The 11+ is one of the most searched education topics in the UK, yet reliable information is surprisingly hard to find. Most of what's out there comes from companies selling expensive preparation courses, and the advice tends to skew towards "start early, buy our materials, panic now."
This guide is different. We have no 11+ course to sell you. What follows is a straightforward, honest look at what the 11+ actually is, what it tests, when preparation should realistically start, what tutoring costs, and whether grammar school is the right choice for your child. Whether you're firmly committed or still weighing it up, this should give you a clearer picture.
What is the 11+?
The 11+ (sometimes written as "eleven plus") is an entrance examination used by grammar schools and some selective independent schools to assess children for admission. It is typically sat in the autumn of Year 6, though in some areas the test takes place in the summer term of Year 5.
An important thing to understand from the outset: the 11+ is not a national test. Unlike KS2 SATs, which follow a single format set by the Standards and Testing Agency, the 11+ varies significantly depending on where you live. Different regions use different exam boards, different question formats, and even different subjects. A child sitting the 11+ in Kent will face a different paper to one in Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, or Essex.
There are roughly 163 grammar schools in England (none in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland operate through the 11+ system in the same way). They are concentrated in particular areas - Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, parts of the West Midlands, and pockets of other counties. If you don't live near a grammar school, the 11+ may simply not be relevant to you, though some families do travel considerable distances.
Grammar schools are state-funded, so there are no tuition fees. Places are awarded based on exam performance, sometimes combined with distance from the school or other criteria. Competition for places varies enormously - some grammar schools receive three or four applications per place, others closer to ten.
What does the 11+ test?
The 11+ can test up to four main areas, though not every region tests all four. What your child faces depends on which exam board your local grammar schools use.
English
Reading comprehension is the core component - your child reads a passage and answers questions about it, testing inference, vocabulary, understanding of language techniques, and the ability to retrieve specific information. Some 11+ exams also include a writing task (narrative or persuasive), though this is less common than it used to be.
Mathematics
The maths tested goes beyond standard KS2 content. While the foundation is firmly rooted in the primary curriculum, questions often stretch into more complex areas - advanced fractions, ratio, algebra, and multi-step problem-solving. Speed matters, too. Children who are comfortable and fluent with core maths operations have a clear advantage because they can move through straightforward questions quickly and spend their time on harder ones.
Verbal reasoning (VR)
Verbal reasoning tests logic and problem-solving using words and language. Question types include finding word patterns, completing analogies, cracking letter codes, inserting missing words, and rearranging jumbled sentences. VR is not taught in the primary curriculum, which is why it often feels unfamiliar to children encountering it for the first time. However, children with strong vocabularies and good reading habits tend to pick it up relatively quickly.
Non-verbal reasoning (NVR)
Non-verbal reasoning tests pattern recognition and spatial awareness using shapes and diagrams rather than words. Children identify sequences, complete matrices, spot reflections and rotations, and find the odd one out from a set of shapes. Like VR, this is not part of the standard school curriculum and requires separate familiarisation.
Regional variation: which board does your area use?
The three main exam providers are GL Assessment, CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, run by Durham University), and ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board). GL Assessment exams tend to follow a predictable format that can be practised extensively. CEM exams are deliberately harder to prepare for - they change their format regularly and combine subjects within papers. ISEB is used primarily by independent schools. Knowing which board your target school uses is essential, as it determines exactly what to practise and how.
When should preparation start?
This is one of the most common questions parents ask, and there is a lot of conflicting advice. Some tutoring companies suggest starting in Year 2 or 3. That is, in our view, unnecessarily early for formal 11+ preparation and risks turning primary school into a pressurised grind before your child has even finished infant school.
Here is a more realistic, evidence-informed timeline:
Years 3 and 4: build strong foundations
No formal 11+ preparation is needed at this stage. What matters is that your child is building strong core skills in reading, writing, and maths through their normal school work. Read together, encourage reading for pleasure, play word games, and make sure maths fundamentals (times tables, mental arithmetic, fractions) are solid. A child working at the expected standard for their year group by the end of Year 4 has a strong foundation for the 11+.
Year 4 summer: familiarise with question types
Towards the end of Year 4 or during the summer holiday, introduce your child to the types of questions they will encounter - particularly verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which they will not have seen at school. This does not need to be intensive. A few introductory workbooks or online resources to remove the "surprise factor" is enough. The goal is familiarity, not mastery.
