The English section is reading comprehension, and the official familiarisation guide shows exactly four kinds of question. Three of them are not really about reading at all.
Knowing which four changes how you prepare, because most comprehension practice on the market drills only the first.
What the section looks like
According to the partnership's Entrance Test Familiarisation Guide, the test comes in two booklets, each divided into four types of question: verbal reasoning, non-verbal and spatial reasoning, English, and mathematics. The English part is a passage followed by multiple-choice questions.
The passage carries numbered lines, and questions refer to them directly, for example asking about a word on line 7. That matters: your child is expected to go back to the text, not to answer from memory.
The four question types
| Type | What it looks like | What it really tests |
|---|---|---|
| Retrieval | "What is the name of the second largest ocean?" | Finding a stated fact, accurately |
| Choose TWO | Five statements, answers offered as pairs: A 1 and 2, B 1 and 4 | Two correct judgements at once |
| Vocabulary in context | "Which is closest in meaning to 'separates'? (line 7)" | Word knowledge, in use |
| Word class | "What type of word is 'explored'? (line 4)" | Grammar, not comprehension |
One caution the guide gives itself, and it is worth repeating: not every type shown will definitely appear, and the real test contains types the guide does not show. Treat it as the best available picture rather than a syllabus.
The Choose TWO question is the dangerous one
This format deserves its own attention, because it is where confident children lose marks.
You are given five numbered statements and asked which two are correct. But the answer options are not the statements. They are combinations: A is 1 and 2, B is 1 and 4, C is 2 and 4, and so on.
So a child who identifies one correct statement has nothing yet. They need both, and the combinations are built so that getting one right still leaves several options open. Half-right scores zero.
The method: work out which statements are true before looking at the combinations. Mark them in the booklet. Then find the pairing that matches.
Two of the four are vocabulary and grammar
Look again at the table. "Closest in meaning to separates" is a vocabulary question. "What type of word is explored" is a grammar question. Neither is testing whether your child understood the passage.
This is why comprehension practice alone is not enough, and why children who read widely do better here without ever having been taught comprehension technique. Half the marks in the whole test rest on English and verbal reasoning, and a good deal of that half is simply knowing words. See our guide to 11+ vocabulary.
A method for the passage
- Read the whole passage once before looking at the questions. It is short.
- Use the line numbers. When a question names a line, go back to it. Do not answer from memory.
- Underline the key word in the question so you answer what was asked.
- For Choose TWO, decide first, combine second.
- For vocabulary, substitute. Put each option into the sentence and hear which one still works.
- Transfer carefully. Only the separate answer sheet is marked.
See our guide to English and comprehension technique and our guide to exam day.
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Two of the four are not comprehension at all
When parents hear English section they think comprehension, and they buy a comprehension workbook. But look at what the official guide actually demonstrates. One question asks which word is closest in meaning to another. One asks what type of word something is. Those are vocabulary and grammar wearing a comprehension costume.
That is the same thing I say about verbal reasoning. It is a stem of English, and it comes back down to vocabulary underneath. The English section is no different. A child can follow a passage perfectly well and still drop marks because they do not know what separates means, or cannot name a verb.
So by all means practise comprehension. But if a child is losing marks in this section, check which of the four types they are losing them on before you buy another workbook. More often than not it is the vocabulary one, and the answer to that is reading, not technique.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
What is in the English section of the West Midlands 11+?
Reading comprehension: a passage with numbered lines followed by multiple-choice questions. The official familiarisation guide demonstrates four types: retrieval of a stated fact, a Choose TWO question answered as combinations, vocabulary in context, and identifying the word class of a word in the passage.
What is a Choose TWO question in the 11+?
You are given five numbered statements and must identify the two that are correct, but the answer options are combinations such as 1 and 2, or 1 and 4, rather than the statements themselves. Getting one right is worth nothing, so work out which statements are true before looking at the combinations.
Does the 11+ English section test grammar?
Yes, within the comprehension. The familiarisation guide shows a question asking what type of word a given word is, with options including noun, adjective, verb, adverb and conjunction. So word classes are tested directly even though there is no separate grammar section.
Why do the comprehension questions give line numbers?
Because your child is expected to go back to the text rather than answer from memory. The passage carries numbered lines and questions refer to them, for example asking about a word on line 7, which is a strong hint that rereading is part of the method.
Is comprehension practice enough for the 11+ English section?
No. Two of the four demonstrated question types are vocabulary and grammar rather than comprehension, so a child can understand a passage perfectly and still lose marks on knowing what a word means or what part of speech it is.