11+ examinations are both important and defining in your child's next step. For those who take it, the 11+ determines what kind of secondary school your child will attend, either a comprehensive school or a grammar school. The region of the school that you are applying to also determines the type of 11+ test that your child will need to practise for. We’ve provided information about all of the entrance exams across the UK.
Apart from the various practical reasons that make doing well on the exams important, the 11 plus examinations also symbolise the beginning of a new phase of learning. The 11 plus exams are designed to develop children’s reasoning skills and teach them how to answer questions in a tight time frame. Wouldn’t it be nice to start this new phase on a good note?
So, is regular classwork enough to ensure this? Well, it might be for some students but most students need additional practice. Good, targeted practice that prepares them for their 11 plus examination.
And what better way than free 11 plus practice papers? There are lots of past papers available online and we strongly encourage you to get your child to give them a go. Here’s everything you need to know about 11 plus practice papers.
11 plus practice papers are mock or sample papers that are designed to emulate the pattern and difficulty level of questions that are likely to be on the actual 11 plus exam papers. 11 plus sample papers give students a fair idea of what to expect, allowing children to develop effective revision strategies that suit their learning style.
In fact, we've created a package of GoStudent 11+ English practice papers for you to download for free! Download these super useful resources by hitting the buttons below:
You can also download your very own GoStudent 11+ maths practice paper and answer booklet below:
There are many online resources that your kids can use to access free 11 plus practice papers.
Search for both free 11+ practice papers and past 11 plus exam papers when looking online. The 11 plus sample papers are modelled around actual 11 plus past exam papers and are super helpful when it comes to getting your child familiar with the exam. To conduct a targeted search, you can look for free 11 plus sample papers according to the subject. For example:
Please keep in mind that the official practice papers for the 11 plus are produced by the exam board who writes the real exams too.
For example, the CEM 11+ exam board does not produce or endorse official 11+ practice papers, but does create familiarisation materials which are provided by the schools who subscribe to the CEM 11+.
GL 11+ exam board create free familiarisation materials similar to practice papers here and offer practice papers for sale that are official and endorsed by GL.
For the CSSE 11+, official practice papers can be downloaded here from the CSSE website. You could prepare the papers like a mock test at home so your child knows what to expect in the exam room.
Don’t forget to check which exam board for the 11+ that your child will be taking as there are differences between the formats of the exams.
We’ve taken the hard work out for you and compiled a comprehensive list of Free 11+ practice papers with answers here which you can download:
CSSE English Familiarisation Practice Paper 1
CSSE English Familiarisation Practice Paper 2
St Anselms College Entrance Exam English Paper 1
St Anselms College Entrance Exam English Paper 2
Alleyn’s School 11+ Sample Paper
Bancrofts School 11+ Sample Paper
City of London School 11+ Sample Paper
City of London School for Girls 11+ Sample Paper
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 1
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 2
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 3
Emanuel School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Emanuel School 11+ Sample Paper 2
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys School 11+ Sample Paper
Kent College Canterbury 11+ Sample Paper
Kings College School 11+ Sample Paper
Latymer School 11+ Sample Paper
Merchant Taylors’ School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Merchant Taylors’ School 11+ Sample Paper 2
North Collegiate 11+ Sample Paper Text and questions
The North London Independent Girls’ Schools’ Consortium 11+ Sample Paper
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Reigate Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper
Streatham and Clapham 11+ Sample Paper
St George’s Weybridge 11+ Sample Paper
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 1
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 2
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 3
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 4
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 4
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 5
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 6
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 7
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 8
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 9
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 10
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 11
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 12
St Francis School 11+ Sample Paper
St George’s Weybridge 11+ Sample Paper
St Mary’s School Cambridge 11+ Sample Paper
The Kings School 11+ Sample Paper
The Kings School Chester 11+ Sample Paper 1
The Kings School Chester 11+ Sample Paper 2
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 2 and answer booklet
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 3 and answer booklet
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 4
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 5 and answer booklet
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 6
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 7 and answer booklet
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 8
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 9 and answer booklet
