Any time one begins a new venture, the wisest course of action is knowing what lies ahead. That's not always possible but the 11 Plus exam is not such a case. You and your 11 Plus learner may be planning your revision schedule and considering your resources as we speak. However, for the most effective strategies, you need to know more about the challenges you face.
In this article, Superprof covers Maths 11 Plus particulars. As you read, you'll discover:
- which maths skills 11 Plus tests
- the exam format and how the questions are designed
- how this ordeal tests your child's mastery of key mathematical concepts
- how your child's math mastery will be assessed
What does Maths 11 Plus Cover?
The Maths 11 Plus paper includes knowledge from the National Curriculum's Key Stage 2 (KS2) content. That's a bit inconvenient because your child will sit their 11 Plus exam before they study the full range of KS2 maths materials. Still, your learner is expected to use their reasoning skills and apply this knowledge.
Maths 11 Plus revolves around numerical reasoning and number fluency. Your child should have a well-developed numbers sense and be able to perform mental calculations. They should also have a firm grasp of mathematical concepts such as the order of operations, decimals and percentages.
Converting word problems into mathematical values, interpreting graphs and data, and understanding the sense of a math problem.
Your student must develop more than numbers sense to do well on the Maths 11 Plus. They must also have number fluency, which includes knowing multiplication tables and properties of division. They must be able to calculate in their head involving all four arithmetic operations. And they must be able to reason numerically.
The ability to estimate with large numbers, visualise numbers' places on the number line, round numbers up/down, compare physical measurements, estimate decimal portions, and so on.
Your learner needs a full range of mathematics abilities to satisfy the Maths 11 Plus criteria. Memorising math facts and working through math problems are just a small part of these competencies. The ability to reason and work with numbers will assure them a solid pass on this exam.
You should also discover what the 11 Plus English papers cover. Like the Maths 11 Plus, it includes aspects of the KS2 curriculum your pupil won't yet have learned. That makes this ordeal extra challenging, especially if the grammar school you've applied to includes a creative writing task.
Math 11 Plus Question Types
A quick glance through practice papers for Math 11 Plus reveals its structure. Most of the questions are multiple-choice with a few word problems sprinkled in. For those, your child must write their answers either in sentence form or as an equation.
Much of this depends on the grammar school you've applied to. The 11 Plus exams are school-specific. Unlike the KS and SAT exam papers, 11 Plus papers are not standardised nationwide. For the best look at your campus' Maths 11 Plus format, you should download practice papers from their website.
England's two largest 11-Plus materials providers are Granada Learning - GL Assessment and Coordination Group Publishers (CGP). Your online search will also return results for practice papers from Cambridge's Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM).
Some commercial websites organise their papers by the facility they provide them to. If you know which grammar school your learner is testing for, you may search those pages for the school's name to discover those revision resources. Other web pages insist on users creating an account and a few demand a subscription before users can access any papers.
The best places to discover what your child's Math 11 Plus contains are GL Assessment and CGP. Their materials are not school-specific but that works to your advantage. You can get a broad sampling of every type of question that appears on Math 11 Plus papers across England.
Roughly half of the Math 11 Plus questions call for the same type of logical thinking that your child will see on the non-verbal reasoning exam. However, the mathematics questions' focus is on numerical logic; the non-verbal (visual) exam tests your child's ability to problem-solve. They will also have to identify and project patterns. For those tasks, they will use their spatial skills, not maths knowledge.
Maths 11 Plus Key Concepts
Earlier, you read about the mathematics abilities your child needs to succeed in their Maths 11 Plus. Besides numerical analysis and numbers fluency, they will need to develop maths-based skills. Those include working with ratios and proportions, measurements, and data.
Going further, your child should be well-versed in algebra and geometrical concepts. Remember that this exam tests your child on KS2-level knowledge which your child may not yet have studied. Or, at least, may not have mastered yet. These concepts fall into that category.
You have a few ways to get around this situation but the best one is to engage a private tutor. Private tuition allows your child to explore these concepts at their own pace, in their familiar home environment. They will have a mentor to guide them towards understanding how and why this math works the way it does.
The question is whether to search for an 11-Plus tutor or one who specialises in KS2-level maths. A mathematics tutor will focus exclusively on the mathematical concepts your child must master ahead of their ordeal. An 11-Plus tutor will take a holistic approach to exam preparation. Rather than focusing strictly on maths, they will cover every aspect of the 11 Plus exam.
Remember that, unlike other standardised tests, the 11-Plus does not test your child on what they know and can remember. It tests them on how they use what they know (and can remember). Learning these mathematical concepts is only one part of the success formula. Understanding the point and purpose of these maths is more important.
The Maths 11 Plus is about manipulating numbers; the 11 Plus verbal reasoning exam involves manipulating written information. Like the visual analysis test, this paper is optional. You should ask your school's administrators whether your child will undergo this assessment. Even if they won't, it's a good idea for your child to build these skills because they will help reinforce their ability to apply mathematical logic.
Math 11 Plus: What You Need to Know
The 11 Plus exam is school-specific. Even if you have two or more illustrious grammar schools in your area, they will likely not use the same papers or even exam providers.
The 11 Plus testing system includes four areas of assessment: Maths, English, verbal (word) reasoning and visual/spatial reasoning. The two academic subjects feature in every school examination; the reasoning assessments are optional. Some grammar schools test all four areas; others limit themselves to Maths, English and one of the word or visual assessment papers.
Besides papers from a commercial exam provider, schools may include additional work. For instance, your child might have a creative writing assignment or some other type of work. When you check with your school about which providers they use, also ask whether their exam includes any extra elements.
Your child will sit their exam in their regular classroom provided they currently attend a local authority primary school. If they're enrolled in any other type of school, they may sit their 11-Plus in a testing centre or local grammar school. Their exam will be on paper, not on a computer.
The Maths 'paper' comprises 50 questions; your child will have 50 minutes to complete it. Note that these values are a baseline; your school may add (or take away) a few questions. Keep in mind too that some schools present separate papers for each subject while others choose to blend subjects into one test paper.
As you likely well know, the National Curriculum doesn't offer visual learning and word sense as school subjects. Your learner must develop these critical thinking and problem-solving abilities on their own. Or, as is more likely, with your help.
You might search the internet for logic puzzles and other brain teasers. These are excellent practice for your learner to prepare for the types of questions they'll confront on their test papers. Indeed, you may make a game of such skills-building activities. Doing so would make for a more engaging and relaxed learning session.
You may also consider joining a parents' group whose children are all preparing for their 11-Plus. This would give you the chance to pool resources and share tips and learning tricks. Should you decide that private tuition is right for you, you might search for a tutor who specialises in 11-Plus group lessons.
Now that you have a complete breakdown of the 11 Plus mathematics exam, you have a better idea of how revising for it will fit into your study schedule. Remember that, while these components may not feature in your child's assessment, Maths and English will.
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