Which subjects are tested in the 11+ exam?
The 11+ exam often feels like it is shrouded in mystery. It can be very difficult to find out exactly what will be tested in this illusive exam, making it a very daunting task to work out where to begin with preparation.
I’ve picked out some of the most important points to help you get started!
The GL 11+ exam assesses four subjects:
English
Mathematics
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
Let’s look at them in a bit more detail.
English
The English part of the exam assesses the fundamentals of English that children have been learning ever since they started school in Reception. It usually includes reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar. As these topics are all taught in school every single day, there shouldn’t be any ‘new’ content for children to learn. However, it is important that children read widely to practice their comprehension skills and regularly practice spelling, punctuation and grammar.
You can find links to reading and spelling resources here:
Mathematics
As with English, the aim of the mathematics element of the test is to assess students’ learning throughout their time at primary school. However there are some areas of maths, which often occur on the exam, that are not usually taught until Year 6. From my experience with the GL papers, they are often weighted towards geometry. Due to the nature of teaching in primary schools, geometry is often taught in blocks towards the end of the school year, therefore it may be beneficial to begin to work on geometry towards the beginning of Year 5.
The main mathematics subjects to teach are:
Geometry - names and properties 2D shapes and quadrilaterals and calculating angles in triangles and on a line
Algebra - using formulae, solving simple equations, nth term
Ratio and proportion
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning will be completely new to your child as it is not taught in schools. Non-Verbal Reasoning is problem solving using pictures and diagrams. It can also include letters and codes. As it is ‘non-verbal’, the focus is on assessing how students can analyse pictures and solve problems visually.
Non-Verbal Reasoning can seem like a very foreign subject upon first glance and it is often the area parents feel less confident to support their child with. It can be an appealing subject to children who enjoy jigsaws and visual puzzles. The questions focus on identifying patterns and spotting similarities and differences.
To find out more about Non-Verbal Reasoning, check out the resources below:
https://www.hqlearningrugby.com/11-nonverbal-reasoning
https://www.hqlearningrugby.com/resources/p/11-non-verbal-reasoning-revision-guide
https://www.hqlearningrugby.com/resources/p/11-non-verbal-reasoning-practice-paper
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning will be another new subject to your child, but it may look slightly more familiar. Verbal Reasoning assesses similar pattern recognition skills as non-verbal reasoning, but with words, letters and numbers. In this subject, students’ vocabulary is challenged as well as their ability to make connections and solve problems with letters and words. Children who enjoy word puzzles such as Wordle, wordsearches, Scrabble and Boggle may prefer this subject. I often recommend that children play those types of games and engage in word puzzles regularly to hone in on the skills required for this part of the test. It is also essential that children read widely in order to develop their vocabulary as many Verbal Reasoning questions relate to words and their meanings.
To see how these subjects are tested, check out the practice papers I have available using the link below:
