Which exam boards are used for the 11+?
Fundamentally, all of the exam boards used for the 11+ test the same things. The subjects that are tested in the 11+ are English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR).
The two most-common exam boards used for the 11+ are CEM and GL Assessment.
Some selective schools such as Eaton, Harrow and Westminster, among others, set their own entrance exam. Private schools tend to do this to make their exams unique, but they will still be testing the core principles of English, Maths, VR and NVR.
It is important to consider that, in Maths for example, pupils may be given a question on a topic which they have never encountered before. They would be expected to apply their knowledge from the subject to this new type of question – this tests their problem solving skills. They should try not to panic and instead focus on what they know which may help them answer the question.
There aren’t any huge differences between the exam boards. Some have more familiarisation material than others. The way the tests are taken may be slightly different: some are written while some are taken on a computer. Exam boards like to make it look like there are huge differences between themselves in order to try and encourage a bigger market, but ultimately they are still all assessing the same things.
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