Examples of 11 Plus Questions

How Hard is the 11 Plus?

Assessing the relative difficulty of the 11 Plus exam poses a challenge due to the absence of nationally published data on the number of students taking the exam or the proportion who successfully secure a spot in grammar schools as a result. It's worth noting that online statistics related to this topic can often be manipulated to support either the proponents or opponents of selective education.

Nonetheless, we can deduce from available data that approximately 20% of the country's population resides in areas where selective education, specifically grammar school education, is practiced. Out of the total population, approximately 5% of students attend grammar schools. Consequently, when we apply basic mathematics, it suggests that roughly 1 in 4 children living in grammar school areas manage to secure admission to a grammar school, while the remainder typically attend comprehensive schools.

It's important to keep in mind that in an 'average' primary school class, roughly a quarter of the students, typically the most academically accomplished, are offered places in grammar schools. However, this average should be viewed cautiously, as some schools achieve significantly higher acceptance rates, while others may have considerably lower rates.

It is always worth talking to your primary school to see what their 'Pass rate' is.

What is the Pass Mark in the 11 Plus?

National average figures for 11 Plus exam pass rates and grammar school admissions are unavailable, and attempting to calculate such averages would be a complex and challenging task.

Probably the most important thing to remember is that the chances of gaining admission to a grammar school are significantly influenced by a student's academic performance at the primary school level. Higher achievement in primary school invariably improves the odds of securing a place in a grammar school, assuming that is the desired outcome.

Which 11 Plus Subjects Should I Focus On?

The first step should be to carefully check which subjects are tested at your particular school, and you can easily do this on our Grammar School Exam Subjects page.

Your primary school will probably go a long way towards preparing for Maths and English, but Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning almost certainly deserve extra attention. See our informative 11 Plus Subject Guide to gain an overview of the requirements.

Are 11 Plus Questions Always in the Form of Multiple Choice?

In many instances, the questions in the exam will be in a multiple-choice format, but there may also be occasions where answers must be computed from scratch. It is essential to remember one critical piece of advice: when approaching the end of the exam session, children should always make an educated guess on any remaining multiple-choice questions. This approach increases the chances of adding extra points to the total score.

How Will I Know That My Child Has Prepared Enough for the 11 Plus?

If your child is in the top quartile of his/her year group for maths and English, then you are well on the way. Practice of Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning can be accomplished with Online Courses and Materials or by enlisting the help of a private tutor.

Where Can I See How Difficult or Easy the 11 Plus Questions Are?

In the upcoming sections, we will present sample questions from the primary 11-Plus subject areas commonly assessed nationwide. These examples should provide you with a sense of the expected level of proficiency. However, it's important to keep in mind that no child is expected to answer every question with 100% accuracy.

Examples of 11 Plus Maths Questions

This is arguably the most important section of the 11 Plus exam (it is the most widely used) and it commands the largest section on the Education Quizzes website. We have 180 11 Plus Maths quizzes(1,800 questions) to give you all the practice you need.

The questions below are at the upper end of the difficulty expected.

1. What is 124.3 + 23.6 + 8.7?
2. How many square centimeters are there in 15.5 square meters?
3. What is 42/8 as a mixed fraction in its simplest form?
4. What is -12 + 8 – 7 + 16?
5. Find the missing figure: 2, 15, 28, 41, X
6. If there are 320 cars in a car park and 192 of them are grey, what percentage of cars in the car park are not grey?
7. What is the digit in the ten thousandths' place in 85,245.0907?
8. How many factors does the number 12 have?
9. You are facing SW. If you turn through 225 degrees anticlockwise and then 90 degrees clockwise, which direction will you be facing now?
10. What is the name given to a five-sided shape whose sides are all the same length and whose interior angles are all the same size?

Examples of 11 Plus English Questions

While primary schools typically provide comprehensive coverage of this subject, we aim to ensure thorough preparation by offering a total of 75 11 Plus English quizzes for practice sessions.

The questions below cover a broad spectrum of the questions likely to be asked.

1. In the sentence that follows, which words are adjectives? Suzie saw two, big, black, scary dogs.
2. Change this sentence into a question: He lost his keys last night.
3. Put commas in the correct places in the following sentence: She likes reading thrillers, detective novels, humour, and romances.
4. Which of the following words is an antonym of the word Foe? Enemy, Rival, Opponent, Friend.
5. What conjunction could be used to fill the gap? She had no sooner entered the house ___ the phone rang.
6. What is the negative form of always?
7. What is the meaning of the prefix Post?
8. Punctuate this sentence correctly: The woman who lives next door is a famous novelist. (NB: This might be termed a trick question because no extra punctuation is required!)
9. Which of these is spelled correctly? Forecast, forecast, forecast, forecast
10. How many syllables are in the word Revolutionary?

Examples of 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning Questions

We have 120 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning quizzes to give you sufficient practice in this important part of most 11 Plus tests.

The questions below illustrate the level of difficulty. See the quiz questions at the link above to see more clearly how these will be presented in the exam.

1. Rewrite the following sentence, rearranging the letters in capitals: There is a problem with LARFE cats in our neighbourhood.
2. Find TWO words from the following group of five words that are the closest in meaning: shout, whisper, chat, explain, exclaim
3. Add the first figure to the product of the last two: 5, 2, 7
4. Find the number that will complete this sum: twenty-seven minus thirteen equals forty-two divided by (?)
5. Using the letters from the word VILLAINOUS, make a 5-letter word meaning 'a type of stringed musical instrument'.
6. Look at the following 5 words and say which consonant appears most frequently: SILVER, SALVER, SOLVER, ELEVEN, SALTED
7. Which of the following words cannot be made from the letters of the word POSITIONAL? Postal, Opal, Notion, Posit, Pools, Satin
8. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word COLOSSAL? Fair, Silly, Vast, Average
9. Rearrange the letters of SRIBD to make a sentence. The _____ sang in the trees
10. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to SINK? Basin, Tap, Plug, Fall

Examples of 11 Plus Non Verbal Reasoning Questions

This part of the 11 Plus tends to pose the greatest challenges for students, and it's the area that parents often find most concerning. Initially, these questions might appear quite daunting, but with consistent practice, they become more manageable. Regularly practicing with our 11 Plus Non-Verbal Reasoning quizzes will prepare you thoroughly for the test.

An example of an "Analogy" Question:

An example of a "Code Breaker" Question:

An Example a "Complete the Series" Question:

An example of a "Matrices" Question:

An Example of an "Odd One Out" Question:

An example of a "Shapes and Letters" Question:

An example of a "Similar Shapes" Question: