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Academy11+

Free · Start of Year 5 · 40 minutes

Starting the 11+ in Year 5

Is your child starting 11+ preparation this January, for a test in September? Begin with a free 40-minute check at Year 5 level, marked straight away, then follow a month-by-month plan from now to the test. Calm, little and often, and built around what your child needs first.

Take the free checkSee the Starting Year 5 Pack
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How it works

  1. 1. Take the free check

    40 minutes at Year 5 level, marked straight away. All four subjects, or just maths and English.

  2. 2. Get your plan

    See how each subject went and a month-by-month plan from January to the test, with the topics to start on.

  3. 3. Follow it at home

    Little and often: 20 to 30 minutes, three or four times a week, with our books or the free practice on the site.

The free 40-minute check

Sit down together somewhere quiet with a pencil and some paper for working out. The questions are at the level children are at in January of Year 5, not the level of the real test, so don't worry if some feel hard. When it's done, you'll see how each subject went and your plan (with a free account).

The free Starting Year 5 check

40 questions, 40 minutes

Questions at the level of the start of Year 5, marked straight away. You'll see how your child is getting on in each subject, the topics to work on first, and a month-by-month plan up to the test. Free: you just need a free account to see the result.

Does your child's test have verbal and non-verbal reasoning?

Most 11+ tests are in September of Year 6. The plan runs up to this month.

Find 40 quiet minutes

The clock starts when the first question appears. Unanswered questions are fine.

Paper for working out

A pencil and some scrap paper help with the maths and the puzzles.

Let them choose

Please don't help with the answers: what's still new is exactly what the plan is for.

We never ask for your child's name.

What the year looks like

Most 11+ tests are in September of Year 6. From January of Year 5, that's about eight months: plenty of time without rushing.

  1. 1 · January to April

    Learn

    Work through the topics one at a time with the Study Books: read the teaching together, try the worked examples, then the practice. Fill the gaps the check found first.

    The Study Books

  2. 2 · May to July

    Timed mocks

    Once the topics feel familiar, sit full-length papers at real 11+ timings, about one a fortnight. Go through every mistake together: that's where the marks come from.

    The Mock Exam Packs

  3. 3 · August to September

    Light revision

    Short, calm sessions on the topics that still wobble, plenty of reading and a proper summer break. No cramming in the last week.

    Free 11+ tools

The Starting Year 5 Pack

Everything for the year in one go: the 4 Study Books to learn each subject from January, and the 3 Mock Exam Packs (4 full-length papers each, marked online) for the summer term. Printable A4 PDFs: print them as often as you like for your own family. Separate from Premium, and not needed for the check or the plan.

See what's in the pack

Study Books · January to April

Mock Exam Packs · May to July

Questions parents ask

Will the check tell me if my child will pass?

No, and nothing can in January of Year 5. It's a short check at the level children are at now, not the level of the real test, so it shows what's going well and what to work on first. We give a kind, rough picture for each subject, never a pass prediction or a percentile.

How much time a week should we spend?

For most children, 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week is plenty from January, with a little more in the summer term once mocks start. Reading for pleasure every day helps as much as anything else. If it's turning into a battle, do less: it's a long year.

What's the difference between GL and CEM?

GL tests usually cover Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning as separate subjects, while CEM-style tests mix maths, English and reasoning skills together; your target school's admissions page says which one it uses.

Is the check really free? Do I need an account?

Yes, it's free. Anyone can take it; you need a free Academy11+ account to see the result and your plan, so we can keep them for you. We keep the scores and the plan, never your child's name.

Is the pack part of Premium?

No. The Starting Year 5 Pack is a one-off purchase of printable books, separate from Premium. You don't need either to take the check or follow the plan: the free practice on the site works too.

We already have some of the books. Can we still get the pack price?

The pack price is for buying every Study Book and every Mock Exam Pack together. If you already have some of them, add the others to your basket: the Study Books and Mock Exam Packs still have their own bundle prices.