11+ Maths: What to Expect and How to Prepare

The 11+ Maths paper goes a little beyond the school curriculum, and it rewards speed as much as knowledge. Here’s what to expect and how to help your child prepare.

Topics the 11+ Maths paper covers

• Number and arithmetic: the four operations, place value, negative numbers.
• Fractions, decimals and percentages: converting between them and finding fractions/percentages of amounts.
• Ratio and proportion: sharing amounts, scaling recipes and similar problems.
• Measures: time, money, length, mass and capacity — often in word problems.
• Geometry: angles, 2D and 3D shapes, perimeter, area and symmetry.
• Data handling: reading tables and charts, and finding averages (mean, mode, range).
• Algebra and sequences: missing numbers, simple formulae and number patterns.

The two skills that matter most

Beyond the topics, two things separate strong candidates:

• Mental maths speed: quick, accurate calculation frees up time for harder questions. Secure times tables are the foundation.
• Problem-solving: many marks come from multi-step word problems, where the challenge is working out which maths to use.

How to prepare

Drill times tables until they’re automatic, practise a little every day, and focus on the topics your child finds hardest rather than the ones they enjoy. Timed practice is essential — the paper is fast, and pace is often the difference between a good and a great score.

Our maths engine generates unlimited questions across all these topics, adapting to your child’s level. Try a taster in our free 11+ practice test.