hours weekends. This routine suits home study for the 11 plus exam, keeping focus sharp on core subjects. Experts recommend short bursts to maintain attention during maths worksheets or English comprehension.

Follow this sample weekly planner for eleven plus prep:

1. 1Weekdays: 4:30-5:15pm Maths (fractions, decimals, geometry), 5:30-6:15pm English (spelling tests, grammar exercises, creative writing), 7-7:30pm VR/NVR (synonyms, code breaking, spatial awareness).
2. 2Weekends: 2-hour mock test + review, plus targeted practice on weak areas like poetry analysis or data handling.
3. 3Include daily vocabulary building and mental arithmetic drills.

Make seasonal adjustments, such as 1 hour per day in summer for lighter year 5 revision, and 2.5 hours in winter for year 6 practice. Avoid the common mistake of overstudying one subject, which unbalances skills and hinders overall score improvement. Rotate focus to build reasoning skills and logical thinking evenly.

Track with a simple timetable or printable planner, noting target scores and progress. Incorporate self-study tips like mnemonics for punctuation rules or pattern sequences. This fosters independent learning, motivation techniques, and a positive mindset for test anxiety.

Essential Resources and Materials

Core materials include 3-4 practice book series plus digital platforms, budgeted at £80-150 total. Prioritise mixed GL/CEM formats to cover both common 11+ exam styles used in grammar and independent school entrances. This approach suits home study for year 5 revision and year 6 practice.

Free options like BBC Bitesize and Khan Academy offer daily worksheets for verbal reasoning, maths, and English comprehension. Paid resources provide structured practice papers and mock tests essential for exam technique and time management. Balance both to keep 11 plus prep affordable.

Bond Assessment Papers stand out as top-sellers, with over 500k copies sold annually for reliable CEM exam simulation. Combine books with online tools for progress tracking and weak area focus. Parents guide self-study through weekly planners and diagnostic tests.

Build a study schedule around these, allocating time for numerical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and vocabulary building. Use flashcards for spelling tests and mental arithmetic drills. This setup supports independent learning without a tutor.

Books, Papers, and Online Tools

Top resources: CGP 11+ Complete Series (£42 for 8 books), Bond Assessment Papers (£30 for 10 tests), Atom Learning (£59/mo online). These cover GL assessment and CEM exam needs for grammar school entrance. Select based on your child's strengths in maths worksheets or English topics.

CGP excels for GL formats with detailed explanations on fractions, geometry, and reading comprehension. Bond suits CEM exam styles, focusing on pattern sequences and code breaking. Letts and Exam Ninja add variety for stage 1 prep and stage 2 practice.

Online platforms like Atom Learning and PiAcademy deliver adaptive mock tests and video tutorials. Free sites provide printable papers for daily routine practice. Track scores with marking schemes to improve inference skills and problem solving.

Mastering English Skills

English comprises 25-35% of total marks in the 11 plus exam, testing comprehension (50%), SPaG (30%), and vocabulary (20%). Inference skills are crucial for around 12 out of 20 comprehension marks. Experts recommend daily 30-minute reading to build these skills at home.

Focus on reading comprehension through age-appropriate books like classics or newspapers. Discuss passages with your child to practise inference, such as why a character made a choice. This strengthens 11+ preparation at home without extra costs.

Incorporate SPaG exercises using free worksheets from educational sites. Practice spelling tests and punctuation rules daily. Parental guidance helps track progress in year 5 revision and year 6 practice.

Build vocabulary building with flashcards and games. Use 11 plus books like the Bond series for targeted practice. Regular mock tests improve exam technique and time management for grammar school entrance.

Vocabulary and Comprehension

Target 800-1000 new words yearly using daily 15-word flashcards, which can sharpen verbal reasoning in the 11+ exam. Start with simple tools like paper cards for home study. This approach suits eleven plus preparation for CEM exam or GL assessment.

Follow this daily plan for consistent gains:

1. 1Learn 15 new words from Bond Vocab Builder or similar books.
2. 2Do synonyms and antonyms matching for 20 minutes using printable sheets.
3. 3Analyse an 800-word comprehension passage from practice papers.
4. 4Answer inference questions, like why a character acted in a certain way.

Tools such as Quizlet or Memrise make sessions engaging for independent learning. For example, "The politician was equivocal" means ambiguous or evasive. Track with weekly vocab tests to spot weak areas.

Combine with reading comprehension from past papers or BBC Bitesize. Parents can create a study schedule with flashcards and mind maps. This builds confidence for independent school exams through self-study tips.

