When to Start 11+ Preparation Year 4 vs Year 5

Q: Is Year 5 too late to start 11+ preparation?

Not necessarily. If your child has strong fundamentals in Maths and English, Year 5 can be sufficient — especially for GL Assessment areas where the format is predictable. For super-selective schools or CEM areas, 12-18 months is typically recommended, making early Year 4 ideal. The key factor is your child's starting point, not the calendar.

Q: Does the exam board affect when to start?

Yes. GL Assessment exams test curriculum-adjacent content that benefits from steady practice over 12+ months. CEM exams are designed to be harder to prepare for, testing broader comprehension and reasoning. Both benefit from strong fundamentals, but CEM areas may require earlier exposure to the format.

Q: What if my child is ahead of their year group?

Being ahead academically helps but doesn't eliminate the need for 11+ specific practice. The exam includes question types (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning) that aren't part of the regular curriculum. Even confident children need exposure to the format, pacing, and time pressure.

"Have we left it too late?" is the second most common question parents ask about the 11+. The answer depends on three things — and none of them are the calendar.

12–18 months

Commonly recommended preparation window

20–30 min

Effective daily practice time

Year 4–5

Most common starting point

Year 3

Too early for most children

What you'll get from this article

A clear framework for deciding when to start based on your child, not the crowd
Timelines adjusted for exam board (GL vs CEM) and school competitiveness
What to prioritise at each stage — foundations, format, then speed
Honest guidance on the risks of starting too early

Unsure where to begin? — we can help you think it through.

The Honest Answer

There is no single "right" time to start. The common recommendation of 12–18 months (early Year 4 to late Year 4) works as a general guide, but your child is not a general case. What matters is their starting point, the type of exam they'll sit, and how competitive your target schools are.

Transparency note: This guide is published by TrueViQ. We offer free and paid practice tools. We benefit if you choose to use TrueViQ for preparation, but we have no interest in you starting earlier than necessary — burnout doesn't help anyone.

“We didn't tutor our daughter and only bought books which cost about £20. She passed and now attends a grammar school. Please do not read this thinking you need to spend a fortune.”
— Parent, Mumsnet tutoring thread

That parent started with a child who had strong fundamentals. A different child, with different strengths and a different target school, might need a different timeline. Both approaches are valid.

Factors That Actually Matter

Forget what other families are doing. These three factors should determine your timeline:

1. Your child's current level

A child working comfortably at Year 4 level in Maths and English has a head start. A child who needs to catch up on fundamentals will need more runway — and that's okay.

Strong fundamentals

Start Year 5 (Sep). Focus on exam technique and reasoning.

Needs consolidation

Start Year 4 (Jan–Easter). Build foundations first, then exam prep.

2. Your target school's competitiveness

There's a significant difference between preparing for a county grammar (e.g. Kent, where ~25% of children attend grammar schools) and a super-selective (e.g. Sutton, where the acceptance rate is under 10%).

County grammar

12 months is typically sufficient with consistent practice.

Super-selective

15–18 months recommended. Higher baseline and broader coverage needed.

3. The exam board

GL Assessment and CEM exams test different things in different ways. Your preparation timeline should account for this.

GL Assessment

Predictable format. Curriculum-adjacent content. Benefits from steady, structured practice over 12+ months.

CEM

Designed to be less coachable. Tests broader comprehension and reasoning. Build wide reading and vocabulary early.

Not sure which exam board? Check our regional guides for Kent (GL), Sutton (GL), and Buckinghamshire (GL).

Timeline by Starting Point

Here's a realistic timeline based on when you're starting. Each path leads to the same destination — the September exam in Year 6. The route just differs.

Preparation Timeline

Three starting points, one destination — the September exam

Foundations

Format & Reasoning

Speed & Technique

Start Year 4 Sep(18 months)

Foundations

Format

Speed

Best for super-selective targets or children needing to build fundamentals

Start Year 4 Easter(12 months)

Found.

Format

Speed

Most common — county grammars, GL areas, solid fundamentals

Start Year 5 Sep(6–8 months)

Format & Reasoning

Speed & Mocks

Late starters with strong fundamentals — intensive but possible

Exam Day (Sep Year 6)

Key insight: Regardless of when you start, always begin with foundations. Jumping straight to exam papers without solid Maths and English fundamentals is the most common preparation mistake.

Year 4 September (18 months before)

Best for: Super-selective targets, children needing foundation building, CEM areas

Months 1–6: Solidify Maths and English fundamentals. Months 7–12: Introduce reasoning and exam format. Months 13–18: Timed practice, mocks, and exam technique.

Year 4 Easter (12 months before)

Best for: County grammars, children with solid fundamentals, GL areas

Months 1–4: Review curriculum gaps and introduce reasoning. Months 5–8: Regular practice papers with increasing difficulty. Months 9–12: Timed papers, mocks, exam technique.

