11+ (Eleven Plus) Exam Complete Guide 2026: State Grammar vs. Independent Schools, Strategies for International Families and Subject-Specific Preparation

The 11+ (Eleven-Plus) is an entrance examination for selective state grammar schools and some independent schools in the UK. Students take the exam in September of Year 6 (ages 10-11, equivalent to Grade 5 in the Japanese system) and, if successful, enter Year 7 the following September. Over 80% of the 164 grammar schools across the UK use the GL Assessment exam, and it is a highly competitive test with an average pass rate of around 23%.

However, did you know that there are several completely different exams all referred to as the "11+"? The 11+ for state grammar schools and the 11+ for prestigious independent schools differ significantly in format and preparation methods. Starting your preparation without understanding this distinction can lead to situations like, "We can't even apply because of where we live," or "We prepared for completely the wrong subjects."

In this article, based on the expertise of ELT, founded in London in 1984, we will explain the complete picture of the 11+ that international families need to know, along with practical, subject-specific preparation strategies.

UK Year vs. Japanese Grade Conversion Chart

To understand information about the 11+, it is crucial to first grasp the correspondence between UK and Japanese school years.

Since the academic year starts in different months in Japan and the UK (the UK starts in September), the corresponding grades may vary depending on the child's birth month. Additionally, primary school in the UK goes up to Year 6, making the 11+ the equivalent of Japan's "junior high school entrance exams."

1. The Two Types of "11+": State Grammar vs. Independent Schools

First, let's understand the crucial differences between the two.

Important: While the biggest appeal of state grammar schools is that they are "free," the competition is incredibly high, and some schools have strict residency requirements (Catchment Area), such as living within a few miles of the school. For example, at Tiffin Girls' School, virtually no offers are made to applicants outside the designated area, meaning your residential strategy can determine the outcome.

Case Study A: A State Grammar School Example – Henrietta Barnett School

HBS, a highly prestigious state girls' school in North London, is known for its two-stage selection process and distance priority places. Each year, around 2,000 applicants compete for 120 places. The first round (GL Assessment in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and English) narrows the field to about 300 top candidates. The second round consists of the school's own written English and Maths papers. Final offers are based on combined scores from both rounds, but priority is given to students living within a 3-mile straight-line distance from the school. It's important to note that even if a school is "technically without a catchment area," those living nearby have a significant advantage.

Case Study B: A Top Independent School Example – St Paul's Girls' School

At SPGS, a top independent girls' school in London, the admissions process consists of two stages plus an interview. In November of Year 6, applicants take the CEM Select cognitive ability test as Stage 1. Only the highest-scoring candidates are invited to Stage 2 in January, which involves advanced written tests in English, Maths, and Comprehension. Final candidates are then invited for a 15-minute individual interview, where their intellectual curiosity and communication skills are assessed alongside their academic ability. The SPGS exam includes content that goes beyond the primary school curriculum, requiring a deeper level of study than just standard "11+ prep."

2. Overview of Exam Formats: GL, CEM, School-Specific, and Consortiums

The content of the 11+ exam varies by school but can be broadly categorized into four types.

A. GL Assessment (Used by over 80% of Grammar Schools)

GL Assessment (formerly NFER) is the most widely used exam provider for grammar schools in the UK. It tests four subjects—English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning—in separate papers. All questions are multiple-choice, and the format is standardized, making practice with past papers particularly effective.

B. CEM (Phased out its traditional format at the end of 2022, with a shift to GL)

Developed by a research unit at Durham University, this exam was designed to be less susceptible to tutoring. It places a strong emphasis on vocabulary and has strict time limits. However, CEM announced its withdrawal from providing traditional 11+ exams at the end of 2022, and since 2024, many grammar schools have switched to the GL format. CEM now continues to offer an online adaptive test called "CEM Select" for some independent schools.

C. School-Specific Exams (Top Independent Schools & Second Round of some Grammar Schools)

Top independent schools like St Paul's and Westminster, as well as the second round of highly competitive grammar schools like HBS, use their own custom-written exams. These often include advanced comprehension, creative writing, applied mathematics, and may also involve interviews or group activities.