Exceling in Maths

Master 45 core topics across Number (50%), Measurement (20%), Geometry (20%), Statistics (10%), targeting 85%+ accuracy in your 11 plus exam preparation at home. Focus on building speed and precision through daily practice. This approach suits grammar school entrance and independent school exams like CEM or GL assessment.

Start with a daily routine of 30 minutes on mental arithmetic and 20 worksheets. Use tools like Mathletics or IXL for interactive sessions. Incorporate NRICH Oxford problems to develop problem solving skills for year 5 revision and year 6 practice.

Track progress with weekly planners and mock tests. Parents can guide homeschooling 11+ sessions, focusing on weak areas through diagnostic tests. Build exam confidence with timed practice papers and past papers.

Combine flash cards for quick recall and mind maps for topics like fractions. Encourage independent learning with self-study tips, ensuring a balanced timetable. This method boosts numerical reasoning for eleven plus success.

Maths Topic Breakdown

Use this table to organise your study schedule for 11+ maths prep. Allocate time based on weighting to prioritise high-impact areas. Reference NRICH Oxford problems for deeper challenges in these subtopics.

For fractions, practise ordering 1/2, 3/4, 2/5 daily. Algebra sessions cover simple formulae like perimeter. Geometry drills include angle sums in triangles at 180 degrees.

Daily Practice Routine

Begin each day with 30 minutes of mental arithmetic, covering speed drills for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Follow with 20 worksheets targeting core topics. This builds time management for exam day.

Incorporate online resources like free worksheets and YouTube tutorials alongside Mathletics (£7/mo) or IXL (£9.99/mo). Parents provide parental guidance during homeschooling 11+ without needing a tutor. Focus on accuracy over speed initially.

End sessions with progress tracking, noting scores on answer sheets. Use marking schemes from practice papers to identify errors. Adjust your weekly planner to strengthen areas like decimals or percentages.

Advanced Techniques and Tools

Tackle NRICH Oxford problems weekly for logical thinking in geometry and algebra. Create mnemonics for sequences and revision cards for shape recognition. These suit DIY tuition and budget-friendly prep.

Practice mock tests under timed conditions to mimic GL assessment or CEM exam pressure. Include numerical reasoning with pattern sequences. Build exam technique through multiple choice questions.

For motivation, use motivation techniques like reward systems and positive mindset exercises. Track improvements in score targets. This no tutor needed plan ensures steady progress for selective schools.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning

Reasoning papers, 25 minutes each, contribute significantly to total marks. They test pattern recognition over learned knowledge. Home preparation builds these skills through daily practice.

Verbal Reasoning (VR) focuses on word patterns and analogies, common in CEM exams. Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) involves shapes and matrices, key in GL assessments. Understanding this split guides your 11 plus prep at home.

Practice daily 20 questions for each type in your study schedule. Use books like Bond Reasoning or CGP NVR for affordable home study. Track progress with weekly mock tests.

Verbal Reasoning Types

Verbal Reasoning sharpens language logic for grammar school entrance. Practice identifies word patterns quickly. Start with simple exercises in year 5 revision.

Common types include these eight:

• Hidden words in sentences
• Letter sequences like alphabet shifts
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Word analogies
• Code breaking with letters
• Opposite meanings
• Compound words
• Alphabetical order

For example, in a code like BDCA, each letter shifts back by one from CEBD. Use flash cards for daily drills. This builds exam technique and speed.

Non-Verbal Reasoning Types

Non-Verbal Reasoning develops shape recognition and spatial skills. It suits independent school exams without language barriers. Integrate into your weekly planner for year 6 practice.

Key types include these eight:

• Series of shapes
• Analogies with figures
• 3D views and rotations
• Matrices and patterns
• Folding and nets
• Mirror images
• Hidden shapes
• Odd one out

Sample: Spot the next in a square-triangle-circle rotation sequence. Practice with printable papers and timers for time management. Parental guidance helps review errors.

Daily Practice Routine

Set a daily routine with 20 VR and 20 NVR questions. Alternate types to keep sessions fresh during homeschooling 11+. This boosts reasoning skills steadily.

Use practice papers from Bond or CGP books. Time each set to mimic 11+ exam conditions. Mark with answer sheets and note weak areas.

Incorporate self-study tips like mind maps for patterns. Track scores in a progress journal. Adjust your timetable based on diagnostic tests for balanced prep.

Practice Tests and Mock Exams

Complete 1 full timed mock weekly from Week 4, aiming for 75%+ by February, using official GL/CEM formats. This builds stamina and mirrors real 11 plus exam conditions during home study. Parents can supervise to simulate the testing environment.