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 10
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample paper 11 and answer booklet
The Perse School 11+ Sample paper 1
The Perse School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ Sample Paper
Colfe’s School 11+ Sample Paper
Hampton Court House School 11+ Sample Paper
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 3
City of London School For Girls 11+ Sample Paper
Emanuel School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Emanuel School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Kent College Canterbury 11+ Sample Paper
Latymer School 11+ Sample Paper
Merchant Taylors’ School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Merchant Taylor’s School 11+ Sample Paper 2
North London Collegiate School 11+ Sample Paper
The North London Independent School’s Consortium 11+ Sample Paper 1
The North London Independent School’s Consortium 11+ Sample Paper 2
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Oundle School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Reigate Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper
Streatham and Clapham 11+ Sample Paper
St George’s Weybridge 11+ Sample Paper
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 1
St Pauls Girls School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 4
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 5
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 6
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 7
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 8
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 9
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 10
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 11
Sevenoaks School 11+ Sample Paper 12
St Francis School 11+ Sample Paper
St George’s Weybridge School 11+ Sample Paper
St Mary’s School Cambridge 11+ Sample Paper
The Kings School 11+ Sample Paper
The Kings School Chester 11+ Sample Paper
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 4
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 5
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 6
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 7
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 8
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 9
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 10
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 11
Manchester Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper 12
The Queens School 11+ Sample Paper
The Halifax Grammar School 11+ Sample Paper
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ Sample Paper
St Anselms College 11+ Sample Paper
Alleyn’s School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Alleyn’s School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Bancroft’s School 11+ Sample Paper
Colfe’s School 11+ Sample Paper
City of London School 11+ Sample Paper
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 1
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 2
Dulwich College 11+ Sample Paper 3
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys School 11+ Sample Paper
Hampton Court House School 11+ Sample Paper
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Highgate School 11+ Sample Paper 3
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ Sample Paper 1
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ Sample Paper 2
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ Sample Paper 3
11 plus practice papers are important because they familiarise children with types and patterns of questions they may not have seen before. 11 plus examinations are taken by children aged 10-11 and contain the following four categories of questions:
11 plus practice papers give kids the opportunity to solve questions in all categories and be better prepared for the real deal. 💪
“If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my ax.” This Abraham Lincoln quote aptly summarises the need for practice. Practising for 11 plus examinations with 11 plus practice papers helps kids:
Practising pattern-based questions helps kids develop a penchant for solving problems that will most likely appear on the actual examination. With apt practice, kids can learn to apply the right strategies and solve these questions in a comprehensive, time-bound manner.
No matter what age children are, with an administrative exam like the 11 plus, they are likely to experience stress and nerves in the run-up to the exam. It can, in fact, be argued that 11 plus applicants face more stress because it's the first major exam they will take. 11 plus practice papers help students feel prepared and build confidence. This will lead to a reduction in exam stress and anxiety and can do wonders for your child’s state of mind going into the exam.
One of the major reasons for exams going awry is a lack of targeted practice. Kids can end up spending too much time on topics that they are already well-versed in and too little on the ones that actually need work.
11 plus practice papers can help them understand where they stand and highlight the problem areas in their preparations. In this way, 11 plus practice papers act as a great tool for streamlining 11 plus exam preparations. You can help your kids evaluate and learn from their mistakes by going through their answers and making corrections together.
Practice makes perfect. Sample 11 plus papers are a great practice tool that can help students prepare better for their exams. Streamlining preparations, setting short-term goals and time-bound practice are the best preparation techniques for 11 plus students.
If you wish to build on your child’s preparation for the 11+, why not try 1:1 learning with one of our GoStudent tutors who can help you make sense of the exam?
GoStudent’s tutoring services prepare your kids for the 11 plus exams through a targeted and custom approach. With GoStudent, you get nothing but the best in personal tutoring. Start with a free trial today