Non-verbal and verbal reasoning for the 11+: question types, tests and practice

Key takeaways

• →Non-verbal reasoning means solving puzzles with shapes and patterns. Verbal reasoning means thinking logically about words, and it leans on vocabulary.
• →Not every 11+ test includes them. Redbridge, Bexley and Kent do in some form. Sutton’s test has maths and English papers only.
• →Free official practice exists: GL Assessment offers 10 hours of free familiarisation material (samples of the question types), and Kent, Buckinghamshire and Bexley point to their own.
• →Start with familiarisation, add timing later, and keep sessions short. A Year 5 plan is at the end.

1. What non-verbal and verbal reasoning are

Non-verbal reasoning means solving problems with pictures, shapes and patterns instead of words. GL Assessment, an 11+ test provider, says many selection tests include a non-verbal reasoning test.^[1]

Verbal reasoning means thinking logically about written information, according to GL.^[1]

ISEB, which runs tests for independent schools, says its verbal reasoning questions are letter, word and language-based, and that pupils are assessed on vocabulary and definitions.^[2]

These are puzzle-style questions, so they can feel strange at first. Getting used to the question styles is most of the job. Our 11+ exam explained guide covers the wider test and how to apply.

2. 11+ verbal reasoning: common question types

A GL Assessment familiarisation booklet from 2015, written for one council’s test, groups its verbal reasoning questions into five types: cracking codes, creating words, using numbers, finding hidden words and thinking logically. Its practice test also has odd-one-out, number series and word-pair questions.^[3]

Your local test may use different types, so treat this as a guide. The examples below are our own, made up for this page.

3. 11+ non-verbal reasoning: common question types

The matching GL booklet for non-verbal reasoning has three kinds of question: finding similarities and differences, including odd one out; completing diagrams, such as grids, series and pairs; and cracking codes.^[4]

ISEB’s test framework adds spatial reasoning, which means picturing 3D figures from a different angle.^[2]

We cannot print pictures here, so our made-up examples are described in words.

4. Which 11+ tests include them

There is no single national 11+. GL Assessment says its 11+ tests are used by the majority of grammar schools in the UK, and also says 11+ tests vary from area to area.^[5]

GL says a test can cover one or more of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, because councils or schools choose the subjects and the balance.^[1]

CEM is another provider. It says its 11+ test has questions on maths, vocabulary and non-verbal skills, and is used by some local authorities. The page names no areas, so we name none.^[6]

ISEB’s Pre-Tests, used by independent schools, have four adaptive online tests: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Adaptive means each question depends on the earlier answers.^[7]

In London, Latymer’s maths and verbal reasoning paper is set and scored by GL, and the school sets the English paper.^[9]

The Henrietta Barnett School’s first round covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English. Maths comes in the second round.^[10]

Some tests have neither. Sutton’s selective test has maths and English papers only, and its school says it does not include verbal or non-verbal reasoning.^[13]

The table shows what other official pages say.

Ask before you practise: Ask each school which test it uses and what is in each paper. Then you know whether verbal and non-verbal reasoning matter for your child.

5. Free official practice

Familiarisation material means free samples of the question types and layout, so your child knows what to expect. GL Assessment offers 10 hours of it, as PDFs to print at home. The downloads cover verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, maths, a non-verbal reasoning and maths pack, and verbal skills. GL says they are particularly useful for verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests, and that timings and question numbers in your local test may differ.^[16]

Kent’s council page links a Kent Test familiarisation paper and a range of free familiarisation materials.^[14]

Buckinghamshire offers a familiarisation booklet with sample questions, and a practice test that is not marked or sent home.^[15]

Quest, Bexley’s test provider, says it has made free resources that show what the test looks and feels like.^[12]

For the ISEB Pre-Tests, the free Test Walkthrough lets children try the online test player as it will work on the day. ISEB says extra preparation is not a requirement.^[17]

CEM says it does not make practice or past papers commercially available, and that schools or local authorities provide familiarisation material. Ask them.^[6]

Our free 11+ practice papers guide goes through the official free material area by area.

6. Practising verbal reasoning: vocabulary and timing

Vocabulary comes first. ISEB says its verbal reasoning test assesses vocabulary and definitions, and lists trial and error and working logically among the skills.^[2]

Build it gently. Read together most days and talk about new words. Ask your child to explain a word in their own words, then use it in a sentence. Keep a small notebook of synonyms (words with a similar meaning) and opposites, and look at endings like -less and beginnings like un-.

GL says that tackling a practice paper under timed conditions gives children valuable experience of managing their time.^[1]

GL’s 2015 booklet suggests starting the clock only once your child has read the instructions and filled in the answer sheet. If time runs out, let them finish the question, so you can see whether speed or accuracy is the problem.^[3]

Paper lengths differ, so check yours. The pages we read say:

7. Practising non-verbal reasoning: spotting the rule

ISEB’s framework says non-verbal questions ask pupils to look for patterns in figures and diagrams, such as similarities and differences, completing the diagram and matching codes.^[2]

Check one feature at a time: size, shading, number of parts, position and direction. Name the rule in one sentence, then test it against every shape before choosing.

Cross out answers that break the rule. Draw the missing shape on scrap paper if that helps. For flips and turns, cut a shape from paper and move it with your hands.

Accuracy first, speed second. Once your child names rules quickly, add the timer.

Say the rule out loud: Before your child picks an answer, ask for the rule in one sentence. If they cannot say it, they are guessing, and that tells you what to practise next.

8. A calm plan for Year 5

Dates change each year and by area, but the 2026 round shows the pattern. Redbridge registration closed on Monday 15 June 2026, and its test was on Friday 18 September, early in Year 6.^[8]

Bexley registration ran from 1 to 31 March 2026, and its tests were held from 2 to 10 September.^[11]

So Year 5 is the year to prepare. Here is a gentle plan to adapt. Check your schools’ own dates.

Stop if it stops being fun: If your child is tired or upset, stop and try again another day. Praise effort and the rules they spot, not just scores.

9. How Brainhub can help

We teach the 11+ one-to-one, live online across the UK, from £25 an hour. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment, a good place to talk through which test your child is aiming for and which question types need work.

94% of our 11+ students were placed in their first- or second-choice school (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). That figure comes from our own records, not independent research, and every child is different.

1. 1. What is non-verbal reasoning?

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2. 2. Do all 11+ tests include verbal and non-verbal reasoning?

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3. 3. What free official practice does GL Assessment offer?

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Your next steps

• Ask each school which test it uses and what is in each paper.
• Try one free familiarisation paper together, with no timer.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which question types need work.

Subject guides to go with this

Want one-to-one help? See how our online lessons work.