GrammarPrep Blog — 11+ Prep Guides & Advice for Parents
Expert guides on 11+ grammar school preparation. GL vs CEM explained, when to start, free resources, and tips for reducing exam stress.
11+ preparation
- Year 11 Mocks 2027: When They Are and Why — When are Year 11 mock exams in 2027? The usual November and February windows, what schools use the grades for, and how to help without adding pressure.
- Grammar or Comprehensive? An Honest Comparison — Is a grammar school actually better for your child? An honest look at outcomes, selection effects, wellbeing and fit — including when a comprehensive wins.
- Starting 11+ Preparation in Year 4: What to Do — Year 4 is the ideal time to start 11+ preparation — if you do the right things. What to cover, what to avoid, and a realistic week that won't burn anyone out.
- 11+ Access Arrangements: Extra Time and SEN Support — Can your child get extra time in the 11+? How access arrangements work for SEN, dyslexia and medical needs — evidence required, deadlines, and how to apply.
- Summer-Born Children and the 11+: Does Age Count? — Are summer-born children disadvantaged in the 11+? How age standardisation works, what it does and doesn't fix, and how to prepare a younger-in-year child.
- 10 Common 11+ Mistakes Parents Make (and Fixes) — The ten 11+ preparation mistakes we see most — wrong-board practice, volume over accuracy, mock-score panic, score talk at home — and the fix for each.
- 11+ Glossary: Every Key Term Explained for Parents — Plain-English definitions of every term parents meet during the 11+ — SAS and standardisation, super-selective, PAN, CAF, qualifying score, appeals and more.
- 11+ Books vs Online Practice: Which Should You Use? — Bond, CGP and Schofield & Sims books or an adaptive online platform? What each does better, where each fails, and the hybrid plan most families land on.
- Best Online 11+ Practice Platforms Compared (2026) — An honest parent's guide to choosing an online 11+ platform — adaptive engines, exam-board coverage, reporting and pricing traps, with named options compared.
- The Final 8 Weeks Before the 11+: A Week-by-Week Plan — A calm, realistic week-by-week plan for the last eight weeks before a September 11+ — what to practise, when to taper, and what to stop doing.
- 11+ Summer Holiday Preparation: The Summer Before the Test — How to use the summer holidays before the September 11+ without burnout — a six-week plan covering mock exams, weak-spot work, reading and real rest.
- 11+ Weak Spots: A Diagnostic Guide — A diagnostic-first method for 11+ preparation: how to find your child's three weakest topics and close the gap before exam day — practical and parent-tested.
- 11+ Exam Boards: A Strategy Guide — How to choose your 11+ preparation strategy by exam board — GL, CEM or CSSE — and what changes for your child based on which paper they will actually sit.
- 11+ Revision Timetable for Years 5 and 6 — A realistic weekly 11+ revision timetable for Years 5 and 6 — how much, how often, and how to balance practice with family life, sleep and school work.
- 11+ Anxiety: Managing Exam Stress — Practical, parent-tested ways to manage 11+ exam anxiety — recognising the signs, what to say (and not say), and how to keep your child confident on test day.
- GL Assessment vs CEM 2027: What Changed — CEM withdrew from paper-based 11+ testing in 2023. Most former CEM regions have moved to GL Assessment or to their own consortium-commissioned tests.
- 11+ Mock Exam Schedule: How Many to Sit and When — A practical mock-exam plan for the 11+: how many mocks to sit, when to start, how to debrief, and how to avoid the most common mistake parents make.
- 11+ Practice Papers: How to Use Them — Practice papers only help if you use them well. A clear method for timing, marking and learning from 11+ practice papers — without burning your child out.
- Self-Study 11+: Can Your Child Pass Without a Tutor? — Many children pass the 11+ without a tutor. This guide walks through what it actually takes — the parental commitment, the materials, and the schedule.
- 11+ Exam Day: A Parent's Guide to What to Expect — A calm, practical parent guide to 11+ exam day — the week before, the morning routine, what to bring, what happens at school, and how to manage stress.
- How Much Does 11+ Tutoring Cost in 2027? — Honest 11+ tutoring costs for 2027 — hourly rates, full-year totals, hidden extras, and how platform-based prep compares for families on a budget.
- Free 11+ practice resources that are actually useful — An honest guide to the free 11+ resources that are genuinely worth your time — past papers, vocabulary tools, diagnostic assessments, and more.
- When to start 11+ preparation: a parent timeline — A school-year timeline showing exactly when to start 11+ preparation, what to cover in Year 3, 4, 5, and 6, and how to taper into the exam without burnout.