D. London 11+ Consortium (A Group of London Independent Girls' Schools)

This is a group of 12 well-known girls' schools, including Francis Holland and South Hampstead High School. They have replaced traditional written exams with a 100-minute online cognitive test designed by CEM (covering Maths, NVR, English, VR, Problem Solving, and Creative Comprehension). The results are shared with all member schools the applicant has applied to. Candidates who pass the test are then invited for individual interviews at each school. As this is a custom-made test with no past papers, rote learning from old exams is not an effective strategy.

3. Mastering the GL Assessment: Subject Content and Practical Strategies

The GL Assessment is the exam that international families are most likely to encounter. Here, we detail the content of the four subjects and the specific preparation methods recommended by UK tutors.

The fundamental principle of preparation, repeatedly endorsed by UK educators, is to progress in the order of Accuracy → Speed → Stamina. Instead of jumping into timed mock exams, first solidify the basics with accuracy, then work on increasing your answering speed, and finally, build the endurance to last the full length of the exam.

3-1. English (Approx. 50 questions / 50 minutes)

Based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum, with some content from Year 6 included.

Reading Comprehension

Students read a passage of about two pages and answer around 18 questions. Questions requiring inference are considered the most difficult, and understanding keywords like "infer," "suggest," "deduce," "compare," and "contrast" is essential.

Vocabulary

This includes selecting synonyms and antonyms and understanding vocabulary in context. It assumes a vocabulary level of a native English speaker at KS2, making it the biggest hurdle for non-native children.

Grammar & Punctuation

Identifying grammatical errors, completing sentences, and correct usage of commas, apostrophes, etc. Many children are said to struggle with prepositions and direct/reported speech.

Spelling

Tests the ability to handle the irregularities of English spelling.

Recommended Materials: GL Official Familiarisation Papers (free), CGP GL English Practice Books (approx. £8.75), Bond English Assessment Papers

3-2. Maths (Approx. 50 questions / 50 minutes)

Based on the KS2 curriculum, with Number questions being the most frequent, appearing about five times more often than other categories.

Main Topics: The four operations, fractions and decimals, percentages, area and volume, properties of shapes, interpreting graphs, and basic algebra (substituting values for unknowns). Many children are said to struggle with the order of operations (BIDMAS) and applied fraction problems.

Key Preparation Points: To achieve both accuracy and speed in calculations, strengthening mental maths is fundamental. The Japanese maths curriculum tends to be more advanced than the UK's, so calculation skills can be an advantage. However, the biggest barrier is that the problems are written in English. It is essential to learn mathematical terms in English (e.g., numerator, denominator, perimeter) beforehand and to practice translating word problems into equations.

Recommended Materials: GL Official Maths Practice Packs (£11.99), CGP KS2 Maths Targeted Question Books, Bond Maths Assessment Papers

3-3. Verbal Reasoning – VR (Approx. 80 questions / 50 minutes)

VR has the most questions in the GL exam and is a subject not taught in the school curriculum. There are 21 question types in GL VR, which can be broadly categorized into "vocabulary-based" and "logic-based" types.

Vocabulary-Dependent Types (Most challenging for non-native speakers):

• Closest Meaning – Requires understanding subtle differences between synonyms. The most difficult for EAL children.
• Opposite Meaning – Memorizing antonyms helps, but a large vocabulary is necessary.
• Hidden Word – Identifying a four-letter word hidden between two consecutive words.
• Compound Words – Combining two words to make another.
• Move a Letter – Requires knowledge of correct English words.

Logic and Pattern-Based Types (A key scoring opportunity for non-native speakers):

• Letter Series – Finding the pattern in a sequence of letters.
• Number Series – More mathematical in nature.
• Complete the Sum – Numerical logic.
• Letters for Numbers – Less vocabulary-dependent and a good chance to score points.

Key Preparation Points:
VR is completely different from English lessons. Internalizing the "solution template for each question type" directly translates to higher scores. First, practice with simple problems until you can instantly classify all 21 types. Next, for vocabulary-dependent types, solidify frequently used words (synonym/antonym pairs) with example sentences. Finally, practice under timed conditions to learn how to identify and skip difficult questions.

