Education & School

The 11+ varies dramatically by region. Most grammar schools use either the GL Assessment or CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) test. GL papers test verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and maths in clearly separated sections; CEM blends them. Both are sat in Year 6 and results are standardised by date of birth.

KS1 SATs (Year 2) are now informal teacher-led assessments. KS2 SATs (Year 6) are formal written papers in reading, SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and maths, sat in May.

GCSEs are sat in May and June of Year 11 across two or three papers per subject. Most subjects are assessed entirely by exam, with results on the third Thursday of August and grades from 9 (highest) to 1.

11+ practice covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English comprehension and maths in both GL and CEM styles. We label every paper with the closest style so you can target your child's region.

GCSE Maths drills foundation and higher tier topics including algebra, geometry, statistics and number, with worked solutions for every question. GCSE English questions cover language analysis, creative writing and the literature anthology (set texts including An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol and the Power and Conflict poems).

SATs practice is split into KS1 (Year 2) and KS2 (Year 6) reading, SPaG and arithmetic, with the same time limits as the official papers.

Short, frequent practice beats long Sunday sessions. Aim for 20–30 minutes a day, four to five days a week. Mark together immediately afterwards while the questions are still fresh.

After every mock, rewrite one question the child got wrong — explaining it back to you in their own words is the fastest way to lock learning in. This single habit can lift a child's score by 10–15% over a term.

Time the mocks. Many bright children lose marks not because they don't know the answer but because they run out of time. Practise pacing.

Don't skip past papers. The wording style of GL, CEM, AQA and Edexcel is distinctive, and pupils who've seen 5 or more past papers in their target style consistently outperform those who haven't.

On 11+, the most common avoidable error is leaving questions blank. There's no negative marking on most papers, so an educated guess is always better than a blank.

On GCSE Maths, candidates routinely lose method marks by writing only the final answer. Show every step — even a wrong final answer with correct working can score 4 of 5 marks.

On GCSE English, going under the word count on the creative writing task is the most expensive mistake: examiners can only mark what's on the page, and a 200-word answer caps at a low band regardless of quality.

School exams reward two things: knowing the content and knowing the format. Most pupils have plenty of content from school but very little experience of the format under time pressure. Mock tests fix that gap, and they also build the calm confidence that prevents silly mistakes on the day.

Used well, mocks are also a diagnostic tool for parents. A consistent dip in non-verbal reasoning, or a pattern of running out of time on the second maths paper, tells you exactly where to focus the next two weeks of revision — far more usefully than a school report card.

Cognitive scientists call this the 'testing effect': retrieving information strengthens the memory more than re-reading does. For pupils preparing for high-stakes exams, that means one practice paper can be worth three or four hours of passive revision — provided the wrong answers are reviewed honestly afterwards.

11+ exams are booked directly with each grammar school or local authority, usually in the spring of Year 5 with a hard deadline in June or July. Miss the deadline and your child cannot sit the test that year. Most areas now use a single registration portal, but a few still require separate forms per school — always check your council website.

SATs are administered by the school and require no booking from parents. GCSEs are entered through the school by the head of department; parents only need to confirm the entry and pay any private-candidate fees if applicable.

On exam day, send your child in with two black ballpoint pens, a pencil, eraser, ruler and a clear pencil case. For maths, a calculator that has been used in practice (not a brand-new one) reduces fumbling. A bottle of water and a slow-release breakfast — porridge or eggs — outperform a sugary cereal for sustained concentration.