Follow a 12-week plan for structured eleven plus prep. In Weeks 1-4, tackle 1 practice paper per subject like verbal reasoning or maths. This identifies weak areas early in year 6 practice.

Weeks 5-8 shift to full mocks every Saturday at 9am, covering all sections such as non-verbal reasoning and English comprehension. Weeks 9-12 ramp up to 2 mocks per week plus detailed review, sharpening exam technique and time management.

Use resources like Exam Papers Plus for 15 CEM mocks or PreTest Plus for GL mocks. Track progress with a simple spreadsheet logging scores in numerical reasoning, vocabulary building, and more. This supports independent learning and parental guidance.

Tracking Progress with Spreadsheets

Create a progress tracking spreadsheet to monitor scores across mock tests. List columns for date, paper type, total score, and subject breakdowns like mental arithmetic or shape recognition. Update after each session to spot trends in your year 5 revision.

Include a section for target scores, such as improving from initial diagnostics to consistent highs in grammar school entrance papers. Review weekly to celebrate gains in areas like fractions or inference skills. This keeps motivation high during homeschooling 11+.

Share the spreadsheet with family for accountability in your study schedule. Use colour coding for strengths in pattern sequences and reds for code breaking needs. Adjust your weekly planner based on data for better score improvement.

Error Analysis Method

After each mock, perform error analysis by reviewing answer sheets against marking schemes. Categorise mistakes into types like careless errors, concept gaps, or time issues. This targeted approach boosts accuracy in multiple choice questions.

For careless errors, practise speed drills on punctuation rules and spelling tests. Concept gaps call for maths worksheets on decimals or English topics like poetry analysis. Time problems improve with timed sections in verbal reasoning or spatial awareness.

Keep a log of recurring errors, using flash cards or mind maps for revision. Revisit weak areas in daily routine, such as geometry or synonyms. This method builds exam confidence and logical thinking for selective schools.

Experts recommend dedicating 30 minutes post-mock to this review. It transforms mistakes into strengths, essential for independent school exams and common entrance. Parents guide this without needing DIY tuition.

Maintaining Motivation and Wellbeing

Research suggests many 11+ students face test anxiety during 11 plus prep. Daily 5-minute mindfulness practices help prevent performance drops from stress. Parents can support home study by building habits that boost exam confidence.

Experts recommend proven strategies like growth mindset affirmations and breathing exercises for stress management. These fit easily into a study schedule for year 5 revision or year 6 practice. Consistent use enhances motivation techniques and wellbeing during eleven plus preparation at home.

A structured approach with weekly rewards and progress tracking keeps children engaged in self-study tips. Combine these with good sleep for better reasoning skills in verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. Parents guide homeschooling 11+ success through these simple steps.

One child, Sarah, used these methods alongside mock tests and practice papers. She gained confidence for her grammar school entrance exam. Download a wellbeing tracker to monitor daily routines and improvements.

Five Proven Strategies for Daily Use

Incorporate a growth mindset daily affirmation for just 5 minutes each morning. Have your child repeat phrases like "I can improve with effort" before maths worksheets or English comprehension. This builds resilience for CEM exam or GL assessment challenges.

Practice box breathing pre-test using the 4-7-8 method: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Do this before past papers to calm nerves and improve time management. It aids focus during mental arithmetic or pattern sequences.

Set up a weekly reward system tied to completing study timetable goals, such as finishing vocabulary building or spelling tests. Rewards like extra playtime motivate without pressure. Track with a simple chart for independent learning.

• Create a progress visualization chart: Use stickers to mark scores from diagnostic tests, highlighting weak areas in fractions or grammar exercises.
• Enforce a sleep schedule of 9 hours per night to support memory for synonyms, antonyms, or shape recognition.
• Review the chart weekly during parental guidance sessions to celebrate score improvement.

Case Study: Sarah's Journey

Sarah struggled with test anxiety in her initial year 6 practice sessions at home. Her parents introduced daily routine elements like affirmations and breathing exercises. Scores in multiple choice questions and creative writing began to rise steadily.

With the weekly planner and rewards, she stayed committed to exam technique drills. The progress visualization chart showed clear gains in non-verbal reasoning and data handling. Sleep focus sharpened her problem solving.

By exam day, Sarah managed morning routine with packed lunch and pencils ready. Her positive mindset led to strong results for selective schools. This DIY tuition approach proves effective for budget friendly prep.