Relocating to the UK and sitting the 11 Plus (11+) exams

How UK secondary schools work

Children in England start secondary school in Year 7, at age 11. Education continues to 18, though many schools end at Year 11, with sixth form a separate step. There are three broad types of secondary school: non-selective state schools, selective grammar schools, and independent (fee-paying) schools.

Grammar schools are state-funded, so there’s no fee to attend, but a place depends on your child sitting and doing well in the 11+. Some independent schools also use an 11+-style exam as part of their own entrance process, alongside their own additional assessments.

What the exam tests

Most 11+ exams draw on some combination of four subjects: English (comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar and sometimes creative writing), maths based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum, verbal reasoning (word and number puzzles) and non-verbal reasoning (pattern and shape puzzles). Which subjects are tested, and how they’re split across papers, depends entirely on the area or school, so check your target school’s official admissions page; it may differ from what you’ve read about the system generally.

If your child hasn’t been through the UK primary curriculum, the content itself, particularly the maths and reasoning question styles, may be new territory, separate from any language or settling-in adjustment. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning rarely have a direct equivalent in other countries’ curricula, so don’t assume a strong all-round student will find those sections intuitive without practice.

Papers are either multiple choice, marked on a separate answer sheet, or written directly into an answer booklet. Multiple choice is more common for grammar schools, and a child unfamiliar with either style should practise the real format well in advance instead of seeing it for the first time on exam day.

Research the area, then build your timeline

Before committing to a move, check whether the area you’re heading to uses the 11+ at all, and which schools are realistic options. Our area and school guides are a reasonable starting point, and the school’s or consortium’s official admissions page is always the final word.

Each school sets its own registration deadlines, and they’re often strict, so map out every deadline as soon as you know your target schools. If the move runs on a fixed timeline, register as early as each school allows rather than waiting until you’ve fully settled in; most schools make no exception for late applications.

Independent schools often ask for more than a completed form: a reference from your child’s current school, a recent photograph, and a non-refundable registration fee are all common. If your child’s current school is overseas, ask early how a reference should be provided; some UK schools expect a specific format, and arranging it from abroad can take time.

Top tips

• Confirm whether the 11+ is used in the specific area you’re moving to. It isn’t universal, even within regions known for grammar schools.
• Register as soon as each school allows. Most don’t accept late applications, even for children who have only just arrived in the country.
• Get practice material before your child sits any exam. The format is unfamiliar to almost every child moving from outside the UK system, whatever their English is like.
• Start preparation as early as you reasonably can. A child seeing the format for the first time needs more time.
• Keep a small routine going through the move itself. A ten-minute read each day survives a house move better than a weekly two-hour session does.

How to prepare

One of the most effective ways to prepare for an 11+ entrance exam is to use practice tests written by experts. We publish a full range of 11+ revision resources: area and school-specific practice tests, subject-specific packs, spelling and vocabulary resources, and reading books.

Each of our practice tests:

• is available as a PDF download or in physical format
• familiarises your child with the types of questions they will face in the real exam
• includes answers to every question, with detailed, step-by-step explanations for the maths and reasoning questions
• builds your child’s confidence before the actual exam.

Use the finder below to jump straight to the papers for your child’s school or area.

Find papers for your school or area

Grammar schools and area tests

• Bexley
• Bishop Wordsworth’s
• Buckinghamshire
• CSSE
• Ermysted’s
• Gloucestershire
• Henrietta Barnett
• Kent
• QE Boys
• Redbridge
• Slough Consortium
• St Olave’s
• Sutton
• The Latymer School
• Tiffin School & Tiffin Girls’ School
• Trafford
• West Midlands

Independent schools

• City of London School for Girls
• Hampton
• Latymer Upper
• Merchant Taylors’
• St Paul’s Girls’ School
• St Paul’s Juniors