What is the 11-plus?

The 11-plus is an exam taken by many students in their final year of primary school to gain entry into grammar and independent secondary schools.   The 11-plus exam was once used throughout the United Kingdom, but since the 1970s most areas replaced the 11-plus exam with the non-selective comprehensive education system.  However, in some local authorities there is still a system of grammar and comprehensive schools in existence. In England today there remain 164 selective grammar schools. 

There is no standard national 11-plus exam and each school, whether grammar or independent, will set their own exam and each will vary in style and content. The exam examines the student’s ability to solve problems using Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning.

It is important to note that the 11+ entrance exam is different from what is known as the “common entrance exam” which is usually taken at the age of 13+ for Independent schools. It also includes an English Comprehension and Maths paper but it also replicates some of the elements of the 11+ exam i.e. verbal reasoning.

At what age do students sit the 11-plus exam?

Your child will sit these exams in Year 6, their final year of primary school, when they are aged between 10 and 11.  It is therefore advisable to start tuition when your child is at the end of Year 4 or the start of Year 5.

How do I find out about admission information for the schools in my area?

It is important to contact your Local Education Authority’s Admissions Department as well as each individual school directly to ensure you obtain the most up-to-date and precise information about individual admission policies.  Each local authority and school will have its own policy.  To assist you in this we have a website link to the local educational authorities. Please click on the tab entitled “Local Educational Authorities.”

How do I find out about details of exam dates?

You should contact individual schools for exam dates and test arrangements.  We will also list dates of school exams and there are links to the appropriate local schools on our website.

What is Non Verbal Reasoning (NVR)

Non Verbal Reasoning questions are symbol and picture-based.  They test a child’s ability to understand and remember a visual sequence, interpret the meaning of the visual presentation, find the odd one out, solve codes and missing sequence patterns.  Logical thinking is needed to analyse the visual pattern and recognise the cause and effect relationship between a sequences of situations in any given picture.  Take a look at the examples of NVR questions on our website.

Children are generally not taught how to answer these questions at school. We therefore begin our 11-plus preparation by teaching each of the techniques required for NVR to equip our pupils with the tips, skills and confidence they need to tackle these questions.  Practice and perseverance are needed to succeed and at Examberry we support your child during this journey.

What is Verbal Reasoning (VR)?

Verbal Reasoning is language-based problem-solving which involves thinking about words and text, number patterns and sequences. It aims to evaluatea child’s ability to think constructively rather than simply testing reading fluency or vocabulary recognition.  It is a valuable way of assessing a child’s potential and aptitude, not just memorised or learned capabilities.  Your child will require strong basic maths skills, including strong mental arithmetic skills, and need a broad vocabulary and good grasp of English grammar.  Our tuition covers this area and we also give your child a reading list to ensure they are reading good English language books regularly.

How many pupils are in Examberry’sclasses?

Our classes have a maximum of eight pupils.  We believe that our small friendly classes are the key to effective learning.

What about homework and mock tests?

Every week your child is given homework to supplement their learning in the classroom.  Homework is an essential part of the learning process and enables children to practise the techniques we teach them in class. It is not meant to be a chorebut rather a reinforcement of the day’s learning and an aid to increased self-confidence. Homework enables pupils to apply their learning from the lessons and in turn, the pupil will feel happy and motivated and look forward to the next topic.

We run mock tests during the summer so that the children get used to exam conditions and the time constraints for completing papers. All tests are marked and assessed and we go through any corrections to ensure the child understands where errors occurred and learns from them for the next time.

What course work does Examberry use?

Examberry producesits own high quality coursework which is not photocopied or reproduced from other companies. We can therefore provide students with the latest and most stimulating course work and advise parents on which supplementary work to purchase.

How long are the tuition sessions?

Each tuition sessions lasts two hours and covers Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning.Our tutors provide carefully planned lessons to cover all core subjects in order to maximise success. We also concentrate on revision and exam techniques, time management and memory skills,which are invaluable for success in these highly competitive exams.

Who are the tutors?

Examberry tutors are extremely experienced with a proven track record of success.  They are all educated to graduate or post-graduate level.  Some tutors have taught at grammar schools and all our tutors are CRB checked.

Why tutor your child?

Competition for grammar school admission is fierce and it is true that most children are tutored to achieve the high standards required to secure a place.  Your child will need to be well-practised in Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning questions and have the basic core skills in maths and English.  Some parents take on the task of tutoring their child themselves with rewarding results.  Other parents prefer professional tuition as they may consider the process and preparation of home tuition too daunting and cannot dedicate enough time to it.  A growing number of parents are now using professional tutoring to take the stress out of the process.

At Examberry we provide excellent tuition and give regular feedback and advice to parents about their child’s strengths, weaknesses and progress.  We will evaluate your child’s weaknesses and work on them and provide your child with encouragement along the way.  We want to ensure that your child is achieving in a happy environment which enables them to be successful in reaching their goals.  We firmly believe that good tuition and practice does make a difference and those children who receive good tuition really do improve, giving them a clear advantage over those who do not.

