11 Plus Maths Questions - Prepare for Success

What does the maths section of the 11 Plus involve?

In the 11 Plus exam, your child will be tested mostly on their KS2 maths knowledge and will need to understand information in various formats, such as: figures, charts and tables. As well as this, they will be required to solve word problems and equations using some basic mathematical operations. The types of questions presented will require lots of analysis and critical thinking to solve.

Topics covered in the maths section of the 11 Plus exam can include:

• Subtraction and division
• Shapes and volume of cubes and cuboids
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Time
• Area and perimeter
• Prime numbers and prime factors
• Averages
• Distance, speed, and time
• Graphs and charts
• Calculating angles
• Reflection and rotation
• Percentages
• Simple ratio and probability
• Sequences and number patterns

What is the difference between the CEM and GL exam board for the maths section?

The GL exam will focus purely on maths content, whilst for CEM there’ll be some maths and some non-verbal reasoning questions (non-verbal reasoning questions can include puzzles and problem solving questions). Depending on whether the exam is paper-based or computer-based, there could be a mixture of multiple choice and standard format questions (where students input answers).

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Tips to help your child boost their score in the maths section of the exam

• Practise mental maths: There are lots of online quizzes and games to help improve your child’s mental arithmetics and help them solve mathematical concepts quicker.

• Use solved papers: Allow your child to attempt the question first, if they make a mistake use the solved paper to see where this can be corrected.

• Make it fun: With online maths puzzles, quizzes and games, it’s much easier to keep them engaged. This will help them stay motivated and consistency is crucial for the maths section of the 11 Plus.

• Construct a solid foundation: Ensure that they understand the basics well before rushing onto the more difficult critical thinking 11 Plus questions.

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Tips to help your child’s preparation be more consistent

1. Assess your child’s current abilities: It’s essential to understand which topics your child finds difficult so they can assign more time and practise towards them. Perhaps go through the KS2 curriculum with them and find questions on each topic, record their score for each test. From there, you can assign the highest priority to the topic with the lowest score.

2. Make a timetable: Make a timetable of when your child is going to complete each topic.

3. Use past papers: In the early stages of preparing for the exam, timing isn’t as important as getting to grips with the content and how to tackle the questions. So focus on technique first with past papers, then master timing.

4. Encourage learning from mistakes: Always encourage your child to continue and have them explain their thought process; this way it’s much easier to amend any misconceptions or build on any missing knowledge prior to the exam.

5. Using a workbook: This can help your child stay more consistent. There are lots of workbooks available for the 11 Plus. CGP has a workbook for every section of the exam which includes worked solutions to help them see where they made their mistake. CGP guides are usually very accessible for students and easy to understand so this may be a good starting point.

Where to find past papers for the Maths 11 Plus

This depends on the exam board (CEM or GL).

For CEM, there’s a huge amount of practise questions that can be found on: https://www.11plusguide.com/11-plus-papers-books/free-11-plus-papers/free-sample-11-plus-cem-papers/ 

For the GL exam, GL have published practice papers and free resources with answers. These can help your child familiarise themselves with the format of the exam. The website can be found here: https://11plus.gl-assessment.co.uk

Independent schools usually post their past papers on their school website. Different independent schools will post varying numbers of practice questions, some may post several practice papers whilst others may only post the syllabus. If the independent school your child is applying for doesn’t have many practice questions available on their website, they can use any other independent school website to find more questions as they usually follow a similar pattern.

What is the pass mark for the maths section?

As with all sections of the 11 Plus exam, there is no pass mark. The mark a student needs to achieve in order to be accepted will be based on the school they are applying to, as well as the number of applicants that year. However, students should be aiming for over 75% in this section in order to have a better chance at getting an offer.

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