Choose the subject route that matches today's practice: maths, English, verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning. Each card leads to focused papers and mock-test routes.
If your target school follows a familiar board style, start here. These cards group board-specific verbal, timed and linked subject practice in one place.
Aisha used to freeze when she saw a long run of mixed questions. Her family switched to short daily practice, then one mock paper each weekend. Within a few weeks she was no longer staring at the timer, and she started recognising which questions to move on from quickly rather than getting stuck.
Turning mistakes into a plan
Ben, Year 6
Ben was doing plenty of papers, but he was not learning much from them. The biggest change came when he began redoing only the question types he had missed. Instead of repeating whole papers at random, he built confidence by fixing one weak area at a time and then returning to the full mock with a clearer method.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about 11+ preparation
There is no perfect single month, because schools, subjects and children differ. In practice, many families begin with lighter familiarity work in Year 4 or early Year 5, then increase structure gradually. The right starting point is usually the one that leaves enough time for calm repetition without turning preparation into constant pressure.
Most families do best with a balanced pattern. One subject may need extra attention for a few weeks, but the full 11+ route is usually more stable when maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning all stay visible. That reduces the risk of one strength hiding another weakness for too long.
Full mocks are most useful when they answer a clear question: pacing, stamina, exam rhythm or a school format. They are rarely the best everyday tool. Short topic practice and selective review usually create the learning, while full mocks show how that learning holds together under timed conditions.
GL preparation often feels more section-based, with recognisable verbal task families and repeated instruction changes. CEM verbal work often places more pressure on pace, vocabulary and fast switching between shorter tasks. Strong preparation usually borrows from both, even when a school is thought to lean toward one style.