11+ guide · checked October 2026
11+ Verbal reasoning, explained simply
Verbal reasoning tests how well your child thinks with words: spotting patterns in letters, codes and vocabulary, quickly and accurately. It is not taught as a school subject, so practising the question types matters. This page explains which London schools use it, how it is scored, and how to prepare.
- Taken in Year 6 (autumn)
- Multiple choice
- Standardised scores
- Not taught in school
Exam board
Not sure which board? Ask your child's school, or check the front of a mockA practice exam, usually set by school a few months before the real thing. paper.
The exams at a glance
GL Assessment 11+ Verbal reasoning (Redbridge, Latymer, Buckinghamshire). 1 paper.
Specification: GL Assessment 11+ Verbal reasoning (Redbridge, Latymer, Buckinghamshire)
What's in the exams
Tests don't publish topic weightings. Typical question types include synonyms and opposites, hidden words, letter and number codes, missing letters, compound words and word analogies. In Buckinghamshire, verbal skills make up half of the total score.
How the grading works
Standardised scores, not percentages
The 11+ is not marked out of 100. Raw marks are turned into a standardised score that allows for a child's age in months, so a younger child is not at a disadvantage. On GL Assessment's scale the average is 100, about two-thirds of children score between 85 and 115, and only about 2% score 130 or more.
What score is needed?
It depends on the school. Buckinghamshire grammar schools qualify children with a total score of 121 or more. Ilford County High in Redbridge sets a minimum of 104, but ranks everyone above that by score, so places usually go to children scoring well above the minimum.
Which schools use it?
Latymer in Edmonton uses GL Assessment's verbal reasoning and maths tests. Redbridge's grammar schools combine English and verbal reasoning in one GL paper. Many independent schools use the ISEB Pre-Test, which has a 25-minute verbal reasoning section.
Past paper mock builder
Pick an exam series and we'll set out the full GL Assessment mock: which papers to sit, how long to allow and where to download them.
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English and verbal reasoning, Free familiarisation papers · Redbridge: one combined paper; length given in the invitation letter
Download the papers and mark schemes: GL Assessment official past papers or Save My Exams past papers. Exam boards keep the most recent series for schools only for a while, so if the newest one isn't there, take the one before.
What Verbal reasoning is really about
Where the word comes from
"Verbal" comes from the Latin verbum, "word"; "reasoning" from the Old French raisoner, from Latin ratio, "reckoning" or "reason". So verbal reasoning is, literally, reckoning with words.
Where it comes from
The Education Act 1944, steered through Parliament by R. A. Butler, set up grammar, secondary technical and secondary modern schools, and the eleven-plus decided who went where. Most areas phased out selection from the 1960s, but grammar schools remain in places including Buckinghamshire, Kent and several London boroughs such as Redbridge, Sutton, Bexley and Kingston. Verbal reasoning questions grew out of the intelligence tests developed by psychologists in the early 20th century.
Why it's still taught
Quick, flexible thinking with words supports reading, writing and every subject that depends on them. For grammar and selective schools that test it, verbal reasoning is often a large share of the score, so it repays focused practice.
How to do well in 11+ Verbal reasoning
Learn the question types
Verbal reasoning has a set of standard question types. Once your child recognises each one, most become routine.
Build vocabulary every day
Many questions need a wide vocabulary: synonyms, opposites and odd-one-outs. Reading widely and keeping a word book help most.
Know the alphabet by position
Letter-code questions are faster if your child knows each letter's number (A is 1, M is 13, Z is 26) without counting.
Spell carefully
Hidden word and missing letter questions punish shaky spelling. Short regular spelling practice helps.
Practise against the clock
The ISEB section is 25 minutes. Short timed sets build the speed the real test needs.
Use the free familiarisation papers
Practise the exact multiple-choice format so the answer sheet or screen holds no surprises.
The three best places to revise
Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.
GL Assessment free familiarisation materials
Free sample papers from the company that sets most grammar school tests.
Oxford Owl
Free e-books for primary-age children: wide reading is the best vocabulary builder.
BBC Bitesize
Free KS2 spelling and vocabulary lessons that support verbal reasoning.
Questions parents ask
Not sure where your child stands?
Our free 45-minute assessment often uses a real past paperA real exam from a previous year, used for practice., so you'll know their likely grade and exactly what to work on. Lessons online across the UK, or at our seven London hubs.
Sources
- London Borough of Redbridge, Redbridge 11 plus (September 2027 entry)
- Ilford County High School, Year 7 admissions (minimum threshold score of 104)
- Buckinghamshire Council, Marking the Secondary Transfer Test
- The Latymer School, Year 7 admissions
- ISEB, What are the ISEB Common Pre-Tests (11+) and how do they work?
- GL Assessment, Quick data guide (standard age scores)