11+ Preparation Timeline: A Year 4 to Year 6 Plan
Families who prepare well for the 11+ rarely cram in Year 6. Most start gently in Year 4 — long before any exam-style practice — and build up gradually as the exam gets closer. This timeline sets out what to focus on at each stage, roughly how much practice suits each age, and the key dates worth having on your calendar.
Exam dates, registration windows and National Offer Day arrangements are set by your local authority or the consortium your target schools belong to — not by us. Treat every date on this page as a general shape, and confirm the exact dates with your target schools or local authority as soon as you know them.
Why start in Year 4?
The 11+ tests reasoning skills that most children haven't met before — Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning aren't part of the everyday primary curriculum, so they need some deliberate introduction. Starting in Year 4 means that introduction can happen slowly, well before any pressure builds, with plenty of time left over for the timed, exam-style practice that matters most in Year 6.
Starting early also means each stage can stay short. A rushed six-week crammed course asks far more of a child, in far less time, than the same material spread gently across two years.
The timeline, term by term
Year 4 — Spring & Summer term
Build the foundations
No exam-style practice yet. This stage is about the everyday skills that everything else depends on.
- Keep up daily reading and times-tables fluency — the single best preparation at this age
- Mention the 11+ casually now and then, so it doesn't arrive as a shock later
- Start noting which local schools use which exam board (check each school's admissions page)
- Widen vocabulary through reading, not worksheets — varied fiction and non-fiction both help
Year 5 — Autumn term
First exposure to reasoning
Most children haven't met Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning question styles before, so this term is about familiarity, not speed.
- Introduce Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning gently — short, low-pressure sessions, a few times a week
- Keep sessions to around 20–30 minutes; little and often beats long weekend sessions
- Confirm your target schools' subjects, exam provider and registration process
- Treat mistakes as information, not failure — this is exactly what this stage is for
Year 5 — Spring & Summer term
Structured practice
With the question styles now familiar, practice can move to timed papers across all the subjects your target schools test.
- Move to timed practice papers, 3–5 sessions a week, around 30–45 minutes each
- Register for the local authority test or consortium — deadlines are often in the summer term, so check early
- Review wrong answers together rather than just marking them; look for patterns in the mistakes
- Keep some sessions untimed too, so pressure doesn't crowd out genuine understanding
Year 6 — September onward
The exam window
Many consortia sit the test between September and November, though some areas differ — confirm your exact date as soon as it's published.
- Sit full-length timed mocks under proper exam conditions, including the sitting-still stamina it takes
- Shift the focus from new content to technique: pacing, checking work, and staying calm under time pressure
- Protect sleep, meals and downtime in exam week — a tired child underperforms regardless of preparation
- Keep other interests and free time going; the 11+ is one part of a busy, growing life, not the whole of it
Year 6 — March
National Offer Day
Secondary school offers are released on National Offer Day — 1 March, or the next working day if that date falls on a weekend.
- An appeals process exists if a place isn't offered — check your local authority's timetable for it
- Whatever the outcome, the preparation itself has built reasoning, reading and problem-solving skills that carry into secondary school
How much practice suits each stage?
These are general guides, not targets to hit exactly — every child's pace is different, and quality of attention matters far more than minutes on a clock.
| Stage | Typical weekly practice | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| Year 4 | No formal 11+ practice | Reading, times tables, general vocabulary |
| Year 5, autumn | 2–3 sessions, 20–30 minutes each | Introducing VR/NVR question types |
| Year 5, spring & summer | 3–5 sessions, 30–45 minutes each | Timed practice across all tested subjects |
| Year 6, autumn | 3–4 sessions plus full timed mocks | Exam technique, pacing, stamina |
Rest counts as preparation too. A short, focused session most days beats a long one that leaves everyone exhausted. If a session isn't going well, it's usually fine to stop and try again another day.
Starting later than Year 4?
Plenty of children prepare successfully starting in Year 5 or even early Year 6 — the stages above simply compress. If you're starting later:
- Spend less time on gentle introduction and move to timed practice sooner
- Prioritise the subjects your target school actually tests, rather than covering everything equally
- Use full past or practice papers early to see where the real gaps are, then focus revision there
- Keep sessions realistic for the time available — a calm, consistent shorter plan beats an overloaded one
For guidance on using exam time well once papers are timed, see our time management guide.
Registration deadlines: don't miss this
Registration for the local authority test or a school's own entrance exam is usually separate from applying for a secondary school place, and deadlines often fall in Year 5's summer term or early in Year 6 — well before the exam itself. Some consortia require registration many months in advance. Check your local authority's website and each target school's admissions page directly, and put the date in your calendar as soon as you find it.
Keep the plan flexible
Children progress unevenly — a topic that felt impossible in the fourth week can click in the fifth. Treat this timeline as a shape to adjust, not a schedule to enforce. If your child is enjoying practice and asking for more, that's a good sign to follow; if sessions are becoming a source of dread, it's worth easing back rather than pushing through.
Keep reading
From Reading to 11+ Practice
Read a guide, try free questions, review your mistakes, then strengthen the topics you need most.