The 11-plus is an exam taken by many students in their final year of primary school to gain entry into grammar and independent secondary schools.   The 11-plus exam was once used throughout the United Kingdom, but since the 1970s most areas replaced the 11-plus exam with the non-selective comprehensive education system.  However, in some local authorities there is still a system of grammar and comprehensive schools in existence. In England today there remain 164 selective grammar schools. 

There is no standard national11-plus exam and each school, whether grammar or independent, will set their own exam and each will vary in style and content.The exam examines the student’s ability to solve problems using Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning.

It is important to note that the 11+ entrance exam is different from what is known as the “common entrance exam” which is usually taken at the age of 13+ for Independent schools. It also includes an English Comprehension and Maths paper but it also replicates some of the elements of the 11+ exam i.e. verbal reasoning.

At what age do students sit the 11-plus exam?

Your child will sit these exams in Year 6, their final year of primary school, when they are aged between 10 and 11.  It is therefore advisable to start tuition when your child is at the end of Year 4 or the start of Year 5.

How do I find out about admission information for the schools in my area?

It is important to contact your Local Education Authority’s Admissions Department as well as each individual school directly to ensure you obtain the most up-to-date and precise information about individual admission policies.  Each local authority and school will have its own policy.  To assist you in this we have a website link to the local educational authorities. Please click on the tab entitled “Local Educational Authorities.”

How do I find out about details of exam dates?

You should contact individual schools for exam dates and test arrangements.  We will also list dates of school exams and there are links to the appropriate local schools on our website.

What is Non Verbal Reasoning (NVR)

Non Verbal Reasoning questions are symbol and picture-based.  They test a child’s ability to understand and remember a visual sequence, interpret the meaning of the visual presentation, find the odd one out, solve codes and missing sequence patterns.  Logical thinking is needed to analyse the visual pattern and recognise the cause and effect relationship between a sequences of situations in any given picture.  Take a look at the examples of NVR questions on our website.

Children are generally not taught how to answer these questions at school. We therefore begin our 11-plus preparation by teaching each of the techniques required for NVR to equip our pupils with the tips, skills and confidence they need to tackle these questions.  Practice and perseverance are needed to succeed and at Examberry we support your child during this journey.

What is Verbal Reasoning (VR)?

Verbal Reasoning is language-based problem-solving which involves thinking about words and text, number patterns and sequences. It aims to evaluatea child’s ability to think constructively rather than simply testing reading fluency or vocabulary recognition.  It is a valuable way of assessing a child’s potential and aptitude, not just memorised or learned capabilities.  Your child will require strong basic maths skills, including strong mental arithmetic skills, and need a broad vocabulary and good grasp of English grammar.  Our tuition covers this area and we also give your child a reading list to ensure they are reading good English language books regularly.

How many pupils are in Examberry’sclasses?

Our classes have a maximum of eight pupils.  We believe that our small friendly classes are the key to effective learning.

What about homework and mock tests?

Every week your child is given homework to supplement their learning in the classroom.  Homework is an essential part of the learning process and enables children to practise the techniques we teach them in class. It is not meant to be a chorebut rather a reinforcement of the day’s learning and an aid to increased self-confidence. Homework enables pupils to apply their learning from the lessons and in turn, the pupil will feel happy and motivated and look forward to the next topic.

We run mock tests during the summer so that the children get used to exam conditions and the time constraints for completing papers. All tests are marked and assessed and we go through any corrections to ensure the child understands where errors occurred and learns from them for the next time.

What course work does Examberry use?

Examberry producesits own high quality coursework which is not photocopied or reproduced from other companies. We can therefore provide students with the latest and most stimulating course work and advise parents on which supplementary work to purchase.

How long are the tuition sessions?

Each tuition sessions lasts two hours and covers Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning.Our tutors provide carefully planned lessons to cover all core subjects in order to maximise success. We also concentrate on revision and exam techniques, time management and memory skills,which are invaluable for success in these highly competitive exams.

Who are the tutors?

Examberry tutors are extremely experienced with a proven track record of success.  They are all educated to graduate or post-graduate level.  Some tutors have taught at grammar schools and all our tutors are CRB checked.

Why tutor your child?

Competition for grammar school admission is fierce and it is true that most children are tutored to achieve the high standards required to secure a place.  Your child will need to be well-practised in Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning questions and have the basic core skills in maths and English.  Some parents take on the task of tutoring their child themselves with rewarding results.  Other parents prefer professional tuition as they may consider the process and preparation of home tuition too daunting and cannot dedicate enough time to it.  A growing number of parents are now using professional tutoring to take the stress out of the process.

At Examberry we provide excellent tuition and give regular feedback and advice to parents about their child’s strengths, weaknesses and progress.  We will evaluate your child’s weaknesses and work on them and provide your child with encouragement along the way.  We want to ensure that your child is achieving in a happy environment which enables them to be successful in reaching their goals.  We firmly believe that good tuition and practice does make a difference and those children who receive good tuition really do improve, giving them a clear advantage over those who do not.