When to Start 11+ Preparation: Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6?

Grammar school 11+ tests are usually sat in the September of Year 6, which places registration in the summer term of Year 5, while many independent schools set their entrance assessment later, in the autumn term or in January of Year 6. Structured preparation for a specific test fits Year 5, once the target schools and the test format are confirmed, and comes after a Year 4 spent widening reading, vocabulary, spelling and arithmetic fluency with no test papers yet in sight.

Exactly which test a child will sit, whether a GL Assessment paper, the Kent Test, the ISEB Common Pre-Test or a school-set paper, decides the question types to practise and the registration window to meet, so the target schools come first and the preparation plan follows from them. A local authority's or school's own admissions page remains the only reliable place to confirm a registration window and test date for a particular year group, since these move slightly between intakes, which is why Year 4, Year 5 and the final term before the test each carry a different focus.

When is the 11+ sat, and how does that set the preparation timeline?

Grammar school 11+ tests are usually sat in the September of Year 6, so registration opens in the summer term of Year 5 and closes before that school year ends, the pattern followed by both the Kent Test and the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test. Independent schools often test later in the Year 6 cycle, frequently in the autumn term or in January, often through the ISEB Common Pre-Test, which a wide group of senior schools use as a shared first-stage assessment. A family with both a grammar school and an independent school on its list faces two different test dates and two separate registration processes inside the same school year.

Working backwards from whichever date applies gives each school year a distinct role: Year 4 for broad academic foundations, Year 5 for learning the specific question types and building timed practice, and the final term before the test for consolidation. Registration deadlines for grammar school tests are usually firm, with local authorities stating that late registration is not normally accepted, so the registration window is often the first hard date a family needs to plan around, ahead of the test date itself.

What should Year 4 preparation involve?

Year 4 preparation for the 11+ centres on broad academic foundations, with the question types used by any specific test usually left until Year 5. Wide reading across fiction and non-fiction remains one of the most useful activities at this age, building the vocabulary and comprehension that verbal reasoning and English papers draw on later. Year 4 is also the year to secure times tables, arithmetic fluency, spelling and the core Key Stage 2 maths and English curriculum, so a child enters Year 5 with the basics a test will assume already in place.

• Wide reading across fiction and non-fiction
• Vocabulary building through reading and conversation
• Spelling
• Times tables and arithmetic fluency
• Secure Key Stage 2 maths and English
• No test papers yet

11+ tutors

Hannah S.

Master Tutor

11+ PreparationCommon Entrance PreparationEnglishMaths

I am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.

Enquire about this tutor

Sochima N.

Master Tutor

MathsPhysicsChemistryComputer Science

I'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.

Enquire about this tutor

Ariana G.

Master Tutor

EnglishEnglish LiteratureEnglish Language11+ Preparation

I have taught English in London schools for twelve years, including Tiffin Girls' School, and hold a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, English Literature, English Language and 11+ preparation across KS3 to A-Level and IB. I get to know each tutee and plan creative lessons around their goals.

Enquire about this tutor

See all tutors

What should Year 5 preparation involve?

Year 5 preparation for the 11+ moves from general foundations to the specific question types of the test a child will actually sit, introducing verbal and non-verbal reasoning where the test includes them. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not part of the normal primary curriculum, so most children need a first introduction to the question formats before any timed practice begins. This is also the year to settle a shortlist of target schools and check each school's or local authority's own registration window directly, since these deadlines differ and most state they cannot accept late registrations.

Timed practice builds gradually across Year 5, moving from untimed question-type work towards full papers completed under test conditions, with a first full practice paper offering a clear indication of pace and stamina ahead of the real test. By the end of Year 5, a child should usually have sat at least one complete practice paper in the format of their actual test, and the family should have confirmed registration for every school or authority on its list.

• Learning the question types of the specific test
• Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, where the test includes them
• Gradually increasing timed practice
• A first full practice paper
• Deciding on target schools
• Checking each school's or authority's registration window

What happens in the summer before Year 6 and the final weeks?

The summer before Year 6 is usually when practice becomes more regular and more exam-like, consolidating the question types already learned in Year 5 instead of introducing new material. Full timed papers in the test's actual format become the main tool, offering a realistic indication of pace, accuracy and stamina under the conditions the real test will use.

