Many parents are unsure of how much time should be dedicated to preparing for the 11+ exam. Some believe that their children do not have enough time in their schedule to prepare for the 11+ exam because they need countless hours per day, while others believe that their child needs lots of preparation before attempting this particular exam.
It’s true that your child can study for a couple of years in advance, but as a general rule, we suggest that starting the 11 Plus exam preparation period in year 4 is sufficient preparation time for most children who are working at the basic academic level at school.
Even if you don’t manage to study every day with your child, you should still make an effort to dedicate some time each week to revising a few topics, such as number facts, curriculum-based spelling and grammar rules, simple arithmetic questions, shapes and patterns.
During this preparation time, start with a simple test paper in any of the topic areas (English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning) to identify any gaps in their knowledge. Then, you will have an idea of the topic areas that need to be prioritised, and you can start with those.
Give Your Child Free Time
It is important for your child’s development to allow them some free time in which they can enjoy their favourite hobbies, make new friends and participate in school sports. Playing a musical instrument or learning an art form will also give your child something to look forward to when they’re not buried deep in books to prepare for the 11+ exam.
As long as you dedicate enough time each week to practising maths sums and English vocabulary and grammar rules, they should be able, come exam day, to ace the test and gain entry into their preferred secondary school.
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