Blog

New to the 11+? The whole process in order: what the exam is, how to find your schools’ tests, when to start, how to practise, the paperwork, and what happens after results.

More 11+ tests are moving on screen. What actually changes, what stays the same, and how to add the mechanics without abandoning the practice that works.

Appeals, waiting lists, later entry points and the other routes forward, with the deadlines that matter and a realistic view of each.

More than most parents expect. Here is how to build up to a practice test a day by the summer before the exam, and what has to run alongside the papers.

Where exam nerves actually come from, what helps in the weeks before, what to say at the door on the day, and when to ask someone else for help.

Start with your child, not the league table. How to build a school list that fits them, the practical filters that narrow it, and where the entrance tests fit in.

Why your child’s result is 118 rather than 42 out of 50, how age is taken into account, and why a percentage at home can’t be compared with a qualifying score.

Six weeks with no school timetable is the most useful block of time in the whole 11+ run-up. Here is a week-by-week plan, and the mistakes that waste it.

Starting earlier isn’t the same as doing more. Here is a realistic run-up from Year 4 to the exam, and what to do if you’re starting late.

Strong school maths doesn’t always translate into 11+ marks. Here is why, and how to build the speed, accuracy and question-reading the exam rewards.

Non-verbal reasoning looks like something you can’t teach. Here is the checklist that finds the rule, and how to practise it at home.

Verbal reasoning isn’t taught at primary school, which is exactly why it rewards preparation. Here is how to build the methods, vocabulary and speed at home.

Comprehension appears in almost every 11+ English paper. Here is what it tests, the question types your child will meet, and how to practise at home so the marks follow.

What to pack, what to say when the nerves surface, and how to run a calm exam morning, from years of running mock exams.

11+ papers come in two shapes, and they reward different habits. How to check which your school sets, and how to match the practice to the paper.