11+ English practice

The 11+ English paper tests how well your child reads: finding information, reading between the lines, understanding words in context, and spotting mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Below you'll find what the test covers, real questions to try, and tips for each skill.

Try Paper 1 free See sample questions

What the test covers

Most 11+ English papers start with a reading passage and questions about it, followed by shorter spelling, punctuation and grammar sections. The questions fall into five groups:

How our english papers work

There are 49 English papers, each with 50 multiple-choice questions to answer in 50 minutes. Every paper starts with a passage, either an extract from a classic book that is out of copyright (such as Treasure Island, The Secret Garden or Jane Eyre) or a non-fiction article written for us, followed by 25 comprehension questions. The second half has spelling, punctuation and fill-the-gap grammar sections. Standard papers use gentler texts; Challenging papers use older, denser writing.

Sample questions

These questions come from English Paper 1, The Wind in the Willows. Read the extract, have a go at each question, then open the answer to see why it's right.

The Wind in the Willows

Kenneth Grahame
Mole lives in a small underground home. It is the first warm day of spring, and he has been busy cleaning his house from top to bottom.
The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with
brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of
whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur,
and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and
5around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and
longing. It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said “Bother!”
and “O blow!” and also “Hang spring-cleaning!” and bolted out of the house without even waiting to
put on his coat. Something up above was calling him imperiously, and he made for the steep little
tunnel which answered in his case to the gravelled carriage-drive owned by animals whose
10residences are nearer to the sun and air. So he scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrooged
and then he scrooged again and scrabbled and scratched and scraped, working busily with his little
paws and muttering to himself, “Up we go! Up we go!” till at last, pop! his snout came out into the
sunlight, and he found himself rolling in the warm grass of a great meadow.

An extract from the start of English Paper 1. Line numbers are shown every five lines.

1
What was the Mole doing at the start of the passage?
Acleaning his home
Bdigging a new tunnel
Cbuilding a nest
Dlooking for food
Esleeping in the sun
Show the answer
The answer is A. "spring-cleaning his little home" – he was cleaning with brooms, dusters and whitewash.
2
How was the Mole feeling after his morning's work?
Aproud and satisfied
Bcheerful and energetic
Cnervous and fearful
Dbored but calm
Etired and uncomfortable
Show the answer
The answer is E. He had "dust in his throat and eyes" and "an aching back and weary arms".
3
'Something up above was calling him imperiously' (line 8). What does 'imperiously' mean here?
Aquietly and gently
Bin a commanding way that could not be ignored
Cin a frightening way
Dfrom very far away
Ein a friendly, playful way
Show the answer
The answer is B. 'Imperiously' means in a commanding, bossy manner – spring was insisting that he come out.
4
'he scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrooged' (line 10). Which technique is mainly used here?
Asimile
Bmetaphor
Cpersonification
Dalliteration
Eonomatopoeia only
Show the answer
The answer is D. The repeated 'scr-/sc-' sounds are alliteration; they also mimic the digging sounds.
5
What does the word 'pop!' (line 12) suggest about the moment the Mole reached the surface?
AIt was painful.
BIt was slow and gradual.
CIt was sudden and exciting.
DIt was noisy and frightening.
EIt was disappointing.
Show the answer
The answer is C. 'pop!' is an onomatopoeic word that gives a sense of a sudden, lively arrival in the sunlight.

Spring Cleaning

In these sentences there are some spelling mistakes. On each numbered line there is either one mistake or no mistake. Find the group of words with the mistake in it and mark its letter on your answer sheet. If there is no mistake, mark N.

6
Which section has a spelling mistake? Choose N if there is no mistake.
AMy grandmother
Balways said that
Cthe begining of spring
Dis the time to clean.
NNo mistake
Show the answer
The answer is C. Correct spelling: beginning

The River Bank

In these sentences there are some punctuation mistakes. On each numbered line there is either one mistake or no mistake. Find the group of words with the mistake in it and mark its letter on your answer sheet. If there is no mistake, mark N.

7
Which section has a punctuation mistake? Choose N if there is no mistake.
AHave you ever seen
Ban otter sliding
Cdown a muddy bank
Dinto the water.
NNo mistake
Show the answer
The answer is D. Should end with a question mark

The Rowing Boat

In this passage you have to choose the best word, or group of words, to complete each numbered line so that it makes sense and is written in correct English. Choose the best answer and mark its letter on your answer sheet.

8
The river was so calm that they could see   reflections in the water.
Athere
Bthey're
Ctheirs
Dthem
Etheir
Show the answer
The answer is E. The missing word is their.

Tips for each skill

These are the same tips your child sees on the results page, next to the skills that lost them marks.

Retrieval

Go back to the passage for every answer. Underline the key word in the question, then use the line numbers to scan for it. The answer is written in the text, so find it rather than remembering it.

Inference

Ask "how do I know?" Look for clues in what characters do and say and in the words the writer chooses. Pick the answer the text supports most directly, not one that just sounds true.

Vocabulary

Put each option into the sentence in place of the word and check which keeps the meaning. Keep a notebook of new words from the passages and test yourself weekly.

Language & technique

Learn the techniques (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia) and always ask: what effect did the writer want? How should the reader feel or picture it?

SPaG

Read each line slowly, section by section. Spelling: double letters, -ible/-able, ie/ei and homophones. Punctuation: capitals, apostrophes, speech marks, end marks. Grammar: read the whole sentence, including the words after the gap.

Questions parents ask

What does the 11+ English test include?

It depends on where you live. Most areas set a reading comprehension with multiple-choice questions, and many add spelling, punctuation and grammar sections like the ones above. Some schools also set a piece of writing. Check the admissions pages of the schools you're applying to. Our papers cover comprehension and SPaG; they don't include a writing task.

How can my child get better at comprehension?

Read a little every day, including older books and non-fiction, and talk about what they've read. Ask why a character did something, or what a word means from the sentence around it. In the test, the most useful habit is going back to the passage for every answer rather than answering from memory.

Which spelling and grammar mistakes come up most?

Double letters (beginning, forgotten), ie/ei words (piece, receive), homophones (their, there, they're), missing apostrophes, missing capital letters for names and places, and verbs that don't agree with the subject. The explanations in our papers name the rule each time.

Are the English passages hard?

Standard papers are pitched at a confident Year 5 or Year 6 reader. Challenging papers use older classic texts with harder vocabulary, which is good preparation if your chosen schools set a demanding test.

Is Paper 1 really free?

Yes. Create a free account and your child can sit Paper 1 in every subject, as often as they like. The full pack is a single payment, and we give free places to families who can't afford it.

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Create a free account and your child can sit the whole of Paper 1 in every subject, timed like the real test. It's marked straight away, with an explanation for every answer.

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