11+ Support Thread 2026

Does anyone know of any good books or other resources to practice comprehension?
I am looking for:

• practice tests which take under 30 minutes including reading so it is doable after school and homework.
• a mix of questions types rather than practicing one skill
• written answers rather than multiple choice as DD can do MC but the test is written

We are struggling to keep up with comprehension practice as we have learnt the skills it is now practicing using them in test situations. All I have found are full papers at 50-60 minutes which is not doable after school or 10 minute tests which seem to be MC which DD can work out the answer.

We used Gemini to create a reading comp question, based on a recent chapter of the book she's currently reading (tutor suggested this, and supplied a refined set of prompts he'd worked on). The questions were good based on the text given, and the characters accurate to the book, but Gemini had completely hallucinated a random chapter! She told me this, and I checked, and she was quite right...so it kind of worked, just not in the way intended...

We have used Grok to create 50 specific maths problems in an area that DD was struggling with because finding questions which matched the type in the exam were hard to find in the free resources available. It saved me hours trying to make my own based off the exam / mocks available.
Yes it made a couple of mistakes but the answers went through the step by step how to do the problems and even explained where it went wrong in setting the question.

I wouldn’t waste water and energy on asking a robot to help with the 11+ when there are SO many free resources and advice freely available. It won’t add anything of real substance and using it also feels kind of ironic.

Is anyone using Ai models like Anthropic, Gemini or ChatGPT to assist with tuition?

My year 5 DS is attempting the 11+ for grammar school in Lancashire this September.

The only tutoring he’s getting is 2 hours per week of extra maths with my sister who is a Maths whiz 😂 The rest is just me plodding along with some CGP books, Twinkl worksheets, curriculum print outs and online tests.

One problem for me though - he only started prepping in January (didn’t even think of grammar school before this!) and the test this year has changed from GL to FCSE. Has anyone got advice or experience with the new FCSE tests? It would be nice to have some sample papers just to get him used to doing tests in the first place!!!

I don't think it matters for grammars. They're allowed to consider only the scores on the exams, no matter how they're achieved.

Same. Didnt tutor was way too expensive. And DD wouldnt have handled so much pressure anyway. So preparing at home and online resources, which she loves anyway. Got more than 80% on her mock exam so feeling a bit confident.

My friend said they can spot those who have been heavily tutored and scraped through, and wouldnt have got in without it. There is a huge difference between doing an hour a week tutoring for year 5 and some past papers to get them familiar with the question styles, and tutoring intensively for years beforehand though.

We have done the first option, an hour a week for around 30 weeks, plus she has approx 30 mins homework from tutoring each week. Some people we know have done lots more, but our view was that if she doesn't get through with that level of support, then it's probably not the right option for her.

I wonder if these schools can spot those who have been tutored? We haven't gone down the tutor route because we just didn't have time/didnt think ahead. Im hoping we still have a chance

We will be in catchment but it's 15 miles away and with the route and traffic the bus takes awhile.

That's quite a journey - are you applying from out of area?

We had similar thoughts around how would DD manage if got in. And then I got talking to a friend who is deputy of a very prestigious girls school but used to work in a top grammar, who said that state school pupils are generally not the ones who struggle in grammar, it's some of the private ones who tutor them so hard that they get in without being of a high enough ability. There is a private prep near us which boasts a 100% pass rate at the 11+, but doesn't have selective entry, so some will not be naturally able but have been prepped so hard they pass but then struggle.

That is my hope that they will go at the students pace but it is also how she adapts to not being at the top of the class.
We also have to see how the travel affects her, as while she won't have the longest travel time it will still be about 1hr 20 mins each way; which may take a toll.

Although these worries need to take a backseat as we need to get through the next few months and see how she does on the day.

@CoralLemur

It is my concern that if we tutor too much DD will get in and struggle.

That is possible but keep in mind that many, perhaps most, students who pass will have been tutored, some quite heavily. A school will teach at the pace at which most of its students can learn, which is not necessarily the pace at which students who pass without tutoring can learn.

It is my concern that if we tutor too much DD will get in and struggle. However, we are in the position that without 11+ there is only one local school she would get into and be able to get to; which is currently under subscribed. This means that if we need to move in year because she isn't coping we would likely get a place and be no worse off.

Hi all - happy to join in! We're aiming for Gloucestershire schools. One twin finding it far easier than the other, which is making the whole thing much more stressful. We're doing atom and trying to spend some 1:1 time through the week unpicking any areas of difficulty. We have a tutor once a week for both children, but for general maths, rather than the 11+ specifically. Is anyone else using atom - we're also getting around 100 on the tests we do and I can't work out what that means with this far to go...nice to see others in a similar boat!

Hi all,

Im doing this without a tutor (North London) and finding it all really tough. We are working through ATOM. DD averaging on 97 on the odd test done. Shes easily top in lots of her classes in current indie but making silly mistake.

Just registered DD for the 11+. It's making this feel so much more real!
2 of the test centres in our area were already at capacity and registration only opened last week!

Hi all,

Just following, attempting to do this in London without tutoring because we started so late in the day. DD is doing bits daily but im finding it hard to keep on top of homework and doing extra for the exam.

Considering doing an official mock just to see where we are at.

We are Bucks too. Which schools are you aiming at?

DD was doing brilliantly and is consistently at GD, but seems to have had a drop in confidence and now struggling emotionally. Hoping it's just a blip. She is great at NVR, just naturally able with it, VR is also strong apart from the number lines which seem to be a bit hit or miss.

It's our first rodeo as neither DH or I grew up in a grammar area, and I can't say I'm a fan of it as a concept. But she wanted to go for it

I'm not an experienced MNer but I like to research everything! The result needed depends on the 11+ area / test / school. So you need to understand the test for your area and the schools you want to apply to.

My DD is sitting the test in Essex. None of the schools that use the test will accept a standardised score lower than 303, however the actual score needed to get into individual schools depends on their criteria and the pupils that have applied to the school.
Colchester County girls has a catchment area so a score of approx. 65% would get in within the catchment.
Colchester Royal Grammar (the boys school) has no catchment so a score of approx. 75% is needed.
For some of the Southend Grammar schools within catchment you can get in with 305 which is approx 55%.

Experienced MNers, I know kids don’t ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ per se, but am i right
in thinking that around 75% is the lowest realistic ‘good’ score?