11+ verbal reasoning: question families and a better way to practise

11+ verbal reasoning asks children to find relationships in words, letters and information. It is not one fixed national paper. The question families, instructions, timing and weighting depend on the local selection test, so begin with the official information for the schools or area you are considering.

Good preparation has two parts: language knowledge and reasoning method. A child may understand the logic of an analogy but still miss it because one word is unfamiliar. Another child may know every word but overlook the relationship the question asks for. Review should identify which part broke down.

What verbal reasoning can include

GL's current free familiarisation materials include examples such as word relationships, hidden words, letter manipulation and verbal reasoning. Other local tests can use different formats, so treat these as practice examples rather than a complete syllabus.

Vocabulary relationships

Questions may ask for synonyms, antonyms or words with a related meaning. A word list is one practice aid. You can also learn new words in sentences, connect them to known words and revisit them in reading. Use the familiarisation material for the target test to see what that test expects.

Original example: Which word is closest in meaning to reluctant: eager, unwilling, noisy or exact? The answer is unwilling. The reasoning depends on knowing the word, not on a hidden trick.

Analogies

An analogy asks a child to preserve a relationship. Name the relationship before inspecting the options.

Original example: Bird is to nest as bee is to what? The relationship is animal to home, so hive fits. If the child says only that both words are connected, ask for a more precise sentence.

Classification and odd one out

Several items share a rule and one does not. A strong answer includes both parts: why the group belongs together and why the remaining option fails the rule.

Original example: triangle, square, rectangle, sphere. The first three are flat polygons; a sphere is a three-dimensional solid.

Letter and word codes

Codes require a consistent transformation. Write the alphabet or positions when allowed during practice, test one possible rule and verify it against every supplied pair.

Original example: If each letter moves one place forward, CAT becomes DBU. Under the same rule, DOG becomes EPH. Checking all three letters prevents a rule based on coincidence.

Sequences

A letter or word sequence may use a repeated step, alternating steps, positions in the alphabet or two interleaved patterns. Children should describe the step aloud before selecting the next item.

Word construction

Some materials use compound words, missing letters or words built from selected parts. These tasks combine vocabulary with careful adherence to the instruction. Check whether letters may be rearranged, repeated or used only once.

One flexible way to practise a question family

You might try this sequence, adjusting it to the child and the materials: read the instruction together, work through one example, practise a few of the same type, then mix in familiar types. Add timing only if it is useful for the local test and the child is ready. If an answer is wrong, ask what caused the difficulty before choosing the next practice.

How to build useful vocabulary

• Choose a small number of words from real reading each week.
• Record a child-friendly definition and an original sentence.
• Add a synonym, antonym or word family when it genuinely helps.
• Revisit words after a delay rather than once in a long list.
• Use the words in conversation and short writing.
• Separate unfamiliar vocabulary from reasoning errors in the review log.

Prefixes, suffixes and roots can help a child make a reasoned guess, but they do not replace context. Encourage the child to check whether a guessed meaning makes sense in the whole sentence.

For a quick round of vocabulary retrieval, the quiz below asks for synonyms of ten words from our 11+ vocabulary word list, with each meaning shown after the answer.

An error log that leads to action

Use one of these labels when reviewing an answer:

• Word unknown: add the word to spaced vocabulary review.
• Instruction misunderstood: restate and practise the same format untimed.
• Relationship too vague: write a precise relationship sentence.
• Code not verified: test the rule against every provided example.
• Rushed: reduce the set or practise a skip-and-return strategy.
• Answer recording: where a local test uses a separate answer sheet, check the selected option and question number.

This turns a score into a next step. A child who misses four questions for four different reasons does not need four more copies of the same worksheet.

An example weekly practice routine

• One session could focus on vocabulary from reading and one question type.
• Another could revisit that type and talk through mistakes.
• A later session could mix familiar question types.
• If the local test is timed, include a short timed set once the child understands the method.

This is an optional example, not a research-backed schedule or a promise of a particular score. Adjust or ignore it to suit the child.

The timed practice test below is a short sample drawn from analogy and classification items and letter or number codes. It is marked at the end with a worked answer for each question.

Common traps

• Choosing a word that is related to the prompt but does not preserve the exact relationship
• Applying a code rule to the first letter but not checking the others
• Missing an alternating sequence by looking for one repeated step
• Assuming the longest or most unusual option must be correct
• Spending too long on one unknown word during a timed section

Connect verbal reasoning to the wider plan

Verbal reasoning should sit alongside reading and English rather than displacing them. Check your target test before deciding how much time to allocate. Smart Cub Learning offers a free four-subject diagnostic. Its subject paper tests provide a different type of timed practice. These product features do not replace checking what your local test includes.

For the visual reasoning counterpart, read our 11+ non-verbal reasoning guide.

Official sources

• GL Assessment free familiarisation materials. GL says its samples introduce multiple-choice layout and some question types, and warns that local timings and question numbers may differ. It also restricts copying or redistribution.
• London Borough of Bexley: current selection-test information.
• Warwickshire County Council: current 11+ test structure.
• Buckinghamshire Council familiarisation booklet, which gives examples but says actual tests may contain different verbal reasoning question types.