What is the 11 Plus?

Whether you call it the 11 Plus, transfer test, entrance exam or grammar test, the 11 Plus is an exam taken at the end of Year 5 / beginning of Year 6, typically when the student is 10 years old.

This is a completely optional exam that you, as a parent or guardian would have to sign your child up for beforehand (registration dates vary from school to school but are generally at the beginning of Year 5). For those in Northern Ireland your child would have to sit what is the Northern Ireland Transfer Test.

Remember that exams are specific to each grammar school, so if you had 4 different schools in mind, you would have to register for each one, and your child would have to sit exams for each school separately.

All grammar schools use the results of their exam to decide whether the student (your child) is academically capable of attending, and has potential. If they were to achieve above the pass mark then the student would be offered a place to start for Year 7. The place offered to them is optional and non-binding, which means you can refuse and opt for another school if your child were to sit the exam and pass there as well.

Pass rates can differ depending on spaces and the level of interest, with over 160 grammar schools in England (Wales and Scotland have discontinued grammar schools) places are limited and there generally is a lot of competition.

Whats in the 11 Plus exams?

The content and structure of the 11 plus exams change from school to school but what is confirmed across the board is that the student will need to be competent in the following:

1. Verbal Reasoning – Tests your child’s problem-solving abilities using words, requiring them to use logic and deduction to evaluate text, identify patterns and more
2. Non verbal Reasoning – Tests your child’s ability to problem solve using visual information such as pictures and shapes, similar to verbal reasoning, your child will be required to use logic to identify patterns, similarities and differences
3. Maths – Tests your child’s grasp of mathematical concepts up to Key Stage 2 level
4. English – Tests your child’s understanding of English up to Key Stage 2 level

As you can already tell, Maths and English are already part of the National Curriculum so your child would naturally have more exposure to them.

However, Verbal Reasoning and Non verbal aren’t. These are additional subject areas that are tested to gauge your child’s critical thinking and ability to apply knowledge with reason.