Guidance

Bond Customer Support

Note: If you are looking for support with using Bond Online Premium or Bond Online Premium Plus, please visit the Century Tech website at https://help.century.tech/support/home.

To help you get the most out of Bond Online and the Bond 11+ website, we’ve created a Bond Customer Support site to help you answer any questions you might have.

Bond Customer Support site

You can also telephone our Customer Services team on 01536 452960, for general enquiries.

11+ Exam Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions about the 11+ exam, take a look at our 11+ exam Frequently Asked Questions on this page.

If you just want an overview, you might want to download our essential, 'The 11+ Exam: A Parent's Guide'.

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About the 11+

For more information about the 11+ exams, please see our About the 11+ section.

What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination for secondary schools and is used by grammar schools and independent schools to identify academic ability and potential for their Year 7 intake. It is usually taken at beginning of Year 6.

The content of the 11+ exam varies between different areas of the country but generally it will focus on a combination of the following four subjects:

English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness tests are not school-based subjects and will not explicitly be taught as part of the curriculum in state schools.

There are two different formats for 11+ exam papers:

Standard format – where children write their answers on the printed test paper or type it into a box for computer-based exams.
Multiple-choice format – where a child selects an answer from a range of options. For a paper exam, the answers are usually marked in a separate answer booklet. For computer-based exams it will often mean clicking a box next to the chosen answer, though in some cases a child might need to type in letters corresponding to a particular answer option.

11+ exams increasingly favour multiple-choice, especially for computer-based tests, though the flexibility allowed by an online test means there might sometimes be the occasional standard format question mixed in. Being comfortable with both approaches is sensible.

Whether an exam is taken on a printed test paper or online (i.e. on a computer, which might be in the school being applied for or perhaps in the primary/prep school the child is coming from) will vary from school to school and region to region. At the time of writing, the majority of grammar school exams will be done in paper format, whereas most independent school exams will be online.

How long is the 11+ exam?

11+ exam papers are timed and usually last between 45-60 minutes.

How is the 11+ different to other school exams?

The 11+ exam is part of the secondary school selection process for schools in England that select by academic ability – including state-funded grammar schools and selective independent schools. The exam is optional and is held at the start of Year 6. There are two main exam boards, GL Assessment and CEM, although some schools set their own test or mix and match their own test with particular papers taken from external exam boards. The exact make-up of the exam can vary between Local Authorities and between individual schools.

By contrast, national exams such as SATs cover core English and maths skills, are standardised and aligned to the National Curriculum, and are part of the government framework for education. They must be taken by all children in state-funded primary schools, towards the end of Year 6.

The Common Entrance exam is set by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) and used by many independent (private) schools. It is taken in Year 8 and often referred to as ‘the 13+’. It covers most of the same core skills as the 11+ but will also include other subjects chosen by the school, such as science or modern and classical languages.

Selective independent schools might also offer entrance exams at 7+ and 8+. The Common Pre-Test is an online-format test offered by the ISEB for children in Year 6 (11+) and covers the same four subject areas as the standard 11+.

Where can I find out about the 11 Plus exams?

With no published curriculum, and with many schools preferring not to publish the content of their exams, the 11+ can have an air of mystery about it. Different Local Authorities and senior schools set different combinations of tests, making it hard to choose 11+ resources to meet every child’s needs.

On this website you will find up-to-date guidance on the 11+ and other selective entrance exams. You can find out further admissions information on the website of your preferred school.

Why is it so hard to find out information about the 11+?

The main reason is that schools or Local Authorities are able to choose their own test provider and adapt the test to their needs, so there is no one single, uniform test or central source of information.

Since the 1970s, in the state-funded education system there has been a political move away from selective school processes to state school comprehensive systems. For this reason, fewer schools and Local Authorities are using the 11+ selection system, meaning that information on and understanding about the 11+ exam is more dispersed. The 11+ is intended to test innate academic ability and therefore secondary schools want to ensure the playing field is as level as possible. Schools are not obliged to provide anything other than basic information about the test they use.