Recommended Materials: GL Official VR Practice Packs (£11.99), Bond Verbal Reasoning Assessment Papers, CGP 11+ GL Verbal Reasoning Practice Book

3-4. Non-Verbal Reasoning – NVR (Approx. 50 questions / 40 minutes)

This tests problem-solving skills using shapes and diagrams. As it is not language-dependent, this is the subject where non-native English speaking children can score highest.

Main Question Types:

• Shape Pattern Recognition – Finding the rule in a sequence of shapes and predicting the next one.
• Rotation, Reflection, and Symmetry – Determining how a shape changes.
• Nets & Cubes – Inferring a 3D shape from a 2D net. This is considered the area where practice yields the most improvement.
• Fold and Punch Problems – Predicting the shape of a piece of paper after it has been folded, punched, and unfolded.

Key Preparation Points
NVR is the subject where familiarity with question types yields the greatest results. For Nets problems in particular, systematically learning the rules of elimination (e.g., identifying impossible options, checking face orientation) can lead to significant score improvement in a short time. However, it is necessary to accurately understand the instruction words in English (rotate, reflect, symmetry, net, fold), so creating a mini-dictionary of these terms is recommended.

Recommended Materials: GL Official NVR Practice Packs (£11.99), Bond Non-Verbal Reasoning Assessment Papers, CGP 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Practice Book

3-5. How Scoring Works

GL exam results are not given as raw scores but as a Standardised Age Score (SAS). This system adjusts for the candidate's birth month to reduce any disadvantage and allow for fair comparison within the same age group.

A score of SAS 120 or above is generally considered the benchmark for grammar school entry, but the pass mark varies by school and year, and there is no fixed passing score. Rather than getting fixated on a single mock test SAS, it is more realistic to look at the moving average of the last three tests to see if there is a stable upward trend.

4. 11+ Strategy for International Families: An Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses by Subject

For children from non-English speaking backgrounds tackling the 11+, there are clear advantages and disadvantages depending on the subject. Based on ELT's counselling experience, they can be summarized as follows:

The Reality for EAL (English as an Additional Language) Families

The English proficiency required for the 11+ is not conversational fluency (BICS) but Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), involving academic vocabulary and inference skills. Educational research in the UK suggests it often takes EAL learners over six years to acquire academic English proficiency, and short-term "exam techniques" alone cannot bridge this fundamental gap.

Therefore, the most rational 11+ strategy for families from non-English speaking backgrounds is to build a strong English foundation before focusing on "test prep." Specifically, vocabulary should be prioritized and structured in the following three tiers:

Tier 1: High-frequency function and instruction words for the exam (compare, infer, despite, unless, whereas, etc.)

Tier 2: High-frequency abstract vocabulary for VR and English (attitude, impression, reluctant, consequence, etc.)

Tier 3: Specific difficult words encountered in past papers and mock tests for target schools

Learning these in order, using example sentences, paraphrasing, and antonym sets, is the most efficient approach to increase the chances of success for a non-native speaker.

Extensive Reading: The Best Foundational Investment

The London Consortium officially states that "children who read widely are well prepared," indicating a strong "reading bias" in the 11+. For EAL families, extensive reading should not just mean handing a child a book. It should be a process that includes reading aloud → summarizing → asking "Why do you think so?" (inference questions) to simultaneously develop comprehension, vocabulary, and reasoning skills.

5. 2026 Exam Schedule and Preparation Timeline

For September 2026 Exam → September 2027 Entry (Standard State Grammar School Schedule)

Reverse-Engineered Preparation Timeline

Starting 2 years in advance (Start of Year 4, recommended): Build English foundation (extensive reading, vocabulary) + get ahead in Maths → Begin serious subject-specific preparation in Year 5 → Finalize preparation in the summer of Year 6.

Starting 1 year in advance (Start of Year 5): Work on English proficiency and 11+ prep in parallel. Start early on GL-style VR and NVR, and focus on targeted practice for weak areas in English and Maths.

