The eleven plus (11+) exam, explained for parents
The eleven plus (11+) is a selective entrance exam sat in Year 6, at age ten or eleven, for UK grammar and independent senior schools. Hearthprep holds 433 real past papers from 62 UK schools spanning 2005–2027, including 967 Maths, 343 English and 72 Verbal Reasoning practice questions at 11+. Every paper downloads as a free PDF with no account.
What is the eleven plus?
The eleven plus, written 11+, is a selective entrance exam sat in Year 6 by children aged ten or eleven. Passing it wins a place at a state grammar school or an academically selective independent senior school. There is no single national eleven plus paper: each local authority, consortium or school chooses its own combination of maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, so the exam a child sits depends entirely on the schools they apply to.
When is the eleven plus sat?
State grammar schools test earliest, usually in the first weeks of September at the start of Year 6, with registration closing the preceding summer term. Independent senior schools using the ISEB Common Pre-Test run between October and December of Year 6, and set their own papers in January of Year 7. Register directly with each target school: the dates are set school by school and a missed registration deadline cannot be appealed.
What subjects are in the eleven plus?
Four subjects appear across eleven plus papers: maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Almost every school sets maths and English. Grammar schools commonly add verbal and non-verbal reasoning; independent schools more often set maths and English alone plus an interview. Check the target school's own admissions page rather than assuming, because schools buying from the same exam board still buy different subsets of its papers.
What is the difference between GL Assessment, CEM and ISEB?
GL Assessment and CEM were the two exam boards that supplied state grammar schools; GL sells maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning as four separate papers and each consortium buys the subset it wants. CEM wound down in 2022 but its style persists in some regions. ISEB, the Independent Schools Examinations Board, runs the Common Pre-Test used by most independent senior schools, which is adaptive and taken on screen.
What does my child need to know for the eleven plus?
Eleven plus maths is Key Stage 2 content examined under time pressure. Across the 967 real 11+ maths questions in Hearthprep's corpus the largest topics are arithmetic & operations (219), fractions, decimals & percentages (175), algebra (134), which is where practice time pays back fastest. English tests comprehension of an unseen passage plus a piece of writing to a prompt. Reasoning papers test pattern and vocabulary work that is not taught in most primary classrooms and has to be practised deliberately.
Are eleven plus past papers free?
Free to download, yes. Hearthprep serves 398 past-paper PDFs at a public URL with no account and no email. The answer keys and step-by-step worked solutions are the paid part: they sit inside a subscription, and a paper page does not contain them in its HTML. Many schools also publish a handful of their own papers, and where they do, each paper page links to the school's own copy as its source.
How long should we prepare for the eleven plus?
Six to twelve months of short, regular practice started in Year 5 is the usual shape, not a sprint in the last few weeks. Untimed papers first to build accuracy, timed papers from about six months out to build pace, and full mock sittings in the final term. Two or three focused sessions a week beats one long weekend session, because the exam rewards recall speed that only spacing builds.
Can a state-school child pass the eleven plus?
Yes, and thousands do every year. The eleven plus is open to any child in Year 6 whether they attend a state primary, an independent prep or are educated at home. Prep schools build practice into the timetable, which is the real difference rather than any advantage in the test itself, and it is the part that can be replicated at home with past papers and a consistent weekly routine.
What 11+ maths actually asks, by topic
Every eleven plus maths question in Hearthprep's corpus is tagged to one canonical topic. This is the breakdown of all 967 of them — not a syllabus, but what real papers from UK grammar and independent schools have set, 2005–2027.
| Topic | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic & Operations | 219 | 23% |
| Fractions, Decimals & Percentages | 175 | 18% |
| Algebra | 134 | 14% |
| Number & Place Value | 118 | 12% |
| Geometry — Shape | 110 | 11% |
| Ratio & Proportion | 60 | 6% |
| Statistics & Data | 55 | 6% |
| Problem Solving & Logic | 42 | 4% |
| Geometry — Measurement | 41 | 4% |
| Probability | 13 | 1% |
Practising for the eleven plus here
398 papers download as a free PDF, no account needed. 6,039 questions, every one with an answer key, and every question is marked the moment it is answered, with a step-by-step worked solution inside a subscription — £169 / year after a free 7-day trial. Start with the free baseline test if you do not yet know where your child stands.
- Free eleven plus baseline test — 20 minutes, no signup, a marked report at the end.
- Every past paper — filter by school, level and subject.
- Entrance-exam FAQ — 13+, 16+, scholarships, refunds.