- GL vs CEM vs CSSE: which 11+ board does your school use? — A side-by-side comparison of the three main 11+ exam boards — GL Assessment, CEM, and CSSE — with region-by-region coverage and preparation implications.
- Best 11+ Resources and Practice Materials for 2027 — An honest comparison of books, online platforms, tutors, and free resources for 11+ preparation — with recommendations for every budget.
- The Complete 11+ Preparation Guide for 2027 Entry — Everything you need to know about preparing your child for the 11+ exam in 2027 — timelines, subjects, exam boards, and a month-by-month study plan.
11+ subjects and technique
- 11+ English Comprehension: Worked Examples & Methods — Six worked 11+ comprehension questions on an original passage — retrieval, inference, vocabulary-in-context and writer's-technique, with the method narrated.
- 11+ SPaG: Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar — How spelling, punctuation and grammar show up across 11+ English — comprehension, cloze, proofreading and writing — plus common errors and how to practise.
- 11+ Reading List: Comprehension & Vocabulary Books — Wide reading reliably lifts 11+ comprehension, vocabulary and writing. A practical reading list: classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
- 11+ Vocabulary: How to Build It (and Word Lists That Work) — Vocabulary is the hidden lever behind 11+ verbal reasoning and comprehension. How to build it deliberately — word journals, wide reading and morphology.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning: 20 Worked Examples for the 11+ — A practical, worked-through guide to the most common 11+ non-verbal reasoning question types, with worked examples and solving methods.
- 11+ Maths: 12 Worked Examples — Twelve worked 11+ maths examples across the topics that separate strong candidates — fractions, ratio, percentages, area and multi-step word problems.
- 11+ Verbal Reasoning: 15 Worked Examples — Fifteen worked 11+ verbal reasoning examples across the main GL question types, each with a clear step-by-step method your child can copy and reuse.
- 11+ Creative Writing: A Parent's Guide — How to prepare your child for 11+ creative writing and composition — what examiners reward, the common mistakes, and a simple weekly practice routine.
- 11+ English Comprehension: Six Question Types — A practical breakdown of the six 11+ comprehension question types — what each tests, common traps, and the techniques that improve scores fastest.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning at 11+: what it really tests — A parent-first guide to 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning — what it tests, why it's on the paper, the main question types, and how to practise without drilling.
- The complete list of 11+ maths topics — Every 11+ Maths topic your child needs — from number and place value to ratio, algebra, and problem-solving — with practical mastery tips for each.
- 11+ Verbal Reasoning: Tips, Question Types, and Strategies — Verbal reasoning is the subject most parents find confusing. Here's a clear breakdown of GL and CEM VR question types with practical tips for each.
11+ admissions and results
- Grammar School Catchment Areas Explained — How grammar school catchment areas work, how they differ from super-selective admissions, and why distance can matter as much as your child's test score.
- 11+ Appeals: How to Appeal a Grammar Place — A practical guide to 11+ appeals — the independent panel process, grounds for appeal, timelines after 1 March, waiting lists and how to prepare your case.
- Applying to Multiple 11+ Grammar Schools — Strategy for registering for several 11+ grammar schools: managing different boards and dates, the Common Application Form, and ranking preferences.
- ISEB Common Pre-Test: the Independent School 11+ Explained — How independent senior schools assess at 11+: the ISEB Common Pre-Test, CAT4 and interviews, how they differ from grammar 11+ exams, and how to prepare.
- 11+ Registration 2027: Deadlines and How to Apply — When and how to register for the 11+ in 2027: region-by-region deadlines, and why registering for the test differs from applying for a school place.
- Independent vs Grammar School: 11+ Choice — How families decide between a state grammar school and an independent school at 11+ — costs, exam-format differences, and how to prepare for both routes.
- 11+ Results Day: What Happens Next — When 11+ results arrive, what the scores mean, how grammar places are actually allocated, and what to do whether your child qualifies or just misses out.
- Super-Selective Grammar Schools Explained — What 'super-selective' really means, how the pass mark differs from a standard grammar, and how to prepare if your child is aiming for one of these schools.
- 11+ vs Common Entrance: Which Test Does Your Child Sit? — The 11+ and Common Entrance are different exams set by different organisations for different schools. Here's how to tell which one your child is sitting.
- 11+ Pass Marks Explained: SAS and Cut-Off Scores — What does an 11+ pass mark really mean? A clear guide to Standardised Age Scores, regional cut-offs, and how to read your child's mock exam results.
