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Academy11+

For 11+ tutors

Become a Certified 11+ Tutor

An online course written for 11+ tutors: how the tests work, how to teach each subject, planning, working with families and safeguarding awareness. 9 modules, each with a quiz. Pass them all for a certificate and a "Certified 11+ Tutor" badge on your profile.
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£49, one payment

Modules and lessons
9 modules, 36 lessons
Quizzes
88 questions, 80% to pass
Reading time
About 4 hours, at your own pace
When you pass
Certificate and profile badge
Start the course

Free tutor account, then buy inside the portal

What the course covers

Each module is a few short lessons followed by a quiz. Where the facts vary by area or by year, the lessons say so and show you where to check.

  • Module 1

    The 11+ landscape

    Grammar and selective schools, who writes the tests, how areas differ and how admissions work.

    • What the 11+ is, and who sits it
    • Who writes the tests
    • Areas, standardised scores and how places are offered
    • From registration to an offer

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 2

    Maths for the 11+

    What 11+ maths covers, the question styles children meet, the mistakes they make and how to teach it.

    • What 11+ maths covers
    • Question styles
    • Common mistakes and how to fix them
    • Teaching methods that work under time pressure

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 3

    English for the 11+

    Comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar, vocabulary and creative writing, and how each is marked.

    • Comprehension
    • Spelling, punctuation and grammar
    • Vocabulary
    • Creative writing and how it is marked

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 4

    Verbal reasoning

    The question types, the strategies that work for each family of questions, and how to teach them.

    • What verbal reasoning tests
    • Word meaning and word building
    • Codes, sequences and numbers
    • Teaching and practising VR

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 5

    Non-verbal and spatial reasoning

    The question types built from shapes and patterns, a reliable way to analyse them, and how to build spatial skills.

    • What non-verbal reasoning covers
    • A method for finding the rule
    • Building spatial skills
    • Planning NVR practice

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 6

    Planning, mock exams and exam technique

    Planning a year of preparation, using mock exams well, timing and technique, and avoiding burnout.

    • Planning a year of preparation
    • Mock exams and practice papers
    • Timing and exam technique
    • Avoiding burnout

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 7

    Working with parents and children

    Setting expectations, giving feedback that helps, looking after wellbeing and being honest about a child's chances.

    • Setting expectations at the start
    • Feedback that helps
    • Confidence and wellbeing
    • Being honest about chances

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 8

    Safeguarding and professional practice

    An awareness module: DBS checks, safe one-to-one and online practice, records, data protection and what to do with a concern.

    • Why it matters, and DBS checks
    • Safe one-to-one and online practice
    • Records and data protection
    • If you are worried about a child

    4 lessons · 10-question quiz

  • Module 9

    Running your tutoring with Academy11+

    Your profile and listing, students and classes, setting and marking work, keeping parents informed and the paperwork.

    • Your profile and listing
    • Students, classes and sessions
    • Setting and marking work
    • Parents and paperwork

    4 lessons · 8-question quiz

Your certificate and badge

  • A certificate with your name, the date and its own number, to print or save as a PDF.
  • A “Certified 11+ Tutor” badge on your public profile and your card in the 11+ tutor directory.
  • A public page where parents can check the certificate is genuine; the badge links straight to it.
  • Retake any quiz as often as you need. Your best score is kept.

The certificate shows you've completed an Academy11+ training course. It isn't a teaching qualification, and the safeguarding module is awareness only.

Certificate of completion

This is to certify that

Alex Example

has completed the Academy11+ Certified 11+ Tutor course

passing all 9 module assessments with at least 80%

Awarded 14 November 2026

Certificate no. A11-TC-2026-SAMPL

Check it at www.academy11.co.uk/tutors/certificate/A11-TC-2026-SAMPL

Academy11+

Certified 11+ Tutor

An Academy11+ training course for tutors. Not a teaching qualification or a safeguarding qualification.

Sample lesson · Module 1 · 7 min

Areas, standardised scores and how places are offered

Within one provider, areas still differ. A few examples from the areas Academy11+ covers show the range:

  • In Sutton, the selective schools share one registration and the SET; each school then ranks eligible candidates on its own second-stage test.
  • In Essex and Southend, CSSE gives a total standardised score and each school has its own cut-off.
  • In Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, the grammar schools share one test and results are a weighted total of standardised scores. Warwickshire's test uses the same papers, and schools rank children by score within their priority areas.
  • In Lincolnshire, the consortium's test covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and results are a total standardised score measured against a qualifying level.
  • In Barnet and Enfield, and in Kingston upon Thames (Tiffin), individual schools set their own entrance tests and offer places by rank.

What a standardised score is

Most 11+ results are not raw marks. A raw score (the number of marks a child got) is converted into a standardised score, which takes account of how everyone else did on the same paper and, usually, of the child's age on the day, so that younger children in the year group are not at a disadvantage. The exact method, the scale and any "qualifying" or "pass" score are set by each area or school.

Two things follow. First, a percentage on a practice paper is not a predicted 11+ score: it tells you how a child did on that paper, not where they will rank on the day. Second, "the pass mark" means different things in different places. In some areas reaching a qualifying score makes a child eligible for a grammar place; in others, schools rank everyone and offer places in order, so the score needed depends on who else applies that year.

Be careful with numbers

Parents often hear a figure from friends or forums. Unless it comes from the school's or area's own published information for the right entry year, treat it as hearsay and say so.

Questions

Who is the course for?
Anyone who tutors, or wants to tutor, children for the 11+: new tutors who want a thorough grounding, and experienced tutors who want a refresher on the test providers, question types and good practice.
Do I need an Academy11+ tutor account?
Yes. The course lives in the tutor portal, and the badge shows on your tutor profile. Creating a tutor account is free; you buy the course from inside it.
How long does it take?
The lessons are about 4 hours of reading in total, plus the quizzes. There is no time limit: work through it at your own pace, in any order.
What if I don't pass a quiz?
Take it again. You need 80% to pass each module's quiz, retakes are unlimited, and the questions come in a new order each time. When you pass, you see an explanation for every question.
Is the certificate a qualification?
No. It shows you've completed an Academy11+ training course for 11+ tutors. It isn't a teaching qualification, and the safeguarding module is awareness only: it doesn't replace recognised safeguarding training, which we recommend every tutor takes.
How can parents check my certificate?
Each certificate has its own number and a public page that shows your name, the date and the number. The "Certified 11+ Tutor" badge on your profile and directory card links straight to it.
How much does it cost?
£49, one payment by card. There's no subscription, and the course stays open to you once you've bought it.

Ready to start?

Create your free tutor account, then buy the course from the tutor portal for £49.

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