11+ Exam Preparation Timeline: What to Do Each Year

"When should we start 11+ preparation?" is one of the questions I'm asked most often by parents, and it's almost always asked with a slight edge of panic — usually because another parent at the school gates has mentioned their child started in Year 2, and now everyone feels behind.

Here's the reassuring truth: starting too early causes just as many problems as starting too late. Children who spend three years grinding through practice papers often arrive at the exam burnt out, anxious, and paradoxically less sharp than children who had a shorter, better-paced run-up. What matters isn't how early you start, but whether each year builds the right foundation for the next.

As a qualified teacher who has prepared children for 11+ entry across grammar and independent schools, here's the timeline I actually recommend — year by year, with no unnecessary pressure added.

Year 3: Build the foundations, not the exam skills

If your child is in Year 3, resist the urge to buy 11+ practice books just yet. At this age, the most valuable thing you can do is strengthen the fundamentals that every 11+ paper eventually tests: reading fluency, vocabulary, number sense, and the ability to reason about a problem calmly.

Focus on:

• Wide, varied reading — fiction and non-fiction, above and below their comfort level
• Times tables fluency, aimed for by the end of the year
• Mental maths confidence — not just written methods, but genuine number sense
• Vocabulary building through conversation, not flashcards

There is no need for formal 11+ tutoring at this stage for most children. A love of reading and a solid grip on number facts will do far more for their eventual exam performance than early exposure to verbal reasoning puzzles.

Year 4: Introduce reasoning, playfully

Year 4 is the right time to gently introduce the two skills that catch most children off guard in the exam: verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. These are learnable skills, not innate ones, but they take time to become instinctive.

Keep it light. Puzzle books, logic games, and short weekly sessions are far more effective than long formal practice at this age. The goal isn't exam readiness yet — it's familiarity, so that when formal preparation ramps up in Year 5, these question types feel like old friends rather than a completely new language.

This is also a sensible year to start thinking honestly about which schools you're aiming for and what format their exam takes, since CEM-style and GL-style papers test quite different things, and your preparation should reflect that from Year 5 onwards.

Year 5: This is the serious preparation year

Year 5 is where focused 11+ preparation genuinely begins for most families, and it's the year where the right support makes the biggest difference. By now, your child should have:

• Solid reading comprehension and a confident vocabulary
• Reasonable fluency with reasoning question types from Year 4 exposure
• A calm, curious relationship with maths and English, rather than anxiety

From September of Year 5, a structured approach works best: regular, focused sessions covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, and English comprehension, alongside timed practice that builds gradually rather than all at once. This is also the year to register for any assessments, open days, or familiarisation events your target schools run, since deadlines are often earlier than parents expect.

If you're going to bring in a tutor, Year 5 is typically the most effective time to start. It gives enough runway to build genuine skill and exam technique without the burnout risk of a two-year slog, and it means any specific gaps — a particular reasoning question type, or comprehension under time pressure — can be identified and closed well before the exam.

Year 6: Refine, practise under pressure, and protect wellbeing

By Year 6, the academic groundwork should largely be in place. This year is about exam technique, timing, and — just as importantly — protecting your child's confidence and wellbeing in the run-up to the exam itself.

Most 11+ exams are sat in September of Year 6, which means the real crunch period is actually the summer before Year 6 starts. Focus the final stretch on:

• Timed practice papers, under realistic (but not frightening) conditions
• Reviewing mistakes calmly, as learning opportunities rather than failures
• Familiarisation with the specific exam format and question style for target schools
• Deliberately protecting downtime — a child who is drilled every evening for months arrives at the exam exhausted, not sharp

Registration deadlines, exact test dates, and formats vary by local authority and by individual school, so always check directly with your target schools well in advance rather than relying on general timelines. Some areas register in the spring of Year 5 for a September Year 6 sitting, so this is worth confirming early.

What if you're starting later than this timeline suggests?

Plenty of children succeed at the 11+ having started preparation in Year 5 or even early Year 6, particularly if their underlying reading, vocabulary and maths were already strong. If you're reading this and your child is already in Year 5 or 6 with little formal preparation done, don't panic — focus your remaining time on the highest-impact areas first: reasoning question familiarity and timed practice, rather than trying to cover everything equally.

This is exactly the kind of situation where a qualified tutor can help you prioritise effectively, so limited time goes towards what will move the needle most, rather than being spread too thinly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too late to start 11+ preparation in Year 5? No — Year 5 is actually the ideal starting point for most children. Starting much earlier than this often does more harm than good, as it risks fatigue well before the exam itself.

How many hours a week should my child spend on 11+ preparation? This depends on the child and the year group, but as a general guide, one to two focused sessions a week in Year 5, increasing modestly in Year 6, tends to outperform daily cramming. Quality and consistency matter more than volume.

Should I use practice papers from Year 3 or 4? Occasional exposure is fine if your child enjoys it, but formal, timed practice papers are best saved for Year 5 onwards, once the underlying skills are in place.

What's the difference between CEM and GL exam formats? Broadly, GL-style papers tend to have separate sections for each subject (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, English), while CEM-style (now often replaced by other providers in many areas) blends question types together, sometimes within mixed papers. Formats and providers vary by region and change over time, so always confirm the current format directly with your target school or local authority.

Want a Clear, Calm Plan for Your Child's 11+ Journey?

Every child's starting point is different, and a generic timeline can only take you so far. Our qualified, QTS teachers offer 11+ tutoring across Devon and online, with a focus on building genuine confidence and reasoning skills — not just drilling practice papers.

Book a free consultation and we'll help you map out exactly what your child needs, and when. Call 0333 004 6664 or email info@nurturingtutors.com.