Starting 6 months in advance (Spring of Year 6): Realistically, it may be too late for state grammar schools. A more rational choice would be to focus on independent or boarding schools (with January exams), concentrating on strengthening English skills and interview preparation.

How to Use Mock Tests

Mock tests are not for "measuring your score" but are diagnostic tools to identify issues with time management and reasons for errors. A practical guideline is to take mock tests once or twice a month alongside regular study, increasing to once a week in the six weeks before the exam. It is crucial to always review the test, even briefly, and take time to articulate "why I made this mistake."

GL exams often use multiple-choice (OMR) answer sheets. Losing marks due to incorrect marking is the most regrettable type of error. Practice at home to prevent mistakes like incorrect shading, misalignment, or selecting multiple answers.

6. Route-Specific Roadmaps to Success

Route A: Top State Grammar Schools (e.g., Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin Girls')

Start preparation in Year 4. Confirming the catchment area and securing accommodation is the top priority. Repeatedly take GL-style mock tests in Year 5, and sit the exam in September of Year 6. A key advantage is that you can decide on independent school applications after receiving the grammar school results in October.

Route B: Top Independent Schools (e.g., St Paul's Girls', City of London)

Solidify foundations in Year 5. The focus is on strengthening creative writing skills and applied mathematics. Take the online pre-test (e.g., CEM Select) in November of Year 6, followed by the main written exam and interview in January. This route requires deep thinking skills that go beyond the primary school curriculum.

Route C: The London Consortium (e.g., Francis Holland, South Hampstead)

Solidify foundations in Year 5. Take the online cognitive test between late November and December of Year 6. Only those who pass are invited for interviews at individual schools in January. As there are no past papers, the best preparation is a consistent habit of reading and critical thinking.

Route D: Boarding School Route (Applying directly from abroad)

For families living abroad, applying to state grammar schools is often difficult due to strict residency requirements. However, the ISEB Pre-Test can be taken overseas (at certified venues like the British Council), making a strategy centered on boarding schools (for Year 7 entry) with integrated English development and interview prep a realistic option.

Application Strategy: A "Two-Tiered" Approach is Key

Many families adopt a strategy of "aiming for a state grammar school as the first choice while securing an independent school as a reliable backup." Since the grammar school results (October) are released before the independent school application deadlines (November–December), this time difference allows for strategic dual applications.

7. VAT on Independent School Fees and the Latest Competitive Landscape

From January 2025, the UK government has applied the standard 20% VAT rate to tuition and boarding fees for independent schools. The government projects a long-term decrease of about 37,000 students (approx. 6%) in the independent sector.While there are no official national statistics yet to definitively state how much the VAT introduction has increased competition for grammar schools, the structural logic is clear. Since grammar schools have fixed numbers of places, any localized increase in applicants from the independent sector will intensify competition. This effect is likely to be particularly pronounced at popular grammar schools near London.

ELT Education | 11+ (Eleven-Plus) Preparation Courses

ELT | 11+ (Eleven Plus) Preparation Course

What ELT can offer:

• GL Assessment Subject-Specific Prep: Individual tutoring for VR, NVR, English, and Maths by instructors who understand the specific challenges faced by non-native speakers.
• EAL English Foundation Building: Systematically develop academic English (CALP) vocabulary and comprehension skills before focusing on exam techniques.
• Consortium Cognitive Test Prep: Thinking skills training tailored to the latest format of the London independent girls' school consortium.
• Interview and Presentation Skills: Practical training to cultivate the ability to express one's thoughts in one's own words.
• School Selection Consulting: Catchment area analysis, application strategy design, and admissions schedule management.

Our Process from Start to Finish:

Initial Consultation (to understand your child's English level, school year, and target schools) → Assessment Test → Personalized Plan Development → Subject-Specific Lessons Begin → Regular Mock Tests → Application Support → Interview Preparation

"Is the 11+ a realistic goal given my child's English level?" "When and where should we start?" – Begin with a free consultation, and we will guide you to the optimal path for your child's unique situation.

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