Regional 11+ guides
- Bexley 11+ Guide: The Bexley Selection Test — How the Bexley 11+ works — the Bexley Selection Test, the borough's four grammar schools, registration and results, and how competitive places really are.
- The Medway Test: A Complete Parent Guide — Medway runs its own 11+, separate from the Kent Test. The papers, the six Medway grammar schools, registration, and how to prepare for both if you need to.
- South West Herts 11+: The Consortium Explained — Hertfordshire has no grammar schools — but the South West Herts consortium allocates places at Watford Grammar and four other schools by test. How it works.
- Lancashire 11+ Guide: Lancaster, Clitheroe and BRGS — Lancashire's four grammars each run their own 11+ — how Lancaster Royal, Lancaster Girls', Clitheroe Royal and BRGS test, register and how to prepare.
- Devon 11+ Guide: Plymouth Grammars and Colyton — How selective entry works in Devon — Colyton Grammar School and Plymouth's three grammars, why there's no single Devon test, and how to plan preparation.
- Sutton 11+: The Super-Selective Guide — A parent's guide to Sutton's super-selective grammars — Wilson's, Wallington, Sutton Grammar and Nonsuch — covering stages, testing and competition.
- Kingston & Tiffin 11+: A Parent's Guide — A clear guide to the Tiffin School and Tiffin Girls' 11+ in Kingston — their English and Maths tests, stages, and how distance affects offers.
- Warwickshire 11+: Schools & Test Guide — A parent's guide to the Warwickshire 11+: the grammar schools, the shared consortium test, GL-style formats, and how catchment and out-of-area places work.
- Gloucestershire 11+: A Parent's Guide — Your guide to the Gloucestershire 11+: the county's grammar schools, its own test arrangements, GL-style formats, and how competitive entry really is.
- Birmingham 11+: The King Edward VI Consortium Explained — A parent's guide to the Birmingham 11+ and the King Edward VI grammar consortium — what the test covers, the two-stage process, key dates and how to prepare.
- Reading 11+ Test 2027: Berkshire Grammar School Guide — Everything Reading and Berkshire parents need to know about Kendrick School and Reading School — formats, dates, and how to prepare.
- Trafford 11+ Test 2027: Grammar School Entry Explained — A complete guide to the Trafford 11+ test for 2027 entry — exam format, the six Trafford grammar schools, registration dates, and qualifying scores.
- Essex CSSE Test 2027: Complete Guide to the Essex 11+ Exam — The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) sets a unique 11+ — English and Maths only, free-response, sat in September. The full guide for 2027.
- Buckinghamshire 11+ Test 2027: Complete Parent Guide — A clear parent guide to the Bucks 11+ for 2027 entry — format, registration, qualifying score, the 13 TBGS grammar schools, allocation rules, and appeals.
- Kent Grammar Schools: The Complete List of All 33 — Every Kent grammar school by district, the difference between standard and super-selective thresholds, and how to choose the right school for your child.
- Kent Test Dates 2027: Registration, Exam Day, and Results — When does the Kent Test happen in 2027? Registration windows, likely exam dates, results day, and the appeal timeline — based on Kent's published patterns.
- How to prepare for the Kent Test 2026 — parent guide — A calm, practical month-by-month plan for preparing your child for the Kent Test in 2026 — what to cover, when to start, and how to avoid last-minute panic.
KS2 and SATs
- KS2 SATs 2027 Dates: The Full Week Timetable — When are the 2027 KS2 SATs? The expected date window, the day-by-day paper timetable, when results arrive, and what parents need to do at each stage.
- From SATs to GCSE: one learning journey — Why continuous practice data from Year 5 to Year 11 matters — and what families lose when they restart with a new tutor or app at every stage.
- SATs and 11+: juggling both in Year 5 and 6 — How Year 5 and 6 families manage SATs and 11+ prep together — where the curricula overlap, where they diverge, and a single practice routine that covers both.
- KS2 SATs 2027: a parent's guide — What the KS2 SATs test, when they happen, how scaled scores from 80 to 120 work, and how to support your child's preparation without adding stress.
KS3
- The KS3 gap years — keeping progress alive — Why children's progress often stalls after KS2, what 'keeping warm' practice looks like in Years 7–9, and how early habits set the stage for GCSE success.
GCSE
- GCSE English Language explained for parents — What the two GCSE English Language papers test, how AQA structures reading and writing tasks, and practical ways to support preparation at home.
- GCSE Maths revision that actually works — Why spaced practice beats cramming, why past papers alone aren't enough, and how to plan a realistic revision schedule for Years 10 and 11 GCSE Maths.