The Eleven Plus Explained

The Eleven Plus is a selective entrance exam for students in year 6 (usually at the age of 11) wanting to get into a grammar school. The tests are designed to look at a child’s academic ability. There are four categories that are tested: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English. It is said that there are 163+ Grammar Schools in England, and approximately 5% of secondary pupils in England attend a grammar school. Around 100,000 children sit the 11+ each year.  In some areas of the country, there are as many as 30 students applying for a place at a grammar school. Not only does this reinforce the rigorous challenge of the 11+ process but also the demand that is still out there for grammar schools.

There are 35 local authorities containing one or more grammar schools. Local authorities use different exam boards which means exam papers vary in layout and the length of time. Grammar schools usually open their registration in April or May and set a deadline around June or July for parents to register their child for the 11+ exam. Although these may vary depending on the local authority, it would be advisable to check with individual schools. For most grammar schools the entrance exam usually takes place in September with the results usually being posted out by mid-October. School allocations are usually confirmed by March with new intakes beginning in September. As schools use different exam boards, the pass rate is dependent on individual exam boards and other factors may also be taken into consideration. Most of the eleven plus exams are made up of more than one paper; sometimes these separate papers are tested on the same day with a break in between them and some schools test over a couple of days. Therefore if a child is sitting more than one 11+ exam, it is essential they and their parents or carers are aware of the high expectation and challenge they would face. Although there is no fixed entrance exam method used by every school, there are some trends that are repeated year after year in each paper.

English

There are two parts to the English papers, most papers test a child’s comprehension and writing skills. Therefore, reading is key to pass both parts of a paper as one skill will go hand-in-hand with the other. Good vocabulary and the ability to decode and articulate meaning is important. I often advise students to write down good sentences they have read that are loaded with techniques and to mimic this style in their writing for future reference. It is vital a child knows how to evoke emotions in their reader and to understand why the writer selects the word choices they do. Understanding the flow between reader and writer is an essential skill in getting good marks to pass the exam, not just in the 11+ exams but for future academic qualifications too.

5 common questions that regularly appear on the reading paper are as follows…