Year 5 September (6–8 months before)

Best for: Strong, confident children with excellent fundamentals — late deciders

Intensive but not overwhelming. Focus immediately on exam format and reasoning types. Regular timed practice. This timeline works, but requires consistency and a child who handles pace well.

No timeline guarantees a result. These are frameworks, not prescriptions. A child who starts in Year 5 with strong fundamentals and genuine motivation may outperform a child who has been drilling papers since Year 3. Consistency and wellbeing matter more than duration.

What to Do at Each Stage

Effective 11+ preparation follows three phases, regardless of when you start. The earlier you begin, the more time you have for Phase 1 — which is arguably the most important.

Phase 1: Foundations

Build strong fundamentals in Maths and English. This is not 11+-specific — it's good education. A child who reads widely, writes confidently, and has secure number skills is already preparing.

Read daily — fiction and non-fiction, above current level

Practise mental maths — times tables, fractions, percentages

Build vocabulary through conversation and varied reading

Develop comprehension: discuss what they've read, ask questions

Phase 2: Format & Reasoning

Introduce 11+-specific content: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and exam question styles. This is where children learn the "language" of the test.

Introduce verbal reasoning types: analogies, codes, word patterns

Practise non-verbal reasoning: sequences, spatial awareness, matrices

Work through untimed practice papers to build familiarity

Identify weak areas and focus practice there

Phase 3: Speed & Exam Technique

The final phase focuses on doing what they already know, but faster and under pressure. This is where timed papers and mock exams become valuable.

Timed papers under exam conditions

Mock exams (2–4 is enough — more can cause fatigue)

Review technique: skipping hard questions, time allocation

Build confidence, not just speed

The Risks of Starting Too Early

Starting 11+ preparation in Year 3 — or earlier — is becoming more common. But "more common" doesn't mean "better". There are real risks to starting formal exam preparation too early.

Risks of early starts

Burnout: 2+ years of exam focus exhausts children
Exam fatigue: they peak too early and plateau before the test
Loss of intrinsic motivation: learning becomes a chore
Reduced play time impacts social and emotional development
Creates anxiety about a test that's still 2 years away

What to do instead in Year 3

Read widely and often — the single best preparation
Play maths games (board games, card games, puzzles)
Build curiosity through museum visits, nature, experiments
Encourage writing: diaries, stories, letters
Let them be children — unstructured time is developmental

“We started in Year 3. By Year 5 she was burnt out and refused to do any more practice. I wish we'd waited and kept it shorter and more focused.”
— Parent, Mumsnet 11+ thread

The paradox of early starts: Children who begin formal preparation very early sometimes perform worse than those who start later with strong fundamentals. This is because the early starters develop "exam fatigue" — they've seen so many practice papers that they lose focus and motivation. A fresh, well-prepared child sitting their first timed paper in May of Year 5 can outperform one who has been drilling since Year 3. For warning signs to watch for and how to frame preparation positively, see our guide on talking to your child about the 11+.

A Realistic Weekly Plan

Here's what effective preparation looks like in practice. The key principle: short, consistent sessions beat long, sporadic ones.

Sample weekly schedule (Phase 2 onward)

Monday–Friday20–30 min focused practice

SaturdayOne timed paper (40–60 min) OR rest

SundayNo 11+ work — family time

Daily reading20+ min (not counted as "prep")

This is a suggestion, not a rule. Adjust based on your child's energy, school workload, and activities. If they're tired, stop. Tomorrow is another day.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Year 5 too late to start 11+ preparation?

Not necessarily. If your child has strong Maths and English fundamentals, Year 5 can be sufficient — especially for GL Assessment areas where the format is predictable. For super-selective schools, 12–18 months is recommended, making early Year 4 ideal. The key factor is your child's starting point, not the calendar.

Can starting too early harm my child?

Yes. Starting formal 11+ preparation in Year 3 or earlier risks burnout and exam fatigue. At that age, the best preparation is broad education: reading widely, building number confidence, and developing curiosity. Formal exam practice should wait until Year 4 at the earliest.

Does the exam board affect when to start?

Somewhat. GL Assessment exams have a predictable format that benefits from steady structured practice. CEM exams are designed to be less coachable, testing broader comprehension and reasoning. Both benefit from strong fundamentals, which should be built first regardless of board. See our regional guides for your area's exam board.

What if my child is ahead of their year group?

Being ahead helps, but doesn't eliminate the need for 11+-specific practice. The exam includes question types (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning) not in the regular curriculum. Even confident children need exposure to format, pacing, and time pressure. They may need less total preparation time, but they still need some.

How many mock exams should my child do?

2–4 full mock exams is typically enough. Mocks are valuable for building exam stamina and identifying weak areas, but too many lead to diminishing returns. If your child is scoring consistently, additional mocks won't add much. Focus on targeted practice of weak areas instead.

Sources & References

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