What is the 11 Plus Test?
The 11 Plus test, commonly referred to as the 11+, is an examination taken by students in Year 6 in many parts of England and Northern Ireland. This assessment is a crucial step for students seeking admission to grammar schools, which are state-funded secondary schools that select their pupils based on academic ability. The 11 Plus test plays a significant role in determining which children will gain a place at these schools, making it an important milestone in a child’s educational journey.
There are approximately 163 grammar schools in England, each with its own individual admission processes and requirements. Each school can set its own criteria for admissions, which means it can choose which tests to use, and what its pass mark will be. Some schools create their own tests, but these days most schools use the tests provided by GL Assessment, which are referred to as the GL 11 Plus tests.
GL stands for Graded Learning, and these assessments are designed to evaluate a child's academic ability in various subjects. While GL tests are widely used, some schools may opt for different examination boards or types of assessments. The best way to find out what tests your chosen school requires children to take is to check out their website. Although Club 11 Plus specialises in preparing children for the GL assessments, our lessons and quizzes are also very helpful in preparing children for any other style of 11 Plus test.
The GL 11 Plus tests evaluate children across various subjects, but each school can pick and choose which subjects it wants to include in its test. The subjects it can choose from are:
There are approximately 163 grammar schools in England, each with its own individual admission processes and requirements. Each school can set its own criteria for admissions, which means it can choose which tests to use, and what its pass mark will be. Some schools create their own tests, but these days most schools use the tests provided by GL Assessment, which are referred to as the GL 11 Plus tests.
GL stands for Graded Learning, and these assessments are designed to evaluate a child's academic ability in various subjects. While GL tests are widely used, some schools may opt for different examination boards or types of assessments. The best way to find out what tests your chosen school requires children to take is to check out their website. Although Club 11 Plus specialises in preparing children for the GL assessments, our lessons and quizzes are also very helpful in preparing children for any other style of 11 Plus test.
The GL 11 Plus tests evaluate children across various subjects, but each school can pick and choose which subjects it wants to include in its test. The subjects it can choose from are:
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Maths
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English
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Verbal Reasoning
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Non-Verbal Reasoning
So What Tests Will My Child Sit?
Many schools only require children to sit tests in Maths and English, or Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning, but some schools ask children to sit tests in all four subjects, and some even add on a Creative Writing assessment! If you don’t yet know which tests your child will need to take to get into the school you would like them to go to, check out your chosen school’s website for details. The key things to look out for on the school's website are:
What is the Pass Mark?
Another critical aspect of the 11 Plus test is that the pass mark can differ significantly from one school to another, and from one year to the next. Each school determines its own criteria for what constitutes a passing score, which means that while a child may pass the 11 Plus test at one school, they may not necessarily meet the requirements at another. Some schools might set one pass mark for children who live in catchment, and another for those who don’t. At Club 11 Plus, we set a pass mark of 80% for all of our quizzes, to encourage our students to reach a standard that should ensure success whichever school they are trying to get into.
What Are The Tests Like?
Our boffins and geeks at Club 11 Plus spent months analysing all the questions in the GL practice papers, and have worked out exactly which topics are tested, and how likely it is for any topic to come up in a test. We've made sure that our lessons and quizzes cover every topic that has ever come up, plus a few extras for good measure, just in case. If the school you'd like your child to go to uses GL tests, you can be confident that Club 11 Plus will give them all the preparation they could possibly need. If the school doesn't use GL tests, you can still be confident that Club 11 Plus's lessons and quizzes will provide excellent preparation for whatever style of questions they are faced with on test day.
Let's have a look at what type of questions your child might come across in each of the tests:
Let's have a look at what type of questions your child might come across in each of the tests:
The Maths Test
The GL 11 Plus Maths test consists almost entirely of word problems, covering a wide variety of topics, most of which your child will have covered in school by the end of Year 5, but some of which, such as algebra, or conversion of squared units, may well be new to them. At Club 11 Plus, we have divided the topics into 23 separate modules, each of which has a series of lessons and subject quizzes, full of word problems just like the ones in the real test. We then provide a series of mixed quizzes, so your child will be fully prepared when it comes to test day.
The English Test
The GL 11 Plus English test consists of a comprehension, followed by a spelling test, a punctuation test, and a test where children have to fill in blanks with the correct word or words, which tests their use of language. At Club 11 Plus, we have plenty of bitesize, short and full-length comprehensions, as well as lessons covering all the relevant aspects of grammar and punctuation, and hundreds of quizzes to practise spelling, punctuation, and use of language.
The Verbal Reasoning Test
The GL 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning test consists of questions involving words, letters, numbers and codes, in a wonderful combination that our boffins at Club 11 Plus never tire of, but which can be a bit overwhelming for a child who hasn't come across anything like them before! Our geeks have analysed all the GL practice papers and come up with 20 different question types, a selection of which come up in each paper. Our experts have created a series of lessons for each type of question, along with plenty of quizzes, where your children will have fun cracking codes, spotting number sequences, finding hidden words, and solving all sorts of weird and wonderful word and number puzzles. Verbal Reasoning is an area where practice can make a massive difference to a child's speed and accuracy, and we're happy to offer them all the practice they'll ever need!
The Non-Verbal Reasoning Test
The GL 11 Plus Non-Verbal Reasoning test consists of questions involving codes, shapes, patterns and sequences. Our boffins have analysed all the GL practice papers and come up with just 6 different question types, a selection of which come up in each paper. Many schools don't choose to include Non-Verbal Reasoning questions in their test, so we've left this topic until last in our course development. Right now, our course creation experts are beavering away putting the finishing touches to the hundreds of lessons and quizzes that will be added to our website in the very near future. We are hoping to have everything in place for this final subject launch in late spring of 2025, so in plenty of time for your child to prepare for their test, but if you'd rather wait until we've added Non-Verbal Reasoning before joining us, maybe sign up to our newsletter, so we can let you know when we're all ready to go!
Be Prepared!
Our Club 11 Plus boffins and geeks weren't all boy scouts, but we do all believe in the power of always being prepared for anything. Our program is designed to adapt to the needs of each student, regardless of the school they want to go to, providing a well-rounded foundation for 11 Plus test success. We feel confident that our comprehensive program of lessons and quizzes will give your child all the tools they need to be fully prepared for anything the 11 Plus test can throw at them, and you can relax in the knowledge that you've done your very best to help them on the path to success!
Upcoming Club 11 Plus Features
At Club 11 Plus, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive preparation for all the 11 Plus assessments, but like the universe, we are expanding daily! We already offer hundreds of lessons and quizzes for Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning, and in Spring 2025, we will be introducing our Non-Verbal Reasoning lessons and quizzes, adding to our already robust curriculum. Our experienced team of boffins is currently beavering away, developing hundreds of lessons and quizzes to prepare our students for every aspect of the Non-Verbal Reasoning test – and believe it or not, we’re loving every minute of it!
How it works:
Joining Club 11 Plus is as simple as 1, 2 3!
#1 Try before you buy
If you want to get a feel for what Club 11 Plus will offer your child before subscribing, try out our free lessons and quizzes.
#2 Join Club 11 Plus today!
Join Club 11 Plus today for just £19.99 per month, with no registration fee and no minimum subscription period!
#3 Sit back and relax!
Sit back and relax in the knowledge that you're doing your very best to help your child on their path to success!