Independent schools also do not have to share details of the exams they use to select pupils and will want to ensure that no prospective pupils have an unfair advantage over others due to what they are able to find out about the exam.

What are the different 11+ exam boards and what is the difference between them?

Grammar Schools

The 11+ exam is highly regionalised: the subjects covered in the 11+ papers and how your child will be tested will depend on where you live.

For grammar schools there is now one main exam board: GL Assessment (previously known as NFER).

Which subjects are covered?

English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness (schools can choose any combination of these to best suit their selection policy).

Your child will require strong skills in vocabulary, logic, maths, and spelling.

If your child is sitting a GL Assessment-examined test, use plenty of practice papers to familiarise your child with the question types in each subject.

Some schools write their own exam or use papers from a smaller test providers, at times in combination with individual subject sections from more well-known exam boards, such as GL.

Practice Materials

Unless the cover denotes a particular relevance to a specific exam board, all Bond 11+ materials are suitable for the GL test, as well as any other 11+ exams.

What about CEM?

CEM, developed by the Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring, accounted for nearly half of the grammar school entrance exam papers until 2022 when they moved to an online-only test (CEM Select), which most grammar schools felt was not compatible with their testing and admissions process. By the middle of 2023 there were no state grammar schools offering the CEM test – though exam boards can change at short notice, so be sure to check with the school(s) you are applying to.

The exception is the CEM Select Mid-Year Transfer test, which CEM continue to offer specifically to grammar schools for entry into years 8, 9, and 10. It covers the same skills as the standard 11+, but is age standardised.

Independent Schools

Selective independent schools use a range of different tests and some will create their own or develop one as part of a consortium. Whilst 13+ exams for Year 9 entry bring in a larger range of subject areas, whichever exam board is used the 11+ (for Year 7) will usually cover the same subject areas as the grammar school tests – English, maths, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning.

The majority of 11+ tests for independent schools will be online (i.e. computer-based). Some schools have worked with ed-tech companies such as Atom Learning to create an 11+ test, but the largest exam boards for 11+ entrance exams for independent schools are the ISEB, GL, and CEM.

ISEB

The Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) has been designing and setting entrance assessments for over 100 years. Perhaps most famous for their Common Entrance Exam (13+), which tests maths, English, and reasoning skills, plus a range of subject-specific abilities, they also offer the Common Pre-Test for pupils in Years 6 and 7, going into Years 7 and 8.

The Common Pre-Test is made up of online multiple-choice tests and can be taken at any time during the ISEB Pre-Tests session, which runs from October – June in each academic year. They offer individual tests for each of the four subjects which can be sat at the same time or at separate times.

Which subjects are covered?

English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning

Practice Materials

The Common Pre-Test is administered by ed-tech company Century Tech. Bond are proud to collaborate with Century Tech on Bond Online Premium and Bond Online Premium Plus. Bond Online Premium Plus features over 8,000 Bond 11+ questions, as well as over 2,000 created by the ISEB and is the only ISEB-endorsed test practice platform. For more information: https://www.century.tech/bond/.

CEM

Developed by the Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring, the CEM Select 11+ exam was originally created in response to fears that the existing 11+ exam system had become too predictable. The CEM exam was designed to address concerns over question spotting and ‘teaching to the test’. As of 2022, the CEM test is only offered as a computer-based exam. As mentioned above, CEM is now almost exclusively used by independent schools.

Which subjects are covered?

English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning (usually mixed together to a greater degree than some other 11+ exams – meaning that flexibility of thinking is really important as children will need to move from one subject to another during a single 60 minute test).

Your child will require strong skills in English, comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and maths. CEM verbal reasoning is very different to GL verbal reasoning and success is dependent on children having a wide-ranging vocabulary.

