The best time to start is Year 3 or Year 4, and the work at that stage is not 11+ practice at all. It is English and maths foundations.
That distinction is the whole argument. Families who start reasoning papers in Year 4 are doing the wrong thing early. Families who build the foundation in Year 4 arrive in Year 5 able to go much faster.
Why Year 4 is the real runway
Almost everything written about 11+ preparation addresses Year 5, because that is when registration happens and when parents start worrying. By then the clock is running.
A child who reaches Year 5 already secure in English and maths, and already introduced to how verbal and non-verbal questions work, spends that year sharpening. A child who arrives without those things spends it catching up, and the test does not move to accommodate them.
Years 3 and 4: build the foundation
The work here is unglamorous and it is the highest-value thing you will do.
- Reading, daily, slightly above comfort level. Half the marks in the test rest on vocabulary, and this is the only thing that moves it.
- Secure number work. Times tables to instant recall, confident place value, the four operations without hesitation.
- Writing by hand, regularly, so the physical act is not an obstacle later.
- Introduce the reasoning types towards the end of Year 4, gently. The concepts get embedded here so that Year 5 is practice rather than first contact.
Year 5: critical thinking
The shift in Year 5 is not more work. It is harder thinking.
| Subject | Year 3 and 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|
| English | Reading widely, building vocabulary | Advanced comprehension texts, inference, word work |
| Maths | Number fluency and tables | Worded problems, three-layer questions |
| Verbal reasoning | Meeting the question types | Timed practice across all types |
| Non-verbal | Introduction to the main types | Full coverage and timing |
That phrase "three-layer questions" is worth dwelling on. A real 11+ maths question can require percentages, proportion and a unit conversion in one go. A child has to comprehend the problem, choose three methods, and sequence them. Fluency in each separately is the prerequisite, which is exactly what Years 3 and 4 are for.
What not to do in Year 4
- Do not start timed full papers. There is nothing to time yet and it teaches anxiety.
- Do not buy five workbooks. One gentle introduction to the reasoning types is plenty.
- Do not talk about the test constantly. Two years of pressure is a long time for a nine year old.
- Do not drop the reading in favour of worksheets. That is the trade that costs the most.
See our month by month Year 5 plan for what comes next, and our guide to managing pressure.
See where your child stands today
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Year 3 and Year 4, and not on reasoning papers
From our own experience as tutors teaching for the 11+ over twenty years, the best years to start are Year 3 and Year 4. But what you are doing then is building a strong foundation in English and mathematics, not drilling test papers.
The reasoning comes after that. They eventually learn the verbal and non-verbal concepts, and those get embedded during Year 4, so that by the time they go into Year 5 they have had enough practice to work with them properly.
Then Year 5 shifts to critical thinking across all the subjects. Advanced comprehension texts, reading, vocabulary work. And in mathematics, critical thinking through worded problems, being able to handle a question with three layers to it. That is a very different demand from arithmetic, and a child can only meet it if the foundation underneath is already secure.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
When should a child start preparing for the 11+?
Year 3 or Year 4 is the best starting point, but the work at that stage should be English and maths foundations rather than 11+ practice. Reasoning concepts are best introduced towards the end of Year 4 so that Year 5 is practice rather than first contact.
What should a Year 4 child do for the 11+?
Read daily slightly above their comfort level, secure times tables and number work to instant recall, write by hand regularly, and towards the end of the year meet the verbal and non-verbal question types gently. No timed papers and no stack of workbooks.
Is Year 4 too early to start the 11+?
Not for foundations, which is the point. Starting reasoning papers in Year 4 is doing the wrong thing early, but arriving in Year 5 already secure in English and maths means that year is spent sharpening rather than catching up.
What changes between Year 4 and Year 5 preparation?
The thinking gets harder rather than the workload getting bigger. English moves from wide reading to advanced comprehension and inference, and maths moves from number fluency to worded problems and three-layer questions that combine several topics in one.
What is a three-layer question in 11+ maths?
A question requiring several topics at once, for example applying percentages to a proportion and then converting units. The child must comprehend the problem, choose three methods and sequence them, which is why fluency in each separately has to come first.