11+ support thread 2026

[11plus2026]

Not sure if anyone is around yet but thought I’d open one.

Has anyone started any practice questions yet? Mine will be starting tutoring in September, she’s had an assessment to see where she’s at currently and now just enjoying the sunshine ☀️

@Annithebell which 11+ region /exam is your DC taking

Bexley

Unfortunately I don't know about Bexley.

Last year, Bucks didn't have any spatial on their exam which my DC had always struggled with. Consequently my DC got a really good score for that section.

Sometimes your DC can get lucky with the paper

I’m not familiar with Bexley but do they have verbal and non verbal in one paper? If so, she will have a better chance of passing if she does well in verbal reasoning.

Thanks for replies!
Yes the test involves VR as well and her scores are OK for English, maths and VR. The problem is her NVR score is so low atm that it makes her total score quite low.

To add to my stress Bexley announced in March that they were going to use Quest as their test provider instead of GL but the test will still be paperbased. Because of this nobody seems to know exactly what type of questions to practice, unfortunately it seems like there will be quite a lot of spatial NVR .

We’re borderline in terms of catchment so I’m wondering whether to just stop ,I keep changing my mind . Ah well rant over, hope everyone else is doing better than us with the prep!

Hi all,

We have been slowly working through atom and various books but like an earlier poster, we are doing it alone. Im now petrified that we are at a complete disadvantage now. We are trying NLCS, Mill Hill, HB and SHHS. DD has heart set on the latter which is leaving me scrambling around for ideas on how to get in/cope if she doesn't get it

We also don’t have a tutor and it’s really hard to get a benchmark on how they’re doing. We’re doing atom but not sure how reliable their benchmarking is - my girls’ scores vary quite wildly on their practise papers and the tracking line. We did do an in person mock today which might give some useful information. They came out very happy but one cheerfully said she’d had to guess at a load of the maths answers at the end as she ran out of time!

@chillipopcorn1 I was thinking whether to do an in person mock. Atom scores us around 100. Where did you sit yours?

Yes same! Between 98-106, never over. Which doesn’t feel like enough. There’s definitely some maths they’re not secure with yet eg. On the mock today radius came up and that threw them. NVR they’re both quite fond of (weirdos).

@chillipopcorn1 where did you do your in person mock, we were thinking to do one but not sure too early.

Taking the exam at Henrietta because its local so worth a shot but much more focussed on December exams.

I’ve just looked at the tests as my gc is probably sitting the 11+. I was shocked by how hard I found the VR questions. I was a teacher and have two post grad qualifications but struggled!

I am currently feeling rather stressed by the whole process (this is my third time). DD has had weekly tutoring since starting year 5 in September, all seemed to be going well, VR and English more straightforward than for her two older brothers, although she finds Maths trickier. Did a mock at the tuition centre beginning of June, 50% overall, (pass mark is likely to be around 71% in our area). I thought on the day she seemed spectacularly unengaged, came out saying she'd run out of time and guessed loads of the answers. Tutor says she's got the ability to pass but varies wildly in motivation and concentration levels and they could see the mock was a bad day. We've run through the mock papers with her. Maths and English were full of silly mistakes, she should have easily got 70-80%. VR was an especially tricky paper with a few question types she wouldn't have seen for ages (I looked over her CGP books that the tutor sets for homework), and other types that she's not come across before.

The tour and open evening for the local girls' grammar were back in February/March so although she was keen then, it's been a while since we saw the school. Since the mock result she's been saying she's not sure if she even likes the school. The other options for schools are fine, but having done tours and taster days she's not especially keen on any school, just says she doesn't want to leave primary.

She's always been a child who changes her mind with the wind, so at the moment I'm keen to press on with 11+ prep, practice papers over the summer then maybe another mock in September before we decide whether or not to press on to the actual exam.

It doesn't help that she has a friend in current year 6 who passed last year, apparently with two weeks of practice papers in the summer holidays and no other prep. So laid back she didn't even know that the scores aren't ranked here, DC qualify or not, then it goes on siblings, catchment etc. Parent of the opinion that 'if you have to have a tutor you will struggle at the school/don't deserve to be there' stuff. DS1 and DS2 had tuition, passed, and not struggling at grammar. I'm finding it rather unnerving though and wondering if the attendant stress (which I'm trying to hide from DD) means it's not right for her.