If your child is sitting a CEM-examined test, work hard on developing a deep and rich vocabulary:

Use a vocabulary book to record new words and their meanings to ensure that your child really understands the words they are learning and can use them in context.
Read widely with your child and use ‘grown up’ words in ordinary conversation, explaining their meaning as you go.
Practise synonyms and antonyms by encouraging your child to use more sophisticated words to describe something, or completing crosswords together.
Plenty of exam prep using practice papers is also important for CEM, but the question types that appear in the real CEM 11+ exam are much more unpredictable.

Many independent schools use tests provided by GL Assessment. See the grammar school section above for more details. As with grammar schools, do be aware that GL offer different variations on their test to schools, some of which will only test on a selection of the subject areas.

General advice for whichever test your child is taking:

Time management skills are of great importance:

Make sure your child does plenty of timed practice and is accustomed to managing their time carefully.
Use practice test papers to set mock tests under exam conditions to help them get used to the formality of this experience – getting used to working in test conditions will help your child feel less intimidated by the real exam.

Don’t forget to check in with your schools of choice

Whether your child is working towards a grammar school or independent school exam, make sure that you check the following details with your chosen school:

When is the 11+ exam?
Which subjects are tested?
How many questions will there be in the 11+ paper?
What format does the exam take?
Who provides the exam?

I am undecided about entering my child for the 11+ exam. Is there any other benefit to following the Bond system or is it purely geared towards the 11+ exam?

The Bond 11+ system covers English, maths, verbal, and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness. All Bond English and maths books are matched to the National Curriculum and practicing reasoning questions develops transferable skills that can be used across the curriculum, widening the core skills of any pupil. Many parents, therefore, choose to use them as rigorous, general home support for their children as they progress through school. Preparing your child for secondary school is a very sensible use of time and money, and Bond products provide a cost-effective and systematic way of doing so. Additionally, for more focused preparation for the SATs assessment which all state school attending primary school children sit, Bond now also offers a SATs-specific range – Bond SATs Skills – that mirrors the question approach and difficulty levels used in these tests. Bond SATs Skills books provide ideal preparation and support for SATs and can be used in parallel with 11+ preparation material.

What do I do if my exam board changes?

Start by visiting your target school’s website for information on the format of the test. Then check out the new exam board’s website for helpful materials: some may offer familiarisation papers, banks of question types, and parent guides. Don’t feel you have to abandon all the resources you are currently using; instead, look for areas of overlap in terms of skills, and mix-and-match resources to start with.

Bear in mind, a different exam board will word questions differently, so it’s vital that children build flexibility and learn to adapt the skills they have developed to questions that cover familiar topics. Bond CEM titles are helpful for gaining familiarity with the style of questions specific to the CEM Select exam, but all other Bond titles are written to be applicable to all 11+ exams, meaning they can help with honing key skills, whichever exam is on the horizon. Finally, introduce new aspects gradually, for instance with 10 Minute Tests, before you launch into full, timed exam papers.

Bond Handbooks are available for individual subjects, but also for the dual subject approach of the CEM exam in the How to Do… series.

For more guidance, see how tutor Juliette Green dealt with just this challenge.

My Child and the 11+

My child is top of the year, but it is not an academic school. How can I tell how bright my child is compared to pupils in other schools?

The Bond Placement Test in the Free Resources section of the website will help you to assess your child against a standard and to find out where your child is in terms of the 11+ needs and requirements. However, this does vary year on year and school to school.

How do I ensure my child can complete the test in the time limit?

Being able to work quickly is essential for any timed test, but it is also something that can be improved with practice. The Bond system uses timed papers and following the books will ensure your child becomes used to working within a time frame. The Bond 10 Minute Tests are a great way to introduce the concept of working within a time limit, whilst keeping the pressure to a minimum. If timing is an issue, try starting with 10 Minute Tests but allowing more time at first and then gradually shortening the length of time allowed for each paper. Assessment practice titles offer longer tests and your child can work up to full length Test Papers which offer a realistic exam experience.

Bond Online offers mock tests, with a built-in timer. This can be especially helpful for preparing children for the CEM exam or other online tests, but is also a great way to mix things up with practice and build in flexibility for any exam prep. Bond Online Premium Plus includes timed mock tests for the ISEB Common Pre-Test and be a great way to offer your child a realistic ISEB exam under timed conditions, to really get them ready for the real thing.