Year 5: structured practice
This is when more structured preparation makes sense - regular practice papers, targeted work on weaker areas, and timed practice to build exam stamina. If you are going to use a tutor, Year 5 is the most common and sensible time to start. How intensive this needs to be depends on your child, your target school's competitiveness, and the exam board. But a general rule of thumb: 20-30 minutes of practice three to four times a week, supplemented by weekly tutoring if needed, is usually sufficient. Marathon weekend sessions do more harm than good.
The key message: a child who reads widely, has solid maths skills, and is curious about language and patterns already has most of what the 11+ is looking for. The exam preparation itself is about technique, familiarity, and speed, not learning entirely new material.
How much does 11+ tutoring cost?
Private one-to-one 11+ tutoring in the UK typically costs between £30 and £60 per hour, depending on the tutor's qualifications, location, and experience. In London and the South East, rates above £50 per hour are common. Specialist 11+ tutors with strong track records at competitive grammar schools can charge £70 or more.
Group tutoring and online options bring the cost down significantly. Small group 11+ classes (four to eight children) typically cost £15 to £25 per session. Larger group courses run by tutoring centres may be cheaper per session but less personalised.
Over a full year of weekly tutoring, the total cost for private one-to-one tuition can easily reach £1,500 to £3,000. For families considering this investment, it is worth understanding what drives tutoring costs and where you can get the best value. We've written a detailed breakdown in our guide to UK tutoring costs in 2026.
One thing worth noting: expensive tutoring does not guarantee a place. A child with strong foundations and consistent, moderate practice at home can perform just as well as one who has been intensively tutored since Year 3. The research on this is clear - what matters most is the quality and consistency of preparation, not the amount of money spent.
Should your child sit the 11+?
This is the question that matters most, and it deserves an honest answer rather than a sales pitch. Grammar school is excellent for some children and wrong for others. Here are the genuine pros and cons.
The case for grammar school
- Strong academic results. Grammar schools consistently achieve some of the highest GCSE and A-level results in the country.
- A stretching environment. Children who are academically able can thrive when surrounded by peers of similar ability.
- Free education. Unlike independent schools, grammar schools are state-funded with no tuition fees.
- Extracurricular breadth. Many grammar schools offer extensive extracurricular programmes and strong university application support.
The case for caution
- Pressure on a 10-year-old. Months of preparation and the weight of expectation can take a toll on a child's wellbeing and confidence.
- The impact of not passing. The experience can be demoralising, especially if friends get in and they do not.
- Distance and travel. Grammar schools draw from wide catchment areas, meaning potentially long commutes.
- Narrowing of childhood. Intensive preparation can replace play, sport, hobbies, and unstructured downtime.
Questions to ask yourself before committing
- Does my child genuinely enjoy learning and thrive on academic challenge?
- Is this my child's ambition or mine?
- What are the non-selective alternatives? Have I visited them?
- How will our family handle it if my child does not get a place?
- Can we keep the preparation proportionate?
How to prepare without the pressure
If you do decide the 11+ is right for your family, here is how to approach preparation effectively without it becoming overwhelming.
Little and often beats marathon sessions.
Twenty minutes of focused practice four times a week is far more effective than a three-hour session at the weekend. Short, regular practice builds retention and keeps motivation high.
Work on weaknesses specifically.
If your child is strong in maths, there is limited value in doing more maths practice papers. Identify the areas where they are least confident and target those. Specific, targeted practice moves the needle.
Keep reading for pleasure alive.
Vocabulary, comprehension skills, and verbal reasoning ability are all built through regular, engaged reading. If 11+ preparation replaces reading time, you are undermining the very skills the exam tests.
Mix timed and untimed practice.
Time pressure is a real factor in the 11+, but doing every paper under strict conditions creates anxiety. Some papers timed, some untimed - so your child can focus on understanding without the clock ticking.
Have a Plan B, and make sure your child knows it's OK.
Visit your local non-selective schools. Find things to genuinely like about them. Children who know there is a good Plan B perform better in the exam because the stakes feel lower.
Where Bell.Study fits in
Bell.Study is not an 11+ preparation course. We do not offer practice papers, mock exams, or intensive boot camps. What we do offer is something that 11+ success fundamentally depends on: strong core skills in maths and English.
Our live online lessons, taught by qualified primary school teachers, build the mathematical fluency, reading comprehension, and problem-solving ability that form the foundation of 11+ performance. At £5 per lesson, Bell.Study makes that foundation accessible to every family.
Try our free practice games to strengthen key skills: Algebra Arena builds the algebraic thinking that appears in many 11+ maths papers, and Reading Detective develops the comprehension and inference skills tested in the English component.
Whether your child is sitting the 11+ next year or you are just starting to think about it, building strong foundations now is the single most valuable thing you can do. Join the Bell.Study waitlist