🎯 First Things First: Define Your Child’s Baseline
• Check which tests your child will be taking. It could be any combination of maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. You can find this information on your chosen school’s website. While you're there, find out if the school uses GL Assessments or another provider.
• If your chosen school uses GL tests, order at least 2 packs of official GL practice papers for each of your chosen school's required test subjects. These are available to purchase on Amazon - there are 3 packs in total for each subject, each containing 3 practice papers.
• When the GL practice papers arrive, have your child sit 1 full timed paper in each of the subjects, allowing a good long break between each test to refresh their brain. Save the other timed tests for later – don’t be tempted to use them all now!
Important: Don’t Panic at the Results!
These first scores are just a baseline, not a prediction of what’s to come. It’s totally normal for your child to score well below 70% at this stage. In fact, many children who go on to sail through the real test start out with marks way below 50%.
This might be the very first time your child has seen anything like an 11 Plus test paper. The question types are unfamiliar, the timing is tight, and the format can be overwhelming at first. But don’t worry - the learning curve may be steep, but children are sponges for new knowledge, and once they start to get the hang of it, their progress can be mind-blowing!
(At Club 11 Plus, we set the benchmark pass mark for our quizzes at 80%, not because we expect that at the beginning, but because we believe in high standards and steady improvement. With the right support, they can do it!)
Based on these first test results, you’ll quickly be able to see which subjects need the most work - and that’s where Club 11 Plus can really help.
🗓 Month 1: Take Stock & Build Habits
• Join Club 11 Plus to access our structured online programme of lessons and quizzes. Our programme covers everything on the GL test curriculum, so for example, if a topic is in our maths programme and your child will be sitting a maths test, your child could be tested on that topic.
• Use your baseline test results to tailor your child’s study focus.
• Build a study routine: 30 to 45 minutes per day, 4 to 5 times per week.
• Sit with your child initially, for at least part of the first session and maybe a couple more, to help show them how best to use Club 11 Plus. Now might be a good time to read our article on nurturing independent study skills.
• When tackling a new topic, encourage your child to work through the lessons before diving into the quizzes. Do you remember the story of the hare and the tortoise? We always encourage our students to "harness their inner tortoise" - slow and steady wins the race!
• Track progress: Club 11 Plus will send you an email every time your child takes a quiz, and includes a link to a record that lists all their quiz results.
• Keep up your end of the bargain by staying on top of important dates for the test - you’ll find this information on your chosen school’s website. Make sure you apply on time!
Tip: Confidence first! Keep things light and achievable.
📅 Month 2: Strengthen Foundations
• Increase sessions to around 1 to 1.5 hours per day, 4 to 5 times per week.
• Check your child’s Club 11 Plus Progress page to ensure they are covering all the topics required for their chosen school’s test subjects, not just cherry-picking their favourite bits!
• Continue to check their quiz results to pinpoint the topics that need the most attention.
• Praise your child for their efforts, and talk to them about their progress. Knowing that you're taking a keen interest will help to motivate them.
Tip: Keep a notebook to list the topics that need to be revisited.
⚒️ Month 3: Fill Gaps & Sharpen Techniques
• If your child is preparing for a GL test, have them sit another full-length paper for each subject, from the packs you bought earlier.
• Based on these timed test results, encourage your child to focus on weaker subjects and tricky question types. Use positive language - praise their strengths, while encouraging improvement in areas of difficulty.
• Encourage your child to work through the Hints & Tips lessons in Club 11 Plus to hone their test strategies.
Tip: Avoid perfectionism and celebrate small improvements!
🔍 Month 4: Realistic Practice
• Hold a dummy test day, with another full-length paper for each subject, but this time run the tests back to back, with just a 10-minute snack and toilet break between the tests. This will help prepare them for the “real thing”.
• Review the mock tests thoroughly, not just looking at the overall marks, but also checking which topics were strongest and where your child made the most errors.
• Based on this feedback, encourage your child to focus on those specific Club 11 Plus topics that need the most improvement.
Tip: Focus on the process, not just scores.
🎈 Month 5: Final Polish & Confidence Building
• Hold another dummy test day, or maybe 2, where your child sits all the tests in one go.
• As before, scrutinise these test papers when you mark them, working out which topics need the most focus at this point.
• Use any spare test papers to practise full-length tests in the weaker subjects.
• Talk through test-day routines and practise calming strategies.
• Read through all the correspondence from the school to find out what your child can take with them on the day, and chat to them about it, so they’re mentally prepared.
Tip: Make sure your child knows you will love them unconditionally, no matter what their results!
Good Luck on Your Journey!
The 11 Plus can feel like a big challenge, but remember - every step you and your child take brings you closer to success. With the right plan, a little patience, and a lot of encouragement, there’s so much progress to be made in just a few short months.
Keep believing in your child’s potential, stay focused, and try to enjoy the process. You’ve got this!
Click here to unlock your 7-day free trial and join Club 11 Plus today!