You can also take a look at the Bond Handbook range for ideas on how to improve the techniques your child uses and then gradually shorten the length of time given to each paper. Speed matters and so focusing on this is pivotal.

I think my primary school does the 11+ test in May, so why are school options sent in March?

The exams held in state primary schools in May are SATs, which are different to the 11+. SATs are compulsory for all children in state primary schools; whereas the 11+ is optional and is part of a selective admissions process. The 11+ exams are usually held in September, though some independent schools prefer November, January, or even later.

I am going to move house to be in the catchment area of a grammar school. When is the best time to move?

If you are genuinely moving permanently into a new area, then your child should not be disadvantaged by this. You will often need to list the new address on your application to the school and to be already living at this address. Be aware that popular schools will be alert to any evidence that a family has moved temporarily into a new area, is listing multiple addresses, or has made other sudden changes to their lifestyle (such as church attendance) in order to support an application.

How fierce is competition for the 11+?

There are always more pupils applying for grammar schools than there are places available, sometimes as many as 10 pupils for every place, and so competition is fierce. When a school has an admissions policy based on the 11+ results only, those with the highest results take the places.

As independent schools aren’t tied to catchment areas and involve the paying of school fees, competition for places will vary and how fierce it is might be dependent on a particular school’s reputation.

If my child fails the 11+, can they retake it?

For many grammar schools the 11+ is the one and only opportunity, although some schools, especially independent schools, have 12+ and 13+ exams. There are no ‘retakes’ within an academic year.

If you are moving to an area after the start of Year 7 or wish to transfer to a grammar school from a comprehensive, then late transfer tests will usually be available. Those exams are similar to the 11+ but taken in Years 7 and 8. It is worth noting that for some independent schools, entry after Year 7, such as with the ISEB’s 13+ Common Entrance exam, might involve testing on a broader range of subjects, as well as on the standard English, maths, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning.

Can past papers be bought for practice?

Schools and Local Authorities, who commission an exam board to write the 11+ paper, do not usually make exam papers available. Generic example papers written by some exam boards (e.g. GL Assessment) can be bought from bookshops and online, though it is worth remembering that they are only examples of what might come up in those tests and the best preparation is to get broad grounding in the skills required for each subject being tested. Exam boards such as CEM (CEM Select) do not endorse any exam preparation and deliberately vary their test each year to discourage tutors ‘teaching to the test’.

Familiarisation tests are available on some school and Local Authority websites to give an idea of what the test looks like. Schools that set their own papers will often send out copies of past papers, as will schools that sit the Common Entrance exam.

Century Tech offer realistic mock tests using questions from the ISEB for the Common Pre-Test in Bond Online Premium Plus and those are the only ISEB endorsed practice tests available – see here for more details.

How can I explain an answer to my child when I can't work out the question myself?

All online practice resources and many of the Bond books and test papers include expanded, worked-through answers, so you can see how that answer was reached and explain it to your child. The Free Resources section of the website also provides some extended explanations for questions from across the range of books.

The Bond Handbooks provide comprehensive explanations and worked examples of all 11+ question types across English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Do I get to see the 11+ marked paper so I know how they have done?

No, the 11+ paper is not returned to parents. You will get a result that tells you what the pass mark is and your child’s score.

Is it possible to pass the 11+ without having a private tutor?

Yes. Some pupils will pass the 11+ without ever having had any 11+ tuition or having seen a practice paper. Other pupils will work through a couple of practice papers. Others will have private tutors. As with most things, preparation will make children feel more confident in approaching the questions. It is important to remember that every child is different and what might suit one child, won’t suit another. Whatever system you choose, don’t be afraid to change it if it’s not working effectively.

My child was not born in the UK and doesn’t have the word knowledge or general knowledge to answer some of the questions. What can I do?

