Start by by building strong foundational English skills. This includes:

• Vocabulary
• Spellings
• Comprehension
• Grammar and Punctuation

Vocabulary: Work on expanding vocabulary by reading regularly and learning new words. Aim to learn around 20 new words a week, revising them often.

• How to Improve vocabulary:
  • Regular Reading: Encourage daily reading, including a variety of texts such as fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, and magazines. The broader the range, the more new words your child will encounter.
  • New Words: Aim for your child to learn and understand around 20 new words each week. Flashcards (both online or physical) are a great way to learn words, their meanings, and example sentences.
  • Practice: Revisit new words regularly to reinforce them. Use them in everyday conversations and writing exercises to solidify their understanding.

Spelling: Accurate spelling is essential for both the multiple-choice and written sections of the exam. Poor spelling can lead to lost marks, even when the content is otherwise correct.

• How to Improve Spelling:
  • Spelling Practice: Use weekly spelling lists and quizzes to regularly practice difficult words. Focus on common tricky words and words with irregular spellings.
  • Break it Down: Teach your child to break words into syllables, use phonics (sound patterns), and identify spelling rules or exceptions.
  • Repetition: Spelling accuracy improves with practice. Encourage your child to spell words out loud or write them multiple times for reinforcement.

Comprehension: Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret texts, which is a significant part of the 11+ exam. Strong comprehension skills help students answer a wide range of questions about meaning, tone, and details.

• How to Improve:
  • Daily Reading: Ensure your child reads for at least 20-30 minutes a day. Choose different types of texts (stories, articles, poems) to expose them to various writing styles.
  • Active Engagement: Teach your child to ask questions as they read, like “What is the main point?” or “Why did the character do that?” This encourages deeper understanding.
  • Practice Questions: Use sample comprehension exercises where they answer questions based on what they’ve read. Focus on understanding implied meanings, not just literal answers.
  • Discussion: After reading, discuss the text. Ask them to summarize, predict outcomes, or explain character motivations to ensure they’re grasping the content.

Grammar and Punctuation: A solid grasp of grammar and punctuation is crucial for clear writing. It’s also tested directly in many 11+ exams.

• How to Improve:
  • Grammar Rules: Teach your child the basic grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, correct use of tenses, and sentence structure. Focus on common mistakes, such as mixing up “they’re” and “their.”
  • Some 11plus exams cover grammtical word types such as verbs, adverbs, nouns, collective nouns, adjectives etc. TestLife 11+ EnglishGrammar quizzes have loads of practice questions.  
  • Punctuation Practice: Ensure they know how to use punctuation marks like commas, periods, apostrophes, and quotation marks correctly. Improper punctuation can confuse meaning.
  • Writing Exercises: Encourage your child to write short paragraphs or essays using proper grammar and punctuation. Afterward, review the writing together to spot any mistakes and correct them.
  • Games and Quizzes: Incorporate grammar and punctuation quizzes and fun games to make learning more engaging and less of a chore. TestLife 11+ quizzes are designed to be fun and effective for learning.

Cloze tests in the 11+ exam are a type of language assessment where students are presented with a passage that has certain words or parts of words removed. These blanks require students to fill in the missing words based on context clues, vocabulary knowledge, and comprehension skills. The goal is to assess the student’s understanding of language, grammar, and vocabulary.

In the 11+ exam, cloze tests are often used to test verbal reasoning, requiring students to think critically about language structure, word usage, and sentence flow. Cloze tests can include various formats, such as:

1. Missing Letters: Some letters in a word are blanked out, and students must complete the word.
2. Missing Words: Entire words are removed, and students need to select the appropriate word to fill the gap.
3. Multiple Choice: Students choose the correct word or phrase from given options to complete each blank.