Mentoring kids to 11+ success

The 11+ is a ‘catch all’ term to include several types, and stage, of assessment children face when applying to their chosen senior independent schools for Year 7 or 9 entry. The phrase 11+ can also be used to refer to the entry exams the LEAs (Local Education Authorities) used for grammar schools (these are selective state schools).

The 11+ can refer to the process for admission at 11 or 13. Admission at 11 (Year 7) entry is typical of lots of day schools in London as well as the girls’ boarding schools.

Some schools, such as the Consortium schools (e.g Godolphin and Latymer or South Hampstead High School) have their own standardised tests which include multiple choice Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Maths and English, like the entry process for children applying to state grammar schools.

For many in the independent sector, the dominant element of the 11+ is the Pre-Test which is taken when a pupil is in Years 6 or 7 and includes four tests in a multiple-choice format; English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Importantly, the Pre-Test is not for Year 7 (11+ entry) but instead acts as an early assessment for schools in picking candidates for entry at 13+.

The following is taken from the ISEB website regarding details of the ISEB Pre-Tests.

• Test are online and adaptive, and in a multiple-choice format

• Include four tests: English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning

• May be taken together at the same time, or at separate times

• May be taken in the pupils’ own school, at the senior school they are applying for, or at an independent invigilation centre

• Provide a pupils’ results to all senior schools that they have applied to, which means the pupil only needs to sit the tests once

• May be taken at any time during the ISEB Pre-Tests session (which runs from October – June in each academic year)

• Offer full technical support to schools which use them

• Are unique to ISEB and standardised for the independent sector

• Provide the ISEB Test Walkthrough so pupils are able to experience the look and feel of the tests

Increasingly, schools have chosen to use the ‘Common pre-test’ administered by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) which is why the exam is commonly referred to as the ‘ISEB Pre-Test’. You can see which schools use the Common Pre-Tests here.

For 13+ entry, children also often face interviews and school-specific academic tests (such as the ones for Eton and Harrow) once the first hurdle of the Pre-Test has been taken.

It’s worth mentioning that ISEB also administers other common exams including Common Entrance (CE) which is the term applied to the test children take at 13+. The Common Entrance isn’t ‘common’ at all anymore. It’s mainly used for setting in future schools and there’s no standard mark scheme rather being at the senior’s school discretion depending on their own academic system.

The 11+ journey has three options: 12, 25 or 50 sessions depending on how old the student is and when we start.

We always encourage students to start gently at the beginning of Year 5. This prevents last minute stress or pressure and ensures the student feels relaxed and comfortable with all elements of the test. Condensed versions of the journey are offered to families who contact us nearer Year 6.

Almost always we recommend a hybrid approach. The first session is wherever possible, in person, to establish a good rapport and thenceforth online to make scheduling easier.

We don’t expect you to want or need to change your mentor. Families are permitted one change if things aren’t work effectively.

Mentoring for the 11+ prioritises long-term support, consistency of mentor and the relationship between mentor and mentee. Alongside this, our guide is designed to develop the student personally as well as academically.