This is a common situation which can impact on a child’s attainment in comprehension and verbal reasoning. Look for ‘I Spy’-type books with a UK focus; these are often inexpensive and wonderful for building general knowledge and vocabulary. Bond Flashcards: Synonyms and Antonyms are useful in introducing your child to more words in a fun way. More generally, encountering a wide range of UK-based novels and television (factual and news programming as well as drama) can broaden children’s cultural familiarity; and keeping subtitles switched on during viewing will reinforce vocabulary and spelling.

Does my child sit a different exam for each school on our shortlist?

If you live within a Local Authority that has several grammar schools, your child might only need to sit one exam as part of the application process. However, in a Local Authority where different schools have varied requirements, or if you’re applying to schools from an adjacent county, your child may need to sit multiple exams depending on what is stipulated by your desired schools. Therefore, it is imperative to check the entrance requirements of individual schools.

It is similar for independent schools. Some might be part of a consortium that organises a single exam for multiple schools, but others might have their own test. ISEB Common Pre-Tests only need to be sat once and the results can be shared with any senior schools that you are applying for which accept that test.

I am applying for different schools who follow different exam boards/my preferred school has just changed exam board – what should I do?

It is important to stay in touch with the schools you are applying to, to make sure you are clear on their exam arrangements. Schools have been known to change their exam boards as late as the first few months of the year in which the exam will be taken. But the good news is, most of the 11+ exams taken for entrance into Year 7 cover the same subjects or some combination of them – English, maths, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Any preparation you do will be helpful for all exam boards. They key is to get a good grounding in all four main subjects and to do plenty of practice, so that your child is familiar with the format of questions, the process of answering them, and comfortable working under timed exam conditions. You can find more guidance on how to deal with a change in 11+ exam board here.

The core range of Bond titles, including Bond Online, are suitable for all 11+ exam boards – GL, CEM, ISEB (Common Pre-Test), and school’s own papers. They can also be used as foundational work towards the Common Entrance exam (13+). Browse the print range here.

Bond also offers further support for specific exam variants which differ slightly from the most common (GL) format. In print we offer a CEM exam-specific range, which builds on the same skills, but is tailored to the styles and question types that frequently come up in the CEM test. They instil the flexibility needed to tackle that test, which mixes topics within papers. The CEM titles are also a great way to prepare for other exam boards where your child wants an extra challenge or is aiming for a particularly competitive school. Our CEM range starts at age 8-9 (Year 4).

For help preparing for the ISEB’s Common Pre-Test, we are pleased to offer Century’s Bond Online Premium Plus, which combines all of Bond Online’s 11+ questions with an additional set of over 2,000 practice questions written specifically for the Common Pre-Test. Bond Online Premium Plus is the only test preparation platform to be endorsed by the ISEB. Click here for more information about your options for Bond Online.

Preparing for the 11+ Exam

What can I do to help my child pass?

Firstly, it’s vital to mark work promptly and go through incorrect answers supportively with your child to ensure they don’t repeat the same mistakes. Use the expanded answers or the Bond Handbooks to see the best method for answering a question. Workbooks, such as the Bond Assessment Practice range or the 10 Minute Tests features worked examples and techniques. They offer valuable resources a child can refer back to as well as a record of their progress. This is especially important with vocabulary building and spellings.

More generally, making sure that your child is organised keeps them stress-free. If your child is working, then a quieter environment is helpful. Sometimes just sitting next to your child as they work can be a comfort.

How do I know how well my child is doing?

If you subscribe to one of our online products, you will be able to track your child’s progress, see their marks for each test, identify strengths and weaknesses and see where and how much they are improving.

All Bond Assessment Papers and Bond 10 Minute Tests contain a progress chart that enables a child to record their score for each paper, tracking their progress and identifying strengths and weaknesses.

Detailed parental advice on checking general ability, as well as specific subject skills, is included in the four Handbooks and throughout The Parents’ Guide to the 11+.

How can my child's scores for the 11 Plus be improved?

