Independent Schools 11 Plus Exam Preparation

Independent Schools often produce their own papers for Maths and English. Where they have a Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal reasoning test then these are often bought in (usually from a recognised publisher like GL).

Some schools also use the ISEB ( Independent Schools Examination Board) tests.

A few school which are heavily oversubscribed do not have the manpower to mark lots and lots of test papers so they are increasingly starting to use publishers (like CEM) for their testing. Notable schools which use CEM for some or all of their test requirements are Henrietta Barnett and St. Paul’s Girls’ school in London and Eton (for their pre-test).

It is always advisable to check with the school to see what any test will entail.

11 Plus Exam Preparation for Independent Schools

One core difference between most Independent School Exams and most Grammar School Exams is that Independent School 11 Plus Exams tend to include a creative writing element.

As with any 11 Plus exam the advice we give is based on many years of experience is to focus on the core Maths and English skills and only move on to doing some timed tests when core skills have been mastered.

Children who have well developed core skills will be able to perform to their full ability, those who have started with test papers will find they can only make progress for a while and then they will find that gaps in their knowledge or shaky core skills foundations holds them back.

Year three- our advice for Independent school 11 Plus preparation is the same as it would be for children trying for a Grammar School.

Year three Maths preparation

Year three English preparation

Year three Verbal Reasoning preparation

Year four- Our advice for Independent school 11 Plus preparation is the same as it would be for children trying for a Grammar School .

Year four Maths preparation

Year four English preparation

Year four Verbal Reasoning preparation

Year four Non-Verbal Reasoning preparation

Year five – Our advice differs slightly for children who are trying only for an Independent School place or are trying for both a Grammar School and an Independent School.

Year five English

Year five Maths

Year five Verbal Reasoning

Year five Non-Verbal Reasoning.