When to Start 11+ Preparation: Year 4 and 5 Timeline

Parents often ask when to start preparing for the 11+ (11 plus). There is no single right answer, and starting earlier does not automatically mean a better outcome. What matters most is that your child arrives at the test familiar with the question types, confident in the basics and not worn out.

This guide gives a typical timeline from Year 4 to the summer before Year 6, with what to focus on at each stage. Treat it as a starting point and adjust it to your child.

Dates and formats vary a lot between areas and schools. Many grammar school tests are in September, at the start of Year 6, some are in other months, and registration usually closes earlier. Check your target schools on our school finder and on their own websites before you plan.

Start with an assessment, then work on weak concepts

Whatever year your child is in, the quickest way to start is a short assessment across the subjects, rather than a long plan. It shows what they already find easy, what is new to them and which concepts need work. Keep it relaxed: it is a starting point, not a score to worry about, and it is fine if some of it feels hard.

1. Take a short assessment covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
2. List the concepts your child got wrong or found slow, such as fractions, cloze passages or letter codes.
3. Spend most of your practice time on those weak concepts, with a lesson first and questions after.
4. Repeat a short check every month or two to see what has improved and what still needs time.

Working on weak concepts is usually a better use of time than repeating what your child already does well.

The short answer

For most families, a relaxed start in Year 4 or early Year 5 is plenty. Many children do well with about a year of steady, light practice, and some do well with less. A long, heavy programme is not needed for most children and can take away their enjoyment of learning.

The right start date depends on three things: how soon your child's test is, how comfortable they already are with school Maths and English, and how much time your family can keep up each week without strain.

Year 4 (ages 8 to 9): build the foundations

In Year 4 the aim is not to practise exam questions. It is to make sure the basics are secure and to let your child meet the idea of puzzles and reasoning in a fun way.

• Maths: times tables, number bonds, place value, simple fractions and mental arithmetic.
• English: reading widely every day, and talking about new words and what a text means.
• Reasoning: try a few friendly puzzles now and then, such as patterns, odd-one-out and simple letter games.

Ten to fifteen minutes, a few times a week, is plenty. If your child enjoys it, they can try the free pattern matrices lesson or the letter codes lesson just to see what reasoning questions look like.

Year 5 (ages 9 to 10): learn the question types

Year 5 is when most families begin more structured practice, and because tests are usually in September, it is when most of the preparation happens. The goal is for your child to recognise each question type and to know how to approach it, before they ever work against the clock.

• Meet each type in turn: the main Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning formats, plus cloze and comprehension in English.
• Fill gaps in Maths topics such as fractions, percentages, ratio and word problems.
• Practise untimed first. Speed comes later, once your child understands why an answer is right.
• Keep a short list of topics that trip your child up, and revisit them a few days later.

About twenty to thirty minutes, three or four times a week, is a sensible pace for most children. Our guides to Non-Verbal Reasoning question types and Verbal Reasoning question types are a good place to see what each type looks like.

Summer before Year 6: practise and polish

Many grammar school tests are taken in September, within the first weeks of Year 6, so in practice your child's preparation ends over the summer holiday. That makes Year 5 the main year, and the summer the final stretch.

• Spring and summer of Year 5: mix question types together, as the real test does, and start adding gentle timing.
• Summer holiday: try a few full practice sessions in the style of your target test, and review mistakes carefully.
• The week before: lighter practice, good sleep and a calm routine. Last-minute cramming rarely helps.

Aim to keep sessions short and regular. Children usually remember more from twenty focused minutes than from a long, tired hour. If your child's test is later in the autumn, the order stays the same and you simply have a little more time.

What if you are starting late?

Starting late is common and is not a disaster. If you have only a few months, put the time into the areas your child finds hardest, learn the main question types, and practise a little every day. A shorter plan done calmly is better than a packed one that leaves your child exhausted.

Signs your child may need to slow down

• They avoid practice or become upset when it is mentioned.
• They are tired or anxious at bedtime or on school mornings.
• They rush to finish rather than think, or give up quickly.

If you see these, shorten sessions, take a break or return to easier questions. Confidence matters as much as content at this age.

A simple weekly pattern

1. Pick two or three short sessions a week and keep them at the same times.
2. Start each one with a question your child can already do, to build confidence.
3. Work on one question type, then explain the rule aloud.
4. Finish by talking through any mistakes until the right answer makes sense.
5. Leave at least one day a week with no practice at all.

Practising with Onze+

Onze+ has GL-style interactive lessons and practice for Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with written explanations in English and reasoning, so a child can start gently in Year 4 or 5 and build up. You can try a free lesson first and, if Onze+ suits your child, start a 7-day free trial.