Practice is the best way to develop skills and improve scores – the key is to start at a manageable level and build up from there. Whilst a challenge can be invigorating, attempting questions that are too hard for your child can have a negative impact on their confidence. If in doubt, start with materials that you know they are comfortable with and then gradually increase the difficulty.

All Bond books include guidance on how to get the best results and which books to try next, depending on the scores your child is achieving. For ages 9-10 and 10-11+, Bond assessment practice also includes Up to Speed titles for children needing additional support to get up to the level required for exam success and Challenge papers for those who are working at the required level but are looking for an extra challenge or those who are applying for the most competitive schools. Bond CEM materials are another way to support children looking for an extra challenge.

With a subscription to one of our online products, parents and guardians get access to detailed reports showing how their child has been performing across topics, allowing them to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Bond Handbooks are packed with essential explanations and guidance, as well as ideas on how to improve scores and tutor exam tips.

Each pack of Bond 11+ Test Papers also includes ‘The secrets of 11+ success’ booklet.

The Free Resources section of this website also includes the Bond Placement Tests which will help you to establish your child’s strengths and weaknesses across the core subject areas. The Free Resources section also features activities, further guidance, additional practice material, and walkthrough videos.

What's the best way to motivate my child?

Many children find online work more appealing. Subscribing to an online product means that your child gets easy access to questions and instant feedback on their answers. Being able to try out different answers, do the same test again and again, and see their score immediately can be highly motivating.

Bond books also offer practical ideas and tips that should help your child stay motivated during practice sessions for the 11+. In particular, look out for:

the ‘Bond motivational planner’ system inside The Parents’ Guide to the 11+
the puzzle pages in each 10 Minute Tests title for English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning
ideas for games and tutors’ top tips for parents and guardians throughout the Bond Handbooks

How many hours of homework should my child be doing for 11+ preparation?

The aim of homework is to consolidate skills and to revise techniques. Little and often is a great way of learning but it does depend on the age of your child.

At Key Stage 1, games, reading, and building vocabulary can be a natural part of the day. Adding five minutes of times tables each day, five minutes of spellings, and time for reading before bed is perfect.

From Year 3, at-home activities should support a rounded education. Playing with Lego develops spatial awareness; computer programming and playing chess both develop strategic thinking; and games like Scrabble (or Junior Scrabble) help consolidate spellings. There are plenty of apps that children can use to support maths skills and spellings. The Bond Assessment Papers are age-appropriate so a child can complete a paper in a short time. If they enjoy the NVR and VR books, allow them to indulge their enjoyment. At this stage, developing a love of learning is key.

In Year 4, an assessment paper can be done a few times a week with a Bond 10 Minute Test on other days. Continue with times tables, spellings, and reading.

From Year 5, the assessment papers can be completed on most days, while Bond 10 Minute Tests keep learning fresh. Much depends on the exam board(s) your child is preparing for: if they are doing both GL and CEM, there will be more work to complete. Have some time when there is no homework at all and ensure your child has plenty of rest and relaxation. Although it is crucial to have a broad education, giving your child work to do that is not part of the 11+ can add unwanted stress, so there comes a point when focusing on the exam takes precedence.

My child is bright and capable, but they are very slow to work questions out. Does this mean they are going to fail the 11+?

Being able to work quickly is essential for any timed test, but it is also something that can be improved with practice. The Bond system uses timed papers and following the books will ensure your child becomes used to working within a time frame. The Bond 10 Minute Tests are a great way to introduce the concept of working within a time limit, whilst keeping the pressure to a minimum. If timing is an issue, try starting with 10 Minute Tests but allowing more time at first and then gradually shortening the length of time allowed for each paper. Assessment practice titles offer longer tests and your child can work up to full length Test Papers which offer a realistic exam experience.

Our online products also offer timed mock tests, with a built-in timer. This can be especially helpful for preparing children for online tests, but is also a great way to mix things up with practice and build in flexibility for any exam prep.

You can also take a look at the Bond Handbook range for ideas on how to improve the techniques your child uses and then gradually shorten the length of time given to each paper. Speed matters and so focusing on this is pivotal.

