Which Topics are Included in the 11 Plus Maths Test?

Jun 30

When it comes to preparing for the 11 Plus maths paper, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. How can you know in advance which topics will be included in the test and which won't, or which questions come up the most regularly and which ones rarely get a look in?

At Club 11 Plus, we wanted to take the guesswork out of revision, so we analysed every single question in all the current GL Assessment practice papers to find out exactly which maths topics come up the most, and which hardly appear at all.

This blog post gives you a clear breakdown of what our analysis taught us, including a helpful table, and tips on how you can use this insight to focus your child’s preparation where it matters most.

🎯 The Most Common Questions in GL 11 Plus Maths Tests

Some topics appear again and again in GL 11 Plus maths tests, often several times in a single test, so if your child wants to hoover up as many marks as possible, these areas should definitely be part of their regular revision programme:

• Charts, Tables & Graphs – 11.11% of all questions

• Money – 10.00%

• Measurements – 8.67%

• Shapes – 7.33%

• Decimals – 5.78%

• Time – 5.56%

• Angles – 5.33%

• Fractions – 5.33%

These topics almost always appear as part of word problems, and require children not only to understand the maths, but to read carefully, apply logic, and stay calm under time pressure. They’re definitely worth plenty of practice time!

✏️ Topics That Still Matter (but come up less often)

Some topics don’t appear as frequently, but they still come up enough to deserve a good amount of attention:

• Symmetry: Reflection & Rotation – 3.78% of all questions

• Area – 3.56%

• Percentages – 3.33%

• Coordinates – 3.11%
• Factors - 2.67%
• Perimeters - 2.67%
• Temperature - 2.67%
• Capacity – 2.22%
• Calculation Machines – 2%
• Comparing Fractions, Decimals & Percentages – 2%

• Sequences – 2%
• Value of Digits - 2%

Many questions require knowledge of more than one topic, for example Percentages & Money, or Reflection & Shapes.

🧠 Less Common Topics (but still worth knowing)

Other topics appear less frequently, but that doesn’t mean they won’t show up in your child’s paper, and every mark counts:

• Scales & Number Lines – under 2%

• Primes – under 2%

• Square & Cube Numbers – under 2%

• Algebra – under 2%

• Mazes – under 2%

• Negative Numbers – under 2%
• Numbers as Words – under 2%
• Maps & Plans – under 2%

• Volumes – under 2%

Again, these topics can often be combined with others in a single question, eg. Temperature & Negative Numbers, or Primes and Venn Diagrams.

At Club 11 Plus, we cover all of these topics in our lessons and quizzes, so nothing will feel like a surprise on test day.

⚠️ Topics That Don’t Appear (anymore)

Some topics had a 0% appearance rate in our analysis. These are:

• Averages – 0%

• Probability – 0%

• Ratios – 0%

We’ve included them in the table below because they all used to appear in older GL 11 Plus papers. However, based on the current GL practice materials, they are no longer included, so at Club 11 Plus, we believe that it's now safe to assume that these topics won't appear in your child's GL-style test.

📊 The Full Breakdown

Here’s the complete table, with the topics listed in alphabetical order, showing the percentage of questions for each topic across 450 maths questions from the current GL practice papers:

✅ What This Means for Your Child’s Preparation

This analysis shows that the 11 Plus maths paper isn't just a random selection of Key Stage 2 topics. Certain areas, like graphs, money, and measurement, come up repeatedly in each paper, whilst others barely appear at all. That's why the Club 11 Plus maths course is carefully structured to reflect what matters most. Our Mixed Quizzes give your child regular practice in the high-priority areas, but we also make sure that all the other topics are covered as well, in the same ratio as in the real GL test, so there won't be any surprises on test day.

We know that every child is different, and every minute of revision time counts. Our aim is to make that time as effective, confidence-boosting, and stress-free as possible.

📣 Want help with All the Key Topics?

Take advantage of our 7-day FREE trial and join Club 11 Plus today! You'll instantly get access to hundreds of quizzes, lessons and mock tests, created by our team of experts, all based on the same data we’ve shared with you here.

No pressure, no expensive tutoring - just real support that works.

👉 Join Club 11 Plus today!