Can you pass the 11+ without a tutor?

What do test providers themselves say?

Several providers and consortia say preparation should be modest and rooted in normal school learning:

• FSCE: children do not need a tutor, and its website and familiarisation guides give all the information neededSource for FSCE: what it says about tutoringFSCE: what it says about tutoringCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise).The source says: All the information you and your child will need can be found on this website and in our Familiarisation Guides.View the official source.
• CSSE (Essex and Southend): its tests are based on Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum, and that children only need a limited amount of practice to get used to the questions and timingSource for CSSE (Essex and Southend): what the tests coverCSSE (Essex and Southend): what the tests coverCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex).The source says: remember that children only need a ... limited amount of practice to familiarise ... themselves with the types of questions and ... timing. The Mathematics and English tests will ... be based on Key Stage 2 of the National ... Curriculum.View the official source.

Not every area's test is like this. Some include verbal or non-verbal reasoning, which children don't usually meet at school, so a little practice with those question types is sensible. That is very doable at home.

Step 1: Which test are you preparing for?

Everything else depends on this. Find your area or school on find your 11+ area and note, for your child's entry year:

• the test provider and subjects;
• whether answers are multiple choice or written;
• the test date and registration deadline.

Step 2: What free official materials can you use?

Start with the official materials for your test. Many are free:

• GL Assessment areas: free familiarisation papers to print; practice papers cost moneySource for GL Assessment: free practice materialGL Assessment: free practice materialCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School.The source says: While familiarisation papers are freely available for download, practice papers are only accessible for purchase.View the official source.
• Quest areas: a short familiarisation assessment, linked from Quest's guidance page. Quest does not say whether it is free, so check your school or consortium's page too.
• CSSE: free English and maths familiarisation papers on the CSSE website (practice material is also sold there)Source for CSSE (Essex and Southend): free practice papersCSSE (Essex and Southend): free practice papersCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex).The source says: FREE ENGLISH AND MATHS FAMILIARISATION PAPERS CAN BE ... DOWNLOADED FROM THE CSSE WEBSITE: www.csse.org.ukView the official source.
• SEAG (Northern Ireland): free to download; SEAG sells noneSource for SEAG (Northern Ireland): free practice papersSEAG (Northern Ireland): free practice papersCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: No, SEAG do not sell any practice papers.View the official source.
• School-set tests: check the school's admissions page for sample or illustrative questions.

Do one familiarisation paper together, untimed, early on. It shows you the format and gives you a first sense of what your child finds easy or hard.

Step 3: How do you find and fill the gaps?

After the first look, make a short list of what to work on. Common gaps include:

• maths topics not yet taught at school;
• vocabulary, which affects comprehension and verbal reasoning;
• unfamiliar question types, such as non-verbal reasoning;
• reading the question carefully and checking answers.

Work on one or two things at a time. Short explanations, a few examples and then a few questions are more useful than whole papers at this stage. Keeping a simple list of mistakes, and why they happened, helps you spot patterns.

Step 4: What does a sensible weekly routine look like?

Every family is different, but a DIY routine usually works well when it is:

• little and often, in short sessions rather than long ones;
• varied: reading, a little maths, a few reasoning puzzles, and some fun;
• protected: at least one or two days a week with no 11+ work at all;
• flexible: if your child is tired or upset, stop.

As the test gets closer, add some timed practice so the pace feels familiar. One timed paper followed by a careful look at mistakes teaches more than several papers done quickly.

Step 5: Do you need mocks or extra help?

Not necessarily. A mock can help a child get used to an exam hall, but it is not essential, and its score is only a rough guide. See are 11+ mocks worth it?. Some families use a tutor for a short time to unblock one topic; that is a reasonable choice too. If you do, ask what they will cover and how they will know it is working.

How much should a DIY 11+ cost?

It can cost very little. Official familiarisation materials are often free, libraries have books, and much of the most useful preparation, reading and talking, costs nothing. See a DIY 11+ plan on a budget.

Related pages

• A DIY 11+ plan for under £100
• The 11+ in Year 3: foundations without pressure
• The 11+ in Year 4: a calm, realistic plan
• The 11+ in Year 5: a month-by-month plan
• When to start 11+ preparation
• How much 11+ practice is enough?
• The 11+ formats compared
• Keeping perspective

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 9 October 2026: FSCE, the CSSE information guide for 2027 entry, GL Assessment (11+ familiarisation page), Quest Assessments (independent schools guidance) and SEAG (frequently asked questions).

ExamKind is independent and is not connected with any test provider or tutoring company. How we make our content.