Nature of the 11 Plus in Essex.

CEM Exam used by Chelmsford county high school for girls.

CCHS  uses  the CEM 11 Plus exam format. This test consists of two papers each will be 45 minutes long.

Within those two papers pupils will find a mix of individually timed topics.

These will cover Non-Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning (Maths calculation questions and worded problems) and VR ( these include a mix of vocabulary, comprehension  and traditional VR questions).

The papers tend to be heavily weighted towards literacy and particularly reward students with very good core Maths and English skills, particularly a wide vocabulary.

CEM tests are designed to be less coachable than previous tests because past papers are not made available, questions are not known in advance and while some prediction is possible they can change without notice.

CEM tests generally reward those pupils with a very strong understanding of the KS2 syllabus and who have gone through a long and slow preparation rather than hothousing.

CSSE test for all other selective schools in Essex.

This test is quite similar to the CEM exam in that it tests all four disciplines across two papers but additionally there is also a written element.

Points to note about the CSSE Exam. It traditionally has used quite difficult classic texts for comprehension , if children have not read these sorts of books they are likely to be surprised by the level of difficulty. The tests use a mix of Maths including calculation, worded and reasoning problems. The tests still use a mix of Verbal reasoning questions but these tend to be focussed on those VR types which test vocabulary. The tests have a small Non-VR element within them as well as having a creative writing section. This written element is short and only marked in certain circumstances. The CSSE exam overall is heavily weighted towards literacy skills.

Which 11 Plus Exam Preparation Options Are Right For You ?