The final weeks before the test are usually for consolidation and confidence, with shorter timed papers, review of recurring mistakes, and rest in the days immediately before sitting the test. Because the grammar school test usually falls in the first weeks of Year 6, this consolidation period sits either side of the summer holiday, which can interrupt a family's normal routine if it is not planned for in advance.

How does 11+ preparation differ by test provider?

The 11+ test a child sits depends entirely on which schools or local authority set it, since GL Assessment papers, the Kent Test, the ISEB Common Pre-Test and school-set papers test different combinations of subjects in different formats. GL Assessment, which creates test papers used by many grammar schools, states on its own parent-facing pages that its 11+ tests cover verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and maths, but that the exact timings, the combination of topics and the number of questions vary from area to area, and it directs parents to their own local admissions authority to confirm the format used.

The Kent Test, used by all of Kent's grammar schools, assesses English, maths and reasoning in a single sitting, taken once regardless of how many Kent grammar schools a family applies to. The ISEB Common Pre-Test, used by a wide group of independent senior schools, is an adaptive, computer-based assessment covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning in one sitting, and some independent schools set their own additional papers or interviews alongside it instead of relying on the shared test alone.

Because the target schools decide the format, the schools come first in planning preparation: a family applying to a Kent grammar school needs the Kent Test's own question types, while a family applying to schools using the ISEB Common Pre-Test needs practice with an adaptive, on-screen assessment instead of a paper exam.

How can parents check whether a child is ready to start?

A child's readiness to start 11+ preparation is best judged from a diagnostic or practice test taken before any formal plan is made, and not from age or year group alone. A low-key diagnostic, whether a general English and maths assessment or a sample verbal and non-verbal reasoning paper, shows which skills are already secure and which need attention, giving a realistic starting point for a Year 4 or Year 5 plan.

Signs that a child is ready to begin structured preparation usually include secure reading fluency, confidence with the Key Stage 2 curriculum for their year group, and an ability to concentrate through a timed session of reasonable length; a diagnostic test checks these directly instead of relying on guesswork. Where a diagnostic reveals a gap in a core subject, that gap is usually worth closing before test-specific practice begins, since reasoning questions assume a secure grasp of English and maths already.

How to keep preparation sustainable over a long runway

Preparation that runs across two school years holds up best when sessions stay short and regular and rest is built in alongside the work, since starting too intensively risks burnout well before the test itself arrives. Short, frequent sessions tend to sustain motivation better than occasional long ones, and regular breaks from 11+ work, including full weeks off during school holidays, help keep a child's wider interest in school and reading intact.

A child who starts to dread the subject material is usually a sign to ease off pace, not add more practice; the runway from Year 4 to Year 6 is long enough to absorb a slower patch. Families preparing two children a year or two apart usually match the intensity of work to each child's own school year instead of running both to the same timetable, so a Year 4 sibling continues with broad foundations while an older sibling in Year 5 or Year 6 does test-specific work, with resources from the older child's preparation often carrying over usefully once the younger one reaches the same stage.

What are the common mistakes in 11+ preparation?

The most common mistake in 11+ preparation is starting formal test papers too early, before a child has the reading, vocabulary and arithmetic foundation the papers assume, which tends to build frustration instead of useful skill. Preparing for the wrong test format is a related mistake, since a child drilled on one provider's question types can find a different test, such as an adaptive ISEB paper after practice on paper-based GL-style questions, unfamiliar in ways that cost time on the day.

Confirming which test each target school or local authority actually uses, and that school's or authority's registration window, before starting formal preparation avoids the two most consequential mistakes: practising the wrong format, and missing a registration deadline.

• Starting formal test papers before foundational skills are secure
• Preparing for the wrong test format for the target schools
• Missing a registration deadline, since late registration is usually not accepted
• Deciding on target schools too late to confirm each registration window
• Running at full intensity for two years without rest

Related 11+ guides

• How the 11+ exam works: format, scores and timeline
• The Kent Test and Kent grammar schools
• Buckinghamshire grammar schools and the Secondary Transfer Test
• The ISEB Common Pre-Test for independent schools
• Grammar school guides by county

11+ tutoring with Taylor Tuition

One-to-one support for the 11+ works best when the tutor can see the pupil's own work, so sessions with us start from recent papers and homework and build a routine from there. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools.

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check and families receive progress reports after sessions.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.