What subjects are in the 11 Plus? A guide for 2027 exams

English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning are common 11 Plus subject areas. Your child will not necessarily be tested in all four, and some assessments include other tasks. Start with the current specification for the school or consortium: there is no single national 11 Plus syllabus.

The main subject areas

GL Assessment’s familiarisation materials give examples across these areas. They illustrate question styles, not a compulsory four-paper timetable. A subject is what is assessed; a paper may combine several subjects; the answer format is how a child responds.

English: reading, vocabulary and accurate expression

Comprehension involves understanding what a text says and what can reasonably be inferred from it. A retrieval question asks for information stated in the passage. An inference question asks the reader to connect clues. Vocabulary questions may ask what a word means in that particular sentence, rather than its first dictionary definition.

• Reading: identify details, sequence events and explain a character’s actions using evidence.
• Vocabulary: understand meaning in context, similarities and opposites where these are tested.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar: recognise or produce accurate language, according to the local format.
• Writing, if required: respond to the actual task, organise ideas and review clarity and accuracy.

Original illustration: “Maya checked the platform clock again and tightened her grip on the ticket.” This could suggest she is anxious or impatient about the journey. A useful explanation connects that interpretation to her repeated clock-checking. The sentence does not prove a particular reason, such as a missed train, so avoid adding unsupported details.

Do not assume that every English test contains creative writing or assigns it the same role. Check whether there is a separate writing task and how it is used. Reading a range of suitable fiction and non-fiction can support discussion; a list of supposedly essential difficult words is not a substitute for understanding what you read.

Maths: knowledge applied to problems

A preparation checklist may include place value and calculation; fractions, decimals and percentages; measures and units; shape and geometry; and interpreting tables or charts. The organiser’s curriculum statement determines the relevant scope. Some tests specify knowledge through Year 5, so “everything up to the end of Year 6” is not a safe universal description.

Original worked example: three quarters of 28 is 21. Divide 28 into four equal groups to find one quarter: 28 ÷ 4 = 7. Then take three groups: 7 × 3 = 21. Ask the child why the division comes first; this checks understanding rather than recall of a sequence of buttons or rules.

Word problems also require identifying what is being asked, choosing relevant information and checking the unit. A child might calculate correctly but answer in centimetres when metres were requested. Record the cause of a mistake before deciding what to practise next.

Verbal reasoning: relationships involving language

Verbal reasoning may use word meanings, analogies, letter patterns or codes. Its overlap with English does not make every English comprehension exercise a verbal-reasoning question. Use the local examples to see the actual task types rather than assuming a fixed national list.

Original illustration: “A finger is part of a hand; a toe is part of a ___.” The answer is “foot”. The relationship is part to whole. Explaining that relationship is more useful than merely noticing that all the words concern the body.

When introducing a code, check that the child understands every instruction. If a rule says each letter moves one place forward in the alphabet, CAT becomes DBU. Work through C→D, A→B and T→U separately. This is an illustration of a rule, not a prediction that this question type appears in your child’s exam.

Non-verbal and spatial reasoning: working with visual information

Non-verbal questions often use shapes or diagrams to test relationships. A pattern might change the number of elements, orientation, position or shading. Spatial tasks may involve rotations, reflections, folding or how a solid would look from another viewpoint. Exactly which tasks appear is local to the test.

Use properly drawn practice materials with complete answer options. Ask the child to describe one feature at a time and check whether the proposed rule fits all the given figures. Do not treat a vague text description of a missing diagram as a valid test question or infer a child’s general ability from one unfamiliar puzzle.

Not every test follows the familiar four-subject pattern

QE Barnet’s current FAQ describes English and maths papers. For a confirmed 2027 example, Pate’s 2028-entry notice lists English/maths in the Adventure and Beacon papers, plus a Compass paper using contexts from a wider range of school subjects. The Gloucestershire test is scheduled for 3 July 2027.

The Gloucestershire notice says the foundation-subject contexts do not require specific prior knowledge. This is a reason to read the supplied familiarisation guide carefully, rather than inventing an extra revision syllabus. Other FSCE schools may publish different specifications; the provider name alone does not settle the subject list.

Turn the subject list into a useful plan

1. 1Record the school, entry year, test year and official subject list. Note separate stages and any writing task.
2. 2Try a small amount of relevant familiarisation. Separate unfamiliar instructions from gaps in subject knowledge.
3. 3Choose one clear next step for each gap and review it with a fresh question after learning.

There is no universal equal weighting across these areas or required number of daily questions. Use the format guide to understand response styles and the free-resource guide to find official starting materials. For identifying the test itself, use which exams grammar schools use.