When Should You Start 11+ Preparation? A Year-by-Year Timeline

Ask ten parents when to start 11 plus preparation and you will hear ten answers, from "Reception" to "the summer before". Part of the confusion is that "preparation" means very different things at seven and at ten. Reading with your child in Year 3 is preparation; so is a timed paper in the summer of Year 5. They just should not happen at the same age.

The date that shapes everything is the test itself, which now comes very early in Year 6. Redbridge's 2026 test took place on 18 September and the Essex (CSSE) test on 19 September. In practice, that means your child's preparation has to be complete by the end of Year 5, not Year 6.

So the useful question is not "when do we start?" but "what should we be doing this year?" Working back from the test gives a clear 11+ preparation timeline.

The 11+ preparation timeline at a glance

How long does it take to prepare for the 11+?

There is no official answer. As a guide, 12 to 18 months of structured preparation, starting in Year 4 or early Year 5, gives most children time to cover the content and practise the format, provided their reading and maths foundations are secure. Children with gaps in maths or reading benefit from starting the foundation work earlier.

New to the test itself? Start with our guide to what the 11+ exam is and how it works.

Year 3: build habits, not exam skills

Nothing in Year 3 should feel like exam preparation. The 11+ rewards children who read widely, know their times tables instantly and enjoy a puzzle, and all three grow slowly.

• Read every day, and talk about what you read. Ask what a word might mean before you look it up.
• Secure the basics in maths: place value, mental addition and subtraction, the 2, 5 and 10 times tables from Year 2, and the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, which are the Year 3 focus in the national curriculum for mathematics.
• Play word and logic games: crosswords, anagrams, Boggle, chess, tangrams.

If you want something structured, short curriculum-linked practice works well. Merit Study Resources has free Year 3 maths worksheets organised by topic.

Year 4 and the 11+: strengthen the foundations

Year 4 is a sensible time to start thinking seriously about the 11+, as long as the work stays broad.

What to focus on

• Maths: all times tables up to 12 × 12, which the national curriculum expects by the end of Year 4, fractions, decimals, area and perimeter, and multi-step word problems.
• English: comprehension with "why" and "how do you know" questions, not just retrieval. Start a vocabulary notebook.
• Reasoning: introduce verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning as puzzles. A few untimed questions a week is plenty.

What to leave for now

• Full-length timed papers.
• Topics far beyond the curriculum, such as algebra drills, unless your child is genuinely racing ahead.
• Daily sessions. Two or three short sessions a week is usually enough at this stage.

Year 5 (autumn to spring): your 11+ prep plan

This is the core of 11+ preparation. By the spring of Year 5, your child should be working on material that matches the format of their actual test.

1. Confirm the test. Read the admission arrangements for each school you are considering. Redbridge uses GL Assessment papers with English and verbal reasoning in one paper and maths and non-verbal reasoning in the other; Essex CSSE schools test English (including writing) and maths. Our guide to GL vs CEM 11+ tests explains how the formats differ.
2. Take a baseline. A first practice paper or an independent assessment shows which areas need the most work.
3. Plan by weakness, not by subject order. Spend most of the time on the two or three areas that cost the most marks.
4. Introduce timing gradually. Start with sections, then whole papers.
5. Use the official familiarisation materials early so the format never comes as a surprise. GL Assessment offers free familiarisation materials for its 11+ tests, and CSSE publishes free familiarisation papers on its 11+ examination page.

Year 5 (summer term): registration, timing and technique

Two jobs run side by side in the summer term.

Registration: do not miss it. For 2027 entry, Redbridge registration ran from 1 May to 5pm on 15 June 2026, and CSSE registration from 12 May to 19 June 2026. Treat these deadlines as final, and check each school's dates as soon as they are published.

Exam technique. Now is the time for regular timed papers, careful marking, and a list of repeated mistakes to fix. Practise using an answer sheet if your child's test uses one. Our guides to 11+ exam technique and 11+ mock exams go into more detail.

The summer holiday: steady, not frantic

The final summer matters, but it should not swallow the whole holiday. One balanced pattern looks like this:

• A few focused sessions a week, adjusted to your child's age, stamina and needs.
• A full practice paper in test conditions every week or two.
• Proper breaks, including at least one full week off.

A tired child does not perform at their best in September.

September of Year 6: protect the routine

With the test only a week or two into term, keep the final days light: short review sessions, good sleep, and a practice run of the journey to the test centre. Avoid cramming new topics.

Signs you may be starting too early (or too late)

• Possibly too early: your child dreads sessions, you are repeating the same papers, or practice has squeezed out reading, play and sleep.
• Possibly too late: it is spring of Year 5 and there are still significant gaps in times tables, fractions or reading comprehension, or your child has never seen a reasoning question.

If you recognise the second list, it is still workable. A focused plan built around the biggest gaps will help more than trying to cover everything.

Getting an objective starting point

It can be hard to judge your own child's level objectively. An outside view can save months of guesswork. Merit Tutors offers a free assessment, and its 11+ courses are organised by year group from Year 3 to Year 5, in small groups at its Forest Gate, Ilford and Plaistow branches.

Book a free assessment with Merit Tutors →

Frequently asked questions

Is it too late to start in Year 5?

Not if the foundations are secure. Starting in the autumn of Year 5 still leaves time for structured preparation. Starting in the summer of Year 5 is tighter and needs a sharper focus on weak areas.

How many hours a week should my child prepare?

There is no official figure. As a rough guide, a couple of short sessions a week in Year 4, rising to several sessions a week in the second half of Year 5, suits many children. Quality and consistency matter more than total hours.

Starting now? Find your child's year

• Year 3 or Year 4: you are early, which is an advantage only if you use it for reading, times tables and the odd puzzle. Hold off on practice papers.
• Autumn of Year 5: a good point to begin structured preparation. Take a baseline paper this half-term and plan around what it shows.
• Spring of Year 5: still workable. Put the weakest subject first, and get the test format in front of your child straight away.
• Summer term of Year 5: register before anything else. Then spend the remaining weeks on the two or three areas costing the most marks, plus timing.

Whichever row you are in, the answer to when to start 11 plus preparation is the same in one respect: work back from the test date and the registration deadline, not forward from today.