Most 11+ guides tell you the exam matters, then leave you to work out what to actually do. This one gives you the plan. Below is a calm, step by step approach to passing the 11+ in 2026, built around a six month timeline with concrete actions for each stage. You do not need to be a teacher. Your job is to organise and encourage, and to put the right practice in front of your child at the right time.
- First confirm your target schools and their exam board. Everything else follows from that.
- Prepare little and often, around 20 to 30 minutes on most days, across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
- Follow a six month plan: assess, build foundations, cover every question type, add timing, mock, then polish and rest.
- Aim above the likely pass mark. Most grammar places need a standardised score of about 110 or more, super-selectives nearer 130.
Step 1: understand the 11+ your child will sit
There is no single 11+. The exact paper depends on where you apply, so the first job is to find out exactly what your target schools use. The main routes in 2026 are:
- GL Assessment: the most widely used board across many grammar school areas, testing some mix of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
- ISEB Common Pre-Test: an adaptive online test used by many independent senior schools, covering the same four areas.
- CSSE: the consortium test used by the Essex grammar schools, focused on English and maths.
- Regional and consortium tests: areas such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, Sutton and Trafford run their own arrangements. The old CEM board is now Cambridge.
Start with each school's admissions page to confirm the board, the subjects and the format, then read our guide to the 11+ exam types and boards for the detail. Knowing the exact test stops you wasting weeks on the wrong question types.
Step 2: the six month plan at a glance
You can prepare well in six focused months. The plan below moves from broad to narrow: understand the exam, build the underlying skills, then sharpen technique and timing as the test approaches. If you have longer, simply spread the early months out. If you have less, see the section on starting late.
Step 3: the plan, month by month
Month 6, assess and plan. Confirm your shortlist of schools and the exact board each uses. Give your child a gentle baseline test in each subject to see where they stand, then set a realistic target. This is also the moment to set up a simple weekly routine you can actually keep.
Month 5, build foundations. Most 11+ content rests on solid Key Stage 2 maths and English, so fix any gaps first: times tables, fractions, spelling, punctuation and reading comprehension. Introduce verbal and non-verbal reasoning gently, since these are often new to children.
Month 4, cover every question type. Work steadily across all four skills, a little each day. The aim is breadth: meet every question type at least once so nothing is a surprise later. Keep sessions short and positive.
Month 3, add timing. Now bring in the clock. Short timed sets teach your child to work at pace and to move on when stuck. Teach the technique for each question type, for example how to approach a cloze passage or eliminate options in non-verbal reasoning.
Month 2, mock exams. Sit full papers under proper exam conditions, quiet room, strict timing, no help. Then go through every mistake together. The review matters far more than the score, because that is where the real learning happens.
Month 1, polish and rest. Ease off. Keep practice light and confidence high, protect sleep, and sit a final mock or two. A calm, well rested child performs far better than an exhausted, over-drilled one.
Our book How to Pass the 11 Plus: A 6-Month Action Plan turns this into concrete weekly actions, with checklists, score-target guidance, a results-day plan and a free downloadable planner.
Step 4: build the four skills
Almost every 11+ tests some combination of four skills. Here is what each involves and how to build it:
- Maths: arithmetic, fractions, ratio, measures and problem solving. Secure the basics first, then practise multi-step word problems. Try our 11+ maths questions.
- English: reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. Wide reading helps enormously. Build word power with our vocabulary lists and English questions.
- Verbal reasoning: word puzzles, codes and logic with language. It rewards vocabulary and pattern spotting. Practise with our verbal reasoning questions.
- Non-verbal reasoning: patterns, shapes and sequences. It is usually new to children, so start early. See our non-verbal reasoning questions and free papers.
The golden rule is little and often. Around 20 to 30 minutes on most days, mixing the subjects, beats long weekend marathons. The free Pip app turns this into a few calm minutes a day, with difficulty that adapts as your child improves, and you can download free printable papers for offline practice.
