The next step,
made clearer.

Grammar schools select pupils by academic ability and use an entrance or selection test. GL Assessment describes the 11+ as one test or a series of tests covering one or more of English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Some independent schools and local consortia use different providers or their own papers.

GL’s own familiarisation guidance warns that exact timings and question numbers in a local test may differ from its practice materials. A school may test only some subjects, combine subjects into papers, divide NVR into timed sections or set a different format altogether. Use ElevenSprint for broad GL-style preparation, then match final practice to the official information issued for your target school.

Raw marks may be converted into age-standardised scores so children of slightly different ages can be compared fairly. The method, score range, qualifying standard and treatment of ties vary between admission authorities. A percentage achieved on ElevenSprint—or any commercial practice paper—is therefore not directly interchangeable with a local selection score.

Some areas use a qualifying threshold and then apply other admission rules; others rank candidates by score. Read the current policy rather than relying on last year’s cut-off.

• Which organisation sets or administers the test?
• Which subjects and question formats are included?
• Are there catchment, residence or evidence requirements?
• How and when must you register for the test?
• Is a separate school or consortium form required?
• What are the published oversubscription and tie-break rules?
• How many preferences can your home authority accept?
• What travel time and cost would attendance involve?

If your child normally receives adjustments at school, contact the test authority early. Each authority sets its own evidence, application method and deadline. Do not assume primary-school arrangements transfer automatically, and do not wait until the test invitation arrives.

• Begin with untimed learning and short practice; accuracy comes before speed.
• Review why an answer was wrong—knowledge gap, misunderstood instruction, rushed calculation or timing.
• Mix familiar and unfamiliar topics so the learner must identify the method.
• Introduce longer timed papers gradually and practise transferring answers accurately.
• Keep reading varied fiction and non-fiction; vocabulary grows best through regular reading and discussion.
• Protect sleep, schoolwork and time away from tests. Consistency is more useful than cramming.

Learn: use the Learning Hub when a method or question family is unfamiliar. Practise: use a 10-minute sprint or topic test several times a week. Review: inspect all answers or only mistakes and revisit weak topics. Rehearse: add subject papers and full mocks when foundations are secure.

Compare practice plans → See learning support

Look beyond the total. Group mistakes into four useful causes: missing knowledge, incorrect method, misunderstood wording and avoidable timing or transcription errors. The next activity should address the cause—for example, a teaching page for missing knowledge or a timed sprint for pacing.

• Listen to or read every section instruction before starting.
• Keep question and answer-sheet numbers aligned.
• Eliminate clearly incorrect options and make one deliberate choice.
• Move on from a stubborn question and return only if the section permits.
• Use spare time to check unanswered questions and transferred marks.

Follow the authority’s instructions for score queries, waiting lists, reviews or appeals. Passing a test and receiving a school place are different decisions. Continue to submit the normal secondary-school application correctly and on time, even where test registration was completed separately.