If your child is heading towards a grammar school or independent school entrance test, the amount of advice out there can feel overwhelming. This guide pulls the essentials into one place: what the 11+ tests in 2026, who writes the papers now, when to start, how books, apps and tutors fit together, and how to keep your child motivated without wearing them out.

What Does the 11+ Test?

There is no single national 11+. Each grammar school area, consortium or independent school decides what to test, but most papers draw on four areas:

• English: reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar, and sometimes a short piece of writing
• Maths: arithmetic, problem-solving and reasoning at Key Stage 2 level, often phrased to be more demanding than school work
• Verbal reasoning: word patterns, codes, analogies, hidden words and logic, which most primary schools don't teach
• Non-verbal reasoning: shape series, matrices, rotations, reflections and spatial puzzles, also rarely taught in school

Not every test includes all four. Some areas test only English and maths, some combine reasoning with maths, and a few newer tests are built mainly around the Key Stage 2 curriculum. That is why the first job is always to find out exactly what your target school sets.

Who Sets the Tests in 2026?

This has changed a lot in the last few years, and plenty of older advice online is now out of date.

• GL Assessment sets the 11+ for most grammar school areas, including Kent, Buckinghamshire and Birmingham. Its papers are usually multiple choice, and the question types are well documented.
• CEM, once the main alternative, stopped offering a paper 11+ after 2022, and the grammar schools that used it have moved to other providers. Its computer-based test, now called Cambridge Select Insight, is used mainly by independent schools.
• FSCE, a not-for-profit set up by Reading School, now writes the test for a small but growing group of grammar schools. Its papers lean on English and maths from the national curriculum rather than stand-alone reasoning sections.
• Consortia and schools sometimes write their own papers. In Essex, for example, the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) sets its own English and maths tests.
• Independent schools often use the ISEB Common Pre-Tests, Cambridge Select Insight or their own papers, usually alongside an interview.

Our article on GL vs CEM in 2026 covers what changed and how to check which test your child will sit.

When Should You Start?

Most grammar school tests are sat in September of Year 6, and a few schools are moving theirs earlier, into the summer term of Year 5. Registration usually closes in the spring or summer of Year 5, and results normally arrive in October, before the secondary school application deadline of 31 October.

Working back from that, a sensible pattern looks like this:

• Year 3: no formal preparation. Read together every day and keep times tables ticking over.
• Year 4: gentle familiarity. A few minutes of verbal and non-verbal reasoning each week so the question types stop being strange.
• Year 5: structured practice. Short, regular sessions across every area the test covers, with timed work introduced in the spring.
• Year 6 (before the test): refinement. Timed papers, targeted work on weak spots and plenty of rest in the final weeks.

For a year-by-year breakdown, see the 11+ timeline.

Books, Apps and Tutors

Books and free papers

Bond and CGP are the most widely used 11+ workbook series, and they're excellent for structured practice at a low cost. Once a book is finished, though, your child has seen every question, so you'll need a steady supply of new books over a long preparation. Before buying anything, check whether your school or consortium publishes free familiarisation papers. Many do, and they're the most accurate guide to the real format.

Online platforms and apps

Digital practice adds instant marking and adapts difficulty as your child improves, and apps make it easier to fit short sessions into a busy day. The main options differ quite a bit:

• Atom Learning is the largest online platform. It covers English, maths, science and both kinds of reasoning, works in a browser and on iPhone and iPad, and costs £39.99 to £69.99 a month depending on the plan.
• Bond Online adds thousands of practice questions and timed mock tests to the Bond books, from £7.50 a month, with premium tiers that add more guidance.
• CGP 11+ Online offers subscription test practice across every subject and test provider.
• Cognithix, which we make, is an iPhone and iPad app covering English, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and language aptitude, but not maths. There's no account and progress stays on the device. It's free for 7 days, then a one-time £9.99 unlock. For a detailed comparison with the best-known alternative, see Cognithix vs Atom Learning.

Whatever you choose, match it to the test. If your child's paper includes maths, make sure something in your plan covers maths properly.

Tutors

A good tutor can help with exam technique, confidence and a stubborn weak spot. Rates vary widely by area, commonly from around £30 to more than £70 an hour. Many children do well without one, though, and a handful of targeted sessions often achieves as much as a year of weekly lessons. Our article on preparing without an expensive tutor looks at when a tutor really adds value.

A Note on Language Aptitude Tests

You may see references to a "LAT" or language aptitude test. This isn't part of the standard grammar school 11+. A small number of schools with a specialism in modern foreign languages may admit up to 10% of their Year 7 intake on aptitude, and they use a separate test to do it. These tests use invented or unfamiliar language to see how quickly a child can spot sound patterns, match words and work out rules. If your target school offers aptitude places, read our guide to language aptitude tests.

A Simple Weekly Plan for Year 5

Once structured practice begins, a light but regular rhythm works better than long sessions. One pattern many families find easy to sustain:

• Monday to Thursday: 15 to 20 minutes a day, rotating verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and maths (if your child's test includes it)
• Friday: a short mixed quiz, then a look together at anything that went wrong
• Saturday: reading for pleasure, plus a timed paper every week or two from the spring term
• Sunday: a day off

Keep a simple log of scores. Improvement usually comes in steps rather than a smooth line, and seeing the trend over several weeks is reassuring for you and your child. If one area stays stuck for a month despite steady practice, that's the moment to change approach, whether that means a different book, an explanation from a teacher or a few targeted tutor sessions.

Keeping Your Child Motivated

11+ preparation can easily become stressful for parents and children alike. These habits help:

• Short sessions: 15 to 20 minutes is plenty for most children in Years 5 and 6
• Visible progress: stars, streaks, a chart on the fridge or a pet to look after keep regular practice rewarding
• Variety: alternate books, apps, word games and reading so no single format becomes a chore
• Gradual timing: introduce time limits slowly, so exam conditions don't come as a shock
• Praise the effort: celebrate consistency and improvement, not just scores
• Protect rest: keep weekends and holidays light, and stop entirely in the last day or two before the test

What to Expect on Test Day

Your child will usually sit the test at a grammar school or a designated centre, often on a Saturday morning. There are usually two or more papers, each typically around 45 to 60 minutes long. Many GL tests use a separate multiple-choice answer sheet, so practise marking answers neatly in the right box. The school's instructions will tell you what to bring, which is usually pencils, an eraser and a water bottle.

The most useful thing you can do on the day is stay calm. Children pick up on parental nerves quickly. Treat it as an ordinary morning with an interesting challenge in it, not a turning point in their life.

Summary

Find out exactly which test your child will sit and what it covers. Start gently in Year 4, build a steady routine in Year 5 and refine in the months before the test. Mix books, free familiarisation papers and an app that suits your family, and add a tutor only where it clearly helps. Keep sessions short, keep reading every day, and remember that the 11+ is one route among many. A child who doesn't get a place still has an excellent education ahead of them.