Free to enter · Year 4 and Year 5
The Academy11+ Scholarship Challenge
A free online challenge for Year 4 and Year 5 children in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The top children reach the final, 4 winners get a year of Premium, and every child gets a personal report.
Key dates
Academy11 Scholarship Challenge 2026
Step 1
Registration opens
Friday, 23 October 2026
Step 2
Stage 1: the online paper
Friday, 6 November 2026 at 09:00 to Friday, 20 November 2026 at 20:00
Step 3
Finalists told
Soon after Friday, 20 November 2026
Step 4
Stage 2: the final (paper and story)
Friday, 27 November 2026 at 09:00 to Sunday, 29 November 2026 at 20:00
Step 5
Results
Friday, 11 December 2026
Times are UK time. Add the dates to your calendar.
What is the Scholarship Challenge?
It's a friendly, free competition that gives Year 4 and Year 5 children a taste of the kind of questions in 11+ and independent school tests, without any pressure. Children take an online paper at home, the strongest go through to a final with a short story, and the winners in each year group win a year of Academy11+ Premium.
Whatever happens, every child gets a personal report showing exactly what they did well and what to practise next, with every question explained. It's a useful check-up long before the real exams.
Who can enter
- Children in Year 4 or Year 5
- Year 4 and Year 5 ranked separately
- Free: a free parent account is all you need
How it works
1. Enter for free
A parent enters from a free Academy11+ account. Year 4 and Year 5 only.
2. Stage 1
40 questions, 40 minutes, online. Start any time in the Stage 1 week.
3. Finalists
The top 5 in each year group are invited to the final.
4. Stage 2
A harder 32-question paper, then a 20-minute story.
5. Results
Winners announced, prizes switched on, and every child's report ready.
Prizes
2 + 2 winners
2 in Year 4 and 2 in Year 5 win 12 months of Academy11+ Premium, plus a winner's certificate.
10 finalists
Every finalist gets 1 month of Premium and a finalist's certificate, whatever happens in the final.
Everyone who takes part
A personal results report with every answer explained, and 20% off your first Premium payment.
Fair play
- Your child does both stages on their own: no help from anyone, no calculators, books or websites.
- One entry per child. Each stage can be taken once, in one sitting: the clock keeps running if they leave the page.
- During the paper your child can move between questions, change answers and flag questions to come back to, until they hand in or the time runs out.
- Stage 1 questions are a random mix for each child with the same difficulty profile, and the answers stay secret until Stage 1 closes for everyone.
- Stage 2 runs in a short, fixed window and includes a story written on the spot, which keeps the final fair.
- We may ask a finalist or winner to sit a short check if a result looks unusual. The judges' decisions are final.
Questions parents ask
Who can enter?
Any child in Year 4 or Year 5 at school in the UK. Year 4 and Year 5 are ranked separately, so younger children aren't up against older ones. Each child can enter once per challenge.
Does it cost anything?
No. Entering is free and you only need a free Academy11+ parent account. You don't need Premium.
What's in Stage 1?
One online paper: 40 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, 10 each in maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Your child can start it any time during the Stage 1 week. Every child gets their own mix of questions, with exactly the same number of warm-up, core, stretch and challenge questions, so it's fair for everyone.
What happens in Stage 2?
The top children in each year group are invited to the final. It's a harder paper (32 questions in 32 minutes), followed straight away by a 20-minute story on a prompt everyone gets at the same time. The final runs in a short window, so it's easy to sit it with a grown-up nearby.
How are the winners chosen?
Finalists are chosen from Stage 1 scores. Winners are chosen from Stage 2: the final paper counts for most of the mark and the story for the rest. Stories are marked against a clear rubric (ideas, structure, vocabulary, and spelling, punctuation and grammar), and our team checks the marks.
What does my child get if they don't reach the final?
Every child who takes part gets a personal results report: their score in each subject and at each level, their strongest topics, what to practise next, and every question with the right answer and an explanation. You also get 20% off your first Premium payment.
Can my child use a calculator or get help?
No. It must be your child's own work, with no help from anyone and no calculators, books or websites. Rough paper and a pencil are fine. A quiet room and a grown-up nearby to start them off is ideal.
Will my child's name be published?
Only if they win and you said yes when entering: then we show their first name and your town. Never a surname, school or photo.
Is this the same as Academy11+ scholarships?
No. The Scholarship Challenge is a competition anyone in Year 4 or 5 can enter. Separately, we give free Premium places to families on low incomes; that's a different scheme with its own application.
Don't miss the next challenge
Free for every Year 4 and Year 5 child. It takes a minute to enter.