Skip to main content
Search ExamKind
Reading options
Colours
Reading comfort
Background tint

Saved in a cookie on this device only.

Free and independent. No ads, no affiliate links. Every fact shows its source and the date we checked it.

Preparation

When to start 11+ preparation

The short answer

There is no single right time, and earlier is not automatically better. For most children, the most useful thing in Years 3 and 4 is strong everyday learning: reading for pleasure, a good vocabulary and confident times tables. Focused 11+ preparation usually makes most sense in Year 5, once you know which test your child will sit and when. The real deadlines to plan around are your area's registration and test dates.

What to do next

  1. Step 1: Find out which test your child will sit

    Formats vary a lot, and some areas are changing.

    11+ exam boards

  2. Step 2: Note your area’s registration and test dates

    These are the real deadlines to plan around.

    Key dates by area

  3. Step 3: In Years 3 and 4, keep it everyday

    Reading for pleasure, a good vocabulary and confident times tables help most.

What should you find out first?

Before you plan anything, find out:

  1. Which schools you might apply to, and whether they are grammar, independent or both.
  2. Which test each one uses, for your child's entry year. Formats vary a lot, and some areas are changing. See the exam boards overview.
  3. When the test is. Most are early in Year 6, but not all. Gloucestershire's grammar schools: FSCE from 2028 entry, tested in July of Year 5Gloucestershire: change to FSCE testsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Pate's Grammar School (Gloucestershire).The source says: The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Entrance Test for entry into Year 7 in September 2028 will take place on Saturday 3 July 2027.View the official source. Trafford: FSCE from 2028 entry; Year 5 testing from 2029 entryTrafford: change to FSCE testsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: For entry to Year 7 in 2028, the test provider will be FSCE and the admissions test will be held in September of Year 6.View the official source.
  4. When registration closes. Some areas require you to register months before the test. For example, Buckinghamshire's early guide for 2028 entry gives registration as early May 2027Buckinghamshire 2028 entry: Registration opensChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: Early May 2027 Secondary Transfer Test registration opensView the official source to early June 2027Buckinghamshire 2028 entry: Registration closesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: Early June 2027 Secondary Transfer Test registration closesView the official source.

Your area's dates page brings these together.

What helps in Years 3 and 4?

Not 11+ papers. The foundations that help in almost every format are the same things that help at school:

  • Reading widely and often, including books a little above your child's comfort level, and talking about them.
  • Vocabulary, built through reading, conversation and word games.
  • Number confidence: times tables and mental arithmetic until they feel easy.
  • Curiosity and stamina for a task, built through puzzles, games and finishing things.

Several test providers say much the same thing. Quest's Dorset guidance says the best preparation is a strong grounding in school learning, combined with wide reading and the ability to apply knowledge to new contextsQuest: advice on preparing for the Dorset testChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Quest Assessments.The source says: The best preparation is a strong grounding in school learning, combined with wide reading and the ability to apply knowledge to new contexts.View the official source. CSSE says 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 timingCSSE (Essex and Southend): what the tests coverChecked 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.

What does Year 5 preparation look like?

Year 5 is when most families start something more structured, because the test is usually within about a year. A sensible plan:

  • Get familiar with your test's format using the official free materials.
  • Find gaps, for example a maths topic not yet taught at school, or reasoning question types your child has not seen.
  • Practise little and often rather than in long sessions, and keep weekends and holidays mostly free.
  • Add timed practice later, in the last few months, once the skills are there.

If your area tests in the summer of Year 5, all of this happens earlier, so plan from the start of Year 5.

Is it too late to start?

Usually not, if registration is still open. If you are starting late:

  1. Check the registration deadline today. Missing it is the one thing that can't be fixed by preparation.
  2. Focus on format and technique first, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
  3. Target the biggest gaps rather than trying to cover everything.

Some children who start late do well, and some who start early do not. Readiness depends far more on the child than on the calendar. See is it too late to start? for a step-by-step plan.

Can starting too early do harm?

It can. Long periods of test practice can make children tired of learning and anxious about results, and can crowd out reading, play and rest that build the same skills more naturally. FSCE, one test provider, puts it strongly: children do not need a tutor, and its website and familiarisation guides give all the information neededFSCE: what it says about tutoringChecked 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. If your child is unhappy, it is fine to slow down. Our keeping perspective guide has ideas.

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 9 October 2026: Pate's Grammar School (Gloucestershire 2028 entry), Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford 2028 entry), Quest Assessments (Dorset consortium guidance), the CSSE information guide for 2027 entry, FSCE, and our verified Buckinghamshire records.

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

Facts used in this guidesources in each row
FactDetailSource
Gloucestershire: change to FSCE testsFSCE from 2028 entry, tested in July of Year 5Source: Pate's Grammar School (Gloucestershire), checked
Trafford: change to FSCE testsFSCE from 2028 entry; Year 5 testing from 2029 entrySource: Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford), checked
Buckinghamshire 2028 entry: Registration opensearly May 2027Source: Buckinghamshire Council, checked
Buckinghamshire 2028 entry: Registration closesearly June 2027Source: Buckinghamshire Council, checked
Quest: advice on preparing for the Dorset testthe best preparation is a strong grounding in school learning, combined with wide reading and the ability to apply knowledge to new contextsSource: Quest Assessments, checked
CSSE (Essex and Southend): what the tests coverbased 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: CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex), checked
FSCE: what it says about tutoringchildren do not need a tutor, and its website and familiarisation guides give all the information neededSource: FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise), checked

Written and checked by the ExamKind Editorial Team. Every fact on this page links to its official source. ExamKind is independent: no test provider, school or council owns us, and we have no ads. Spotted a mistake? Report an error on this page, or see every correction we have made.