Preparing your child for the grammar school entrance test can easily feel like running a marathon without a map. If you start too late, the pressure becomes intense; if you start too early, you risk your child burning out before they even step into the exam room. Finding that perfect balance is the secret to a stress free experience.
A structured, realistic schedule is the most effective tool an 11 plus parents guide can offer. By breaking the journey down into manageable chunks across Year 4 and Year 5, you turn a mountain of revision into simple, daily habits. Here is the ultimate step by step timeline to guide your family through the process.
Many parents ask if Year 4 is too early to begin 11+ exam preparation. The truth is, you should not be doing formal exam papers at this stage, but you absolutely should be building the core skills that make those papers manageable later on. Year 4 is all about numbers and words.
During this period, your primary goal is to ensure your child is completely secure in their school curriculum. If a child struggles with basic fractions or times tables, they will find 11 plus maths questions impossible.
The summer term of Year 4 is the ideal time to introduce verbal and non verbal reasoning. Because these subjects are not part of the standard National Curriculum, the question styles will look completely alien to your child.
When Year 5 begins, the formal preparation steps up a gear. This is the period where consistency becomes your most valuable asset.
Sit down with your child and map out their week. Set aside specific, short blocks of time for 11+ exam preparation; perhaps twenty minutes on a Tuesday and Thursday, plus a slightly longer session on Saturday mornings. Keeping the sessions short prevents fatigue and keeps their brain sharp.
Now is the time to look closely at your local grammar schools. Find out which exam board they use; GL Assessment and CEM are the most common. Knowing the specific exam board allows you to tailor your practice materials directly to the types of questions your child will actually face.
By the spring term of Year 5, your child should be familiar with the different question types. The focus now shifts from learning the methods to perfecting the technique.
The 11 plus is notorious for tight time constraints. Many children can answer the questions correctly if given unlimited time, but they struggle when the clock is ticking. Introduce short, timed sections of papers. Teach them how to spot high value questions and when it is smarter to guess and move on rather than getting stuck on a single difficult puzzle.
Take your child to visit the grammar schools you are targeting. Seeing the buildings, meeting the teachers, and visualising themselves walking through those doors in Year 7 can provide a massive boost of intrinsic motivation. It changes the goal from passing a boring test to winning a place at an exciting new school.
The final few months before the exam are about building stamina and addressing any remaining weak spots.
There is a massive difference between doing a practice paper at the kitchen table and sitting an exam in a room full of strangers. Realistic mock exams are essential during this term. They give your child a taste of real test conditions, helping them manage their time and conquer test day nerves. Use the feedback from these mocks to pinpoint exactly where your child needs extra help.
The school holidays right before the September exam require careful management. It is tempting to increase the revision hours drastically, but this often backfires. Keep study sessions focused and regular, but balance them with plenty of physical activity, time with friends, and genuine relaxation. A rested mind performs significantly better than a exhausted one.
In the final weeks leading up to the exam date, stop introducing new, difficult topics. Focus instead on light revision of things they already know well to build their confidence. Prioritize early bedtimes, nutritious meals, and positive reinforcement. Your main job now is to keep them calm, confident, and ready to show what they can do.
