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There is no official 11+ maths syllabus. Each test provider writes its own papers, and the tests are taken in the September of Year 6, before children have finished the Year 6 curriculum. Even so, the 11 plus maths topics are remarkably consistent: almost everything comes from Key Stage 2, tested in ways that demand speed, accuracy and confident problem-solving.

This 11 plus maths checklist sets out those topics strand by strand, with notes on where 11+ maths questions tend to go further than Year 5 maths in school. Use it to spot gaps early, then focus practice where it will make the biggest difference.

How to use this 11+ maths checklist

Tick topics your child can do quickly and accurately without help.
Circle topics they can do slowly or with prompting.
Leave blank anything they have not met or cannot do.

The circled topics usually offer the quickest gains. Blank topics need teaching first, so start them well before the summer of Year 5.

Most topics below appear in the national curriculum for mathematics for Years 3 to 6. Where the 11+ tends to go further than typical classroom practice, we have said so.

1. Number and place value

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Place value	Read, write and order numbers up to 10 million; know the value of each digit
Rounding	Round whole numbers and decimals to a given place
Negative numbers	Use them in context, such as temperature changes, and calculate across zero
Roman numerals	Read numerals up to 1,000 (M)
Factors and multiples	Find all factors; identify common factors and multiples
Primes	Recognise prime numbers up to at least 50
Squares and cubes	Know square numbers to 144 and cube numbers to 125

Where the 11+ stretches: puzzles combining several properties, such as "a two-digit prime that is one more than a square number".

2. Calculation

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Mental arithmetic	Add, subtract, multiply and divide quickly using known facts
Times tables	Instant recall up to 12 × 12, including division facts
Written methods	Column addition and subtraction; long and short multiplication and division
Order of operations	Apply brackets and the order of operations correctly
Estimation	Estimate answers and check whether a result is sensible

Where the 11+ stretches: long calculations under time pressure with no calculator, and missing-digit or symbol problems.

3. Fractions, decimals and percentages

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Equivalent fractions	Simplify and compare fractions
Fraction calculations	Add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions, including mixed numbers
Fraction of an amount	Find, for example, ⅗ of 45
Decimals	Calculate with decimals; multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1,000
Converting	Move between fractions, decimals and percentages
Percentages	Find percentages of amounts, including discounts and increases

Where the 11+ stretches: "reverse" questions such as "after a 20% discount a coat costs £48; what was the original price?"

4. Ratio and proportion

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Ratio	Share an amount in a given ratio
Scaling	Adapt recipes and quantities up or down
Proportion	Solve "if 4 pens cost £3, how much do 10 cost?" problems
Scale factors	Use simple scale drawings and maps

5. Algebra

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Formulae	Use simple formulae written in words or letters
Sequences	Continue sequences and describe the rule
Missing numbers	Find unknowns in equations such as 3n + 4 = 19
Two unknowns	List possible pairs of values that satisfy an equation

Where the 11+ stretches: simple algebra does appear. CSSE's 2023-entry maths paper, for example, included angles in a triangle written as multiples of x.

6. Measurement

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Units	Convert between metric units of length, mass and capacity
Imperial units	Know common equivalents, such as inches, feet, yards, pints and miles
Time	Use the 12- and 24-hour clocks; calculate durations and read timetables
Money	Solve multi-step money problems
Perimeter and area	Find perimeter and area of rectangles and compound shapes; area of triangles and parallelograms
Volume	Find the volume of cuboids

Where the 11+ stretches: questions that combine conversion with calculation, such as working out the cost of carpeting a room measured in metres when carpet is priced per square metre.

7. Geometry

Topic	What your child should be able to do
2D shapes	Name and describe properties, including types of triangles and quadrilaterals
3D shapes	Recognise shapes, nets, faces, edges and vertices
Angles	Know angles on a straight line, around a point and in triangles and quadrilaterals
Coordinates	Use all four quadrants
Transformations	Reflect and translate shapes
Circles	Name the radius, diameter and circumference

8. Statistics and data

Topic	What your child should be able to do
Tables and charts	Read and interpret tables, bar charts and line graphs
Pie charts	Interpret simple pie charts
Mean	Calculate and use the mean
Data problems	Answer multi-step questions from timetables and data

Where the 11+ stretches: "the mean of five numbers is 8; four of them are 6, 7, 9 and 10; what is the fifth?" (The total must be 40, so the fifth number is 8.)

9. Problem-solving and reasoning

This is less a topic than a skill, but it is where the most marks are won and lost:

breaking a word problem into steps;
working systematically through possibilities;
spotting patterns;
checking that answers are sensible.

How 11 plus maths questions differ between tests

Redbridge (GL Assessment): maths shares a paper with non-verbal reasoning, and GL tests use a multiple-choice layout, so speed and accurate answer selection matter.
Essex (CSSE): a 60-minute written paper with no calculator. The most recent published paper covered conversions, area, percentages, primes, time, averages, sequences and simple algebra, among other topics.

Whichever test your child sits, the strongest preparation is secure, fluent Key Stage 2 maths, followed by regular problem-solving practice.

Where to start

However many gaps the checklist reveals, tackle the 11 plus maths topics in a sensible order: number, place value and calculation first, because fractions, ratio, measurement and almost every word problem depend on them.

For younger children, short regular practice on number and place value pays off for years. Free topic worksheets, such as Merit Study Resources' Year 3 maths and Year 4 maths worksheets, suit quick daily sessions.

More blanks than you expected? It is worth knowing which gaps matter most before you start filling them. Merit Tutors' free assessment has an 11+ maths and non-verbal reasoning option, and its KS2 maths tuition runs in its Forest Gate, Ilford and Plaistow branches and online.

Frequently asked questions

Is Year 5 maths enough for the 11+, or does it include Year 6 topics?

The test is taken early in Year 6, so most of the content is up to Year 5 level. Some tests include topics from the Year 6 curriculum, such as simple algebra and ratio, so it is worth covering them during Year 5.

Is a calculator allowed?

Not in the CSSE test. Assume calculators are not allowed in other 11+ tests either unless the instructions for your child's test say otherwise.

Which topics cause the most problems?

Fractions, percentages, multi-step word problems and time calculations are common trouble spots. Marks are often lost through slips, such as misreading the question or forgetting units, rather than a lack of understanding, so careful checking is worth practising too.

Ready to try it? Every paper in the library comes with its mark scheme and a worked solution, so you can practise without hunting for files.

Find past papers