Step 5: set realistic score targets
The 11+ does not have a national pass mark. Results are reported as standardised scores, where 100 is the average for all children who sat the test. As a rough guide, a score of about 110 or above is often competitive for a grammar place, while super-selective schools can need 130 or more. Scores are also adjusted for your child's age, so a younger child is not disadvantaged.
Set a target based on your actual schools, not a generic number, and read our guides to the 11+ pass mark and how standardised scores work. If you are in a catchment area, check our grammar school catchment checker too, because distance can matter as much as score.
Step 6: exam technique and timing
Children rarely fail the 11+ on knowledge alone. They run out of time, panic on a hard question, or make careless slips under pressure. Teach a few simple habits: read the question twice, do the easy marks first, mark and skip anything that stalls them, and keep an eye on the clock. In multiple choice papers, eliminating wrong answers is often faster than finding the right one. These habits are built through timed practice, not lectures.
Step 7: use mock papers properly
Mock exams are one of the most powerful tools you have, but only if you use them well. Early on, do papers untimed and focus on learning each question type. In the final two months, switch to full papers under realistic exam conditions to build stamina and pace. Either way, the most important part is the review: sit with your child, find the patterns in their mistakes, and turn those into the next week's practice. A mock you do not review is a wasted morning.
Step 8: keep your child, and yourself, calm
The 11+ is a marathon for the whole family, and a stressed household helps no one. Keep sessions short and end on a win. Praise effort rather than results. Protect downtime, sport and sleep, and keep talking about life beyond the exam, because there are many good routes to a great secondary school. Your calm is contagious, so look after yourself too. A child who feels supported, not pressured, walks into the exam in the best possible state to do their best.
Step 9: results day and a sensible plan B
However it goes, have a plan. If your child passes and is offered a place, wonderful. If they qualify but miss an oversubscribed school, remember you can pass and still not get a place, so name several schools and watch the waiting lists. If they just miss the mark, it is not a verdict on your child: you can consider an appeal where there is real evidence, look at strong local comprehensives, or an independent school with a bursary. Decide your plan B in advance, so results day is calm whatever the outcome.
Starting late? How to compress the plan
Plenty of families pull a plan together with only two or three months to go, and it can still work. Be ruthless about priorities: confirm the exam board, find the two or three weakest areas, and focus there. Skip the long foundation phase and move quickly to question types and timed practice. Do a little every day rather than cramming at weekends, and keep it calm. A focused short plan beats a panicked long one.
The free tools you need
You do not need to spend a fortune to prepare well. The free Pip 11+ app covers all four skills with unlimited adaptive practice, no ads and no sign-up. You can download free printable practice papers in maths, English and reasoning, and the 6-Month Action Plan book gives you the whole strategy in one place when you want a printed plan to follow. Keep the daily practice going on the free app, and give your child the Pip advantage.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to pass the 11+?+
The 11+ is competitive rather than impossibly hard. The content sits at or a little above the school curriculum, but the timing is tight and the most sought-after schools have many more applicants than places. Steady, broad preparation over several months is what makes the difference.
What score do you need to pass the 11+?+
There is no national pass mark. Results are standardised scores where 100 is the average, and around 110 or above is often competitive, with super-selective schools needing roughly 130 or more. Each school sets its own threshold each year.
When should my child start preparing?+
Most families start around the beginning of Year 5, giving roughly a year of gentle preparation. A focused six month plan also works well. Little and often beats last-minute cramming.
How many hours a week should we do?+
Around 20 to 30 minutes on most days, building to short timed practice nearer the exam, is plenty for most children and keeps motivation high.
Can I prepare my child myself without a tutor?+
Yes. Many families prepare successfully at home. Your job is to organise and encourage, using a clear plan, free practice and past papers. A tutor can help with specific gaps but is not essential.
What should we do if my child does not pass?+
A near miss is not a verdict on your child. You can accept a place at another school, consider an appeal if something affected the result, look at strong comprehensives, or an independent school with a bursary. Many children thrive on a different path.
Arielle handles SEO and AEO growth at Pip, with over 10 years in the digital marketing space working with brands and founding her own projects.
