Nature of the 11 Plus in Calderdale.

GL Verbal Reasoning.

This test uses the 21 known verbal reasoning question types but these can change at any time and the schools are under no requirement to notify parents. It is our belief that GL will at some stage introduce less publicised question types into their mix without warning. Parents whose children have prepared properly for this and who have a wide vocabulary and have tried different formats of test should not be overly concerned. In the meantime GL continues to use the 21 question types plus variants. If you would like to find out more about this test go our page on GL Verbal Reasoning. The GL Verbal Reasoning test will reward those pupils with an in-depth knowledge of the different questions but most work should be focussed on building a wide vocabulary as it is this aspect which normally separates the good from the excellent.

School written Maths questions.

School Maths papers tend to be a little more difficult than those bought in from outside suppliers like GL or CEM. They normally contain a mix of core calculation questions which test competence on the four operations (mistakes in these or taking too long over them may expose a tables weakness). They then move on to questions involving core Maths knowledge with questions which might involve fractions, shapes, angles, weights and measures, simple equations or any other topic area from KS2. You can also expect some worded problems and two step problems although nothing should stray outside the KS2 syllabus. There’s no point in straying outside the KS2 syllabus for these tests and preparation should focus on core skills and doing a wide variety questions to ensure children can adapt their knowledge to different formats and are not scared of trying the unusual.

Extended Writing Test

This is a school set paper. Usually children will have a choice of questions , they may get a choice between fiction and non-fiction. Children will need to make sure they have developed their creative writing prior to sitting this test. These tests reward use of vocabulary, descriptive technique, good use of grammar, spelling and punctuation above the content of the writing itself ( the story).

Which 11 Plus Exam Preparation Options Are Right For You ?