My child makes silly mistakes and loses marks because of it. How can I help?

No mistake is silly, as it has been made for a reason. Avoid negative labels. Instead, go through each error when you mark a paper then ask your child, in a supportive manner, why they think they made the mistake. Prompt if necessary: Did they not know the technique needed? Do they need more consolidation to remember the technique needed? Have they made a working-out error that reveals a lack of security in times tables or mathematical operations? Did they lose focus at that point? Did over-confidence lead to not working out the problem, or not checking their work afterwards?

Once you have this information, make a note of it in the page margin, and keep a tally in order to identify recurring issues or areas of weakness which can then be addressed in isolation. Tackling problems in a constructive and focused way will not only boost a child’s self-confidence, it will also model useful life-skills.

How can I tell if I’ve chosen the right resources?

Keep a check on your child’s progress. If they are not making steady advances, then reassess the resources that you are using. The aim is to provide a stress-free transition between one level and the next, to consolidate techniques and methods, to learn exam skills, and to build confidence. For a parent, a trustworthy system that is not only affordable and but also adaptable is key. Creating a proper, tailored learning plan for your child is vital.

I’ve been told to use lots of different companies for the 11+ to have the best chance of passing. Is this true?

No. When you want the best for your child it can be tempting to invest in every resource available. But buying every book, signing up for every online system and bombarding your child with an overwhelming range of resources is counterproductive. And while there are some fantastic materials available, others are poorly written and fail to prepare children properly. Even cost is not a guarantee of quality.

At Bond, we handpick the best tutors and teachers, with a long history of success, to be our authors. Our comprehensive range of print and online resources offers a complete programme of learning and practice for the grammar school and independent school 11+ exams and SATs, as well as for general improvement across core subjects and skills.

11+ Subjects

My child is bright at many subjects but struggles at Maths/English – what can I do to help them?

The Bond Placement Test in the Free Resources section of the website will help to identify where the problem areas are and will suggest which books your child needs to strengthen any areas they struggle with. Each book in the assessment practice series is carefully graded to ensure steady progress is made and the answer booklets make it easy for parents to check for accuracy. The Bond Handbooks give useful advice on how to approach different question types if your child is struggling to understand what the question is asking.

How can I help my child with comprehension and writing tasks for the 11 Plus?

The Bond range of tutorial guides includes two titles that deal specifically with the knowledge and skills required to successfully tackle these aspects of English: Focus on Comprehension and Focus on Writing

In addition, comprehension practice can be found within:

each book in the Bond English assessment practice range
the English range of bite-sized 10 Minute Tests
each mock test in the packs of 11+ English Test Papers
the writing tasks in each pack of 11+ English Test Papers

11+ Interviews

Will my child need to sit an interview as well as completing the 11+ exam?

Check with the school’s website to confirm if your child will need to have an interview. For many grammar and private schools there are no interviews, and parents are simply notified if their child has a place. Other schools invite just the child along for an interview; and others interview both the child and the parents or guardians.

How should my child prepare for an interview?

Make sure your child is confident about any in-school or extracurricular activities they have done and can explain how these might help them in secondary school. For example, ‘Playing in the primary school football team has helped me to be focused and to work well with others,’ or ‘Playing the flute in the orchestra has helped me to be more confident’.

Your child may be asked to bring along schoolbooks and sometimes certificates or awards from ‘out of school’ activities. Be selective: do include your child’s latest music, dance, sporting award or newspaper cuttings of events your child has taken part in, but don’t take along every piece of artwork your child has ever created, or certificates older than a couple of years.

The interviewer is looking for pupils who will best suit the school environment. Read the school prospectus to see what they value. Do they mention sports schemes, travel opportunities, debating societies, music activities, drama groups, reading schemes, or church events? What has your child done that links to this or demonstrates a transferable skill?

Bond 11+ Resources

How can the online practice area help my child improve?

