11 Plus Books, Papers and Online Practice: What Is Worth Buying

Before buying an 11+ book, check the current admissions information for each school on your list. Tests vary by area and school, so a book labelled “11+” may cover subjects or question styles your child will not meet. Compare the book’s sample pages with the official familiarisation material, and check whether its answers explain the method.

Check the test and its current cycle

The 11+ is not one national test. Local authorities, school groups and individual schools set or choose different assessments. Use the authority or school’s latest admissions page for the entry year you need. The examples below show how much formats can vary; some describe the latest published guide for a cycle whose test has already happened.

• Medway: the council’s current page describes three papers, English, Mathematics and Reasoning. It says the tests are written for Medway and GL Assessment is the provider. The page lists 30 minutes for English, 50 for Mathematics and 45 for Reasoning. Medway also says retail or online material outside GL’s own site is not official or endorsed by GL or the council. That statement applies to the Medway Test, not every local test. Medway Test
• Buckinghamshire: the council’s guide, last updated 9 April 2026 for 2027 entry, describes two multiple-choice papers. One covers verbal skills, including comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning. The other covers mathematics and non-verbal skills, including spatial reasoning. Each paper is about 45 minutes, or 60 minutes including instructions and examples. Check the guide for a later entry cycle before buying. Secondary Transfer Test process
• Bexley: the council’s current information names Quest Assessments as the provider. Its page says the two timed, multiple-choice papers assess verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. It gives about 50 minutes per paper plus instructions. The page now reports results from the 2026 test; check the next entry-year details when published. About the Bexley Selection Test
• CSSE: the latest guide currently listed is for 2027 entry, published 27 March 2026. It describes English and Mathematics papers, with no separate reasoning paper; the test date for that entry cycle was 19 September 2026. The CSSE site also links free familiarisation papers. Check its site for the next cycle’s guide. CSSE examination page
• Independent schools: many use the ISEB Common Pre-Tests. ISEB describes four online, adaptive assessments in Mathematics, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Schools may use the shared assessment for applicants to more than one school; ask each school about its own deadlines and requirements. ISEB Common Pre-Tests

The examples show why it helps to identify the exact test before choosing a resource. They are not a complete list, and a format or provider can change between entry cycles.

Start with official familiarisation material

Several providers publish free material that can introduce question types or the test interface:

• GL Assessment offers free downloadable, printable familiarisation PDFs across verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, Mathematics, combined non-verbal reasoning and Mathematics, and verbal skills. GL says the local test’s timings and question numbers may differ. Its paid practice papers are printed booklets. GL free materials
• Buckinghamshire publishes a familiarisation booklet with information, advice and sample questions. Its guide says children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary and partner schools receive a copy. The council also describes a normally taken practice test, which is not marked.
• Bexley links to familiarisation exercises and pupil and parent information booklets on the Quest site.
• CSSE links free downloadable familiarisation papers from its examination page.
• ISEB provides a free walkthrough tool to introduce its online player. ISEB says additional preparation is not required because the tests are based on the national curriculum. It also sells optional preparation materials and identifies Bond Online Premium Plus as its endorsed practice platform. These are ISEB’s statements about its own assessment.

Check whether material is issued by the school, admissions authority or test provider, and whether it is a familiarisation resource or a commercial practice product. A publisher’s provider label does not mean that a particular school uses that provider. Our free 11+ practice papers guide collects further options.

Compare the published formats

These descriptions come from publishers’ current catalogues and are not a ranking of difficulty or teaching quality. Formats, prices and editions can change, so check the linked product page before buying.

Publisher	Examples of published formats	What to check
Bond	Assessment practice books, printed papers and online practice. On 24 October 2026, the official shop listed English and Mathematics Assessment Practice Book 1 for ages 9–10 at £7.99 and Book 2 at £8.50.	Subject, age label, edition and answer support. These are example prices from one publisher’s shop; delivery or offers can affect the total.
CGP	Its parent guide distinguishes Study Books, Practice Books and Practice Papers.	Look at a sample and choose the type that matches the practice you want. The guide says its materials are not official test questions or endorsed by GL or CEM.
Schofield & Sims	Its catalogue lists study and practice books, rapid tests, progress papers and practice papers across English, Mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The four study and practice books are listed for ages 9–12; the retail price shown is £14.95 each.	Check the age range, subject and whether the title is a study book, short test or full practice paper.
Collins	Its 11+ range includes workbooks and practice papers, with free answer sheets, audio and other supporting downloads. Its current pages include GL-labelled titles and older CEM-labelled resources.	Check the product’s stated provider and edition year. The latest example located in this review was a 2026 GL-labelled set, which is not a claim about the next entry cycle.

GL Assessment’s shop also sells its own practice papers. Its current FAQ lists three packs for each of four areas: English, Mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Each pack has three question papers, answer sheets and parent guidance. GL says the numbers are references, not difficulty levels, and local authorities and schools can choose different subjects and question mixes. GL Assessment FAQ

When comparing a book, look at a sample question and its answer. Check whether the answer shows enough working or explanation for the child to review the method. A bare answer key may still be useful for checking, but it offers less guidance about how to solve a question.

Choose a resource for the need

Start with the current test information, then look at what the child wants to practise. You do not need a book for every subject just because it is sold as a bundle. A single sample can help you check whether the wording, format and explanations are a good fit before buying more.

For a paper assessment, a printed paper can let a child write on the page and practise the answer format shown in the school’s familiarisation material. For an online assessment, use the school’s or provider’s instructions to understand the player; printed questions can still practise subject content but do not reproduce the screen interface. ISEB provides a free player walkthrough for its Common Pre-Tests.

Smart Cub Learning’s progress tracking describes topic-level results from completed practice and assessments. It can show recorded results by topic; it does not explain why a particular answer was wrong. See the paper tests page for the format of our own practice papers.

Check the total cost and avoid duplicates

Prices depend on the title, edition and retailer. Before ordering, check the current price, delivery charge and whether answers or other materials are sold separately. Compare the contents of books you already own with a new sample, so you can see whether the new resource covers something different.

Be careful with anything described as a “past paper”. Unless an authority or school publishes it, a commercial practice paper may be original practice material rather than a past test. Medway, for example, specifically identifies its test as written for the council and says only material on GL’s site is official or endorsed for that test. Our guide to 11+ past papers explains how to check the source.

Questions parents ask about 11+ books

Which 11+ books are best? There is no single answer for every test. Check the subjects and format used by your child’s target school, then compare sample questions and answer explanations.

Are higher-numbered GL packs harder? GL says the pack numbers are for reference and do not show a difference in difficulty.

Do we need books at all? Not necessarily. ISEB says extra preparation is not a requirement for its Pre-Tests. Other authorities provide their own familiarisation information. Check the advice for the test your child will sit.

Is a revision guide better than practice papers? They serve different purposes. A guide may explain a method; a practice paper lets a child try a set of questions in the stated format. Check the individual contents before choosing.

A useful first step

Find the current admissions page for each school on your list. Note the entry year, subjects, provider and any sample material or instructions. Then compare one sample resource with that information and with what your child has already practised. This gives you a basis for deciding whether another book would add something useful.

For a practice option from Smart Cub Learning, see paper tests. For other sources, start with the relevant authority or provider page and check its latest entry-year information.