--- type: "Article" title: "Is the 11+ an IQ test?" description: "No. The 11+ blends curriculum attainment in English and maths with reasoning aptitude. Its reasoning papers resemble cognitive-ability tests, but unlike a pure IQ test you can prepare for it." resource: https://pip11plus.com/is-the-11-plus-an-iq-test tags: ["11+", "pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/iq-myth-pip.jpg --- 🔎 Myths & Facts # Is the 11+ an IQ test? ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) **By the Pip team** Updated June 2026 No, the 11+ is not an IQ test, even though it is often described as one. An IQ test sets out to measure a child's general intelligence as a fixed quantity. The 11+ is a blend of two different things: attainment in the school curriculum, mainly English and maths, and reasoning aptitude through verbal and non-verbal papers. Those reasoning papers do look and feel like the puzzles in a cognitive-ability test, which is where the confusion comes from. But there is one decisive difference: you can prepare for the 11+, and familiarity and practice genuinely help. **TL;DR** - The 11+ is **not a pure IQ test**; it blends curriculum attainment with reasoning aptitude. - Its **verbal and non-verbal reasoning** papers resemble cognitive-ability tests like the CAT4, which are aptitude tests, not IQ tests (see [what the CAT4 test is](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-the-cat4-test)). - An IQ test aims to measure **fixed** general intelligence; the 11+ measures **developed skills** at a point in time. - Crucially, unlike a pure IQ test, **you can prepare** for the 11+, and familiarity and practice help. ## So, is it an IQ test? No. The 11+ is best understood as part attainment test and part aptitude test. The English and maths sit squarely on what children are taught at school, while the verbal and non-verbal reasoning measure how a child works with words, patterns and logic. An IQ test, by contrast, tries to capture one overall number for general intelligence. The 11+ is not trying to do that, and it would be a poor IQ test if it were, because so much of it rests on learned content. _A pure IQ test aims to measure fixed intelligence and resists preparation. The 11+ measures developed skills, includes taught content, and can be prepared for._ ## What an IQ test sets out to do An IQ test is designed to estimate general intelligence and express it as a single score, ideally one that stays fairly stable over time. To do that, it deliberately avoids taught content, so that what it measures is reasoning rather than schooling. A good IQ test is also built to be hard to coach, because the whole point is to read underlying ability, not preparation. ## What the 11+ actually measures The 11+ is different on every count. It openly tests **taught content**: maths and English from the primary curriculum. On top of that it adds **verbal and non-verbal reasoning**, which are not curriculum subjects but are still skills a child can develop. Our guide to [the subjects tested in the 11+](https://pip11plus.com/what-subjects-are-tested-in-the-11-plus) sets out the full mix, and the [exam types and boards guide](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-exam-types-explained) shows how GL, CEM and ISEB combine these papers in different ways. ## Why people think it is an IQ test The confusion is understandable, because the reasoning papers really do resemble IQ-style puzzles: analogies, sequences, codes and shape matrices. Some of this overlaps with the **CAT4**, the Cognitive Abilities Test that GL Assessment produces for schools. The key fact, though, is that the CAT4 itself is described as an **aptitude test, not an IQ test**, and even it can be practised for, in the sense that familiarity with the question styles helps a child show what they can do. The 11+ leans even further from a pure IQ test, because it also rewards taught maths and English. **The decisive difference: you can prepare** A pure IQ test is designed to resist preparation. The 11+ is the opposite. Curriculum content is taught at school, and reasoning improves with familiarity, practice and timing. That is why steady preparation moves the needle on the 11+ in a way it never could on a true IQ test. ## What this means for your child The practical takeaway is reassuring. The 11+ is not a fixed verdict on how clever a child is, so it is a mistake to think a child either "has it" or does not. Reasoning skills grow, curriculum knowledge is taught, and confidence with the format builds with practice. Our guides to preparing for [verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-verbal-reasoning) and [non-verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-non-verbal-reasoning) cover the parts school never teaches, and a few minutes of [daily practice with Pip](https://pip11plus.com/index#get) keeps all four skills ticking over without the pressure of cramming. ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ## Keep reading [What subjects are tested in the 11+?](https://pip11plus.com/what-subjects-are-tested-in-the-11-plus): Getting Started Maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. 5 min read · Getting Started [11+ Exam Types & Boards Explained](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-exam-types-explained): Exam Types How GL, CEM and ISEB combine the papers. 10 min read · Exam Types [Can you over-prepare for the 11+?](https://pip11plus.com/can-you-over-prepare-for-the-11-plus): Myths & Facts How much practice is the right amount. 4 min read · Myths & Facts ## Skills grow with practice Pip turns 11+ reasoning, maths and English into five calm minutes a day, so ability builds steadily rather than being left to chance. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [More 11+ guides](https://pip11plus.com/info-hub) Free forever · no sign-up