As your child builds up a score profile for each question type, it will become clear which questions they are struggling with and which ones they excel at. It’s important to have had quite a few goes at each question type so that a clear picture emerges. It’s then easy to target practice on the types of question your child finds trickier.

There are several different sets of online questions on this website – what is the difference?

At Bond, we understand that every child is different and has different needs and also that you might want to try some online material before subscribing. On this website you will find several different sets of online questions, plus links out to CENTURY Tech, who we have collaborated with to create Bond Online Premium and Premium Plus. Find out more. You can access the following on this site directly:

Bond Online – thousands of Bond practice questions with instant marking and feedback (subscription required)
11+ Handbooks Area – a smaller online practice area, specifically formulated to support and consolidate the step-by-step explanations and worked examples found in our Bond 11+ Handbooks (free with registration)
Try Bond Online questions – a sample set of questions to give you a flavour of OUP’s Bond Online product (free)

Free resources – a large range of helpful guidance and downloadable practice materials, including the Bond Placement Test and practice test papers (free with registration).

Who has written the questions for Bond Resources?

The questions have all been written by experienced tutors and teachers. Since J.M. Bond wrote the original books, we have built a select team of trusted authors, all of whom have a proven, high success rate. The Bond author team includes Michellejoy Hughes, Jane Bayliss, David Clemson, Frances Down, Sarah Lindsay, Nicola Morgan, Alison Primrose, Jane Cooney, Andrew Baines, and Malcolm Thomas.

Which is better for practice: Bond Online or Bond books?

The short answer is that neither is better than the other – the important question is, ‘What is most suitable for you/your child and the learning outcomes you are working towards?’

Bond print and online products provide a different ways of preparing for the 11+, but all focus on the four 11+ subject areas and feature realistic question types.

Online questions are auto-marked and feedback is given immediately, so a child can work through independently, learning from their mistakes and building on their successes. There is also a dashboard for parents/tutors so that you can keep track of how your child/pupil is progressing. Bond Online Premium and Premium Plus use AI to recognise a child’s strengths and weaknesses and create a tailor-made pathway through learning material to drive mastery of all topics before taking the exam (for more information see our Bond Online page).

Online products can be done anywhere and used on any device with internet access. The 10-question quizzes can fit around busy schedules. All versions of Bond Online are great tools for 11+ skill development and are also particularly helpful when preparing for online tests such as CEM Select, as they allow your child to practise answering questions in a digital environment.

Whether used with or without the addition of an online subscription, the Bond range of books provides a complete programme of practice and preparation. The books are designed to be written in, allowing your child to interact with the material and providing a much-needed break from screen time – they don’t have batteries to charge and they don’t contain other distractions that can be found on devices. Bond books provide focussed practice and consolidation and can be used to familiarise children with working under timed exam conditions. In the 50+ since the first Bond book was published, millions of children, with the support of their parents and tutors, have used them to achieve their goals, whether for getting into the school of their choice, acing their SATs, or reinforcing key skills.

Why do you offer three different versions of Bond Online?

When it comes to exam prep, every child is different. We offer three different versions of Bond Online so that you can find the subscription that works best for you and your child. The most basic, which is hosted on this site, is OUP’s own version. It is a simple practice question bank and it is great if you want to practice, practice, practice. It is fully interactive and has instant marking, tutor feedback, and reporting tools for parents and tutors. Bond Online Premium and Bond Online Premium Plus are the result of a collaboration between OUP and award-winning Century Tech. They feature the same renowned Bond 11+ questions, but pair them with Century’s learning materials and utilise cutting-edge AI to create personalised pathways to exam success. Bond Online Premium Plus also includes practice questions for the Common Pre-Test and is the only test preparation material endorsed by the ISEB.

You can find out more about the different Bond Online offerings here.

If I want my child to pass the 11+/a selective school assessment exam, should I subscribe to all of your Bond Online variants?

No! Definitely not. All three versions of Bond Online include the same Bond practice questions, so you would not be gaining anything. You can find out more about the different Bond Online offerings here. Choose the subscription that is