Can DC Year 5 start 11+ exam prep now?

[Exam11support]

Hi folks, hope you're doing alright today :)

I have a DC in Year 5. She is quite bright - not a child prodigy bless her but she is hardworking, intelligent and picks up new things fairly quickly. The only weakness that stands out to me is her low confidence sometimes, she can be a bit nervous and freeze up!

We've recently moved from London to the north for personal reasons and my high school plans/options have suddenly changed. She's a summer born baby, only turned 9 in July but no academic concerns.

I honestly don't know much about the 11+ and am only exploring this option now for the first time.

I'm thinking:

1. Is it possible for me to prepare her to take the 11+ exam next September?
2. Where on earth do I begin?

I wondered if anyone could share their experience, if it went well, what they would recommend, etc.

My current plan is to prepare her at home using CGP books and their online 11+ programme with past papers, mock tests, etc. Is it possible to do this in 1 year as we're already in October 2025 and the exam would be next September?

Thank you in advance! :)

Yes definitely possible, lots of people start preparing around this time as some of the tutors only start their program after the previous cohort has sat the exam. Regarding your DD being summer born, lots of the schools use an age adjusted system so that younger children are not disadvantaged.

Yes definitely possible. Firstly go to your target school's websites and read through the admissions criteria. Are you in the catchment for that school? Secondly read on their website what format the exam is and what test the school use. Some use GL others CEM others Future Stories and others create their own exams. Some test English ,maths, verbal and non verbal reasoning, some only a combination of some of these. This is really key in understanding what resources to use to prepare with. Really happy to help if I can.

You have plenty of time OP. Are you in Trafford? i can share tutor recommendations if so.

This was super helpful, honestly I needed a straightforward starting point like this.

So I’m interested currently in a grammar school that has Maths, English and VR. Test with the GL board.

11plus Bond Books
verbal and non verbal to start

They have ones for maths aswell

The verbal and non verbal are quite fun

My kids did them just to generally improve reading etc.

In Lancashire :) Thank you for the offer! ❤️

Bond and CGP books should be a good starting point. Oh and don't forget to register to write the test before the cutoff date

@Exam11supportYes definitely can start now. Also in Lancashire with dd in year 5. We’ve only just started talking about 11+ (earlier compared to last time, it was May/June time when we decided to go for it and ds did well).

Definitely have time, but should start now and build a good rhythm

cgp books are good starting point

GL has some free familiarisation papers online too worth getting. There are also a lot of free 11 plus gl style papers online too - should be relatively easy to find online

i would also potentially consider a subscription to Atom - tablet/ computer based work but very easy to use and perfect for setting short 10 minute practices - little and often and consistencey are what you should aim for

I looked at Atom but noticed CGP is only £50 for a year’s subscription and it’s all their online 11+ exam practice in one place. I was tempted to go for the latter as DC would be taking the exam next September so that’s a year away.

The familiarisation papers look really useful, going to print some - thank you!

I was looking at Clitheroe’s guidelines yesterday and it’s quite informative.

good luck with your DD! ❤️

I think something you need to think about is the low confidence. My DD prepped for 11+ but failed second stage. During the summer running up to it she had been so hard on herself that she was dumb etc when she didn’t get all practice questions right. She ended up in a good school that took 20% selective places.

it became clear that had she passed 11+ and gone to the grammar I think her mental health would really have suffered - she judges herself on how she performed in the class and being at the bottom of the grammar would have impacted her. There would be no telling her that she was above people in oher schools.

make sure it’s the right thing for your DD, that said we are in a superselective area not one that takes a much higher %

This is a helpful perspective, thank you!

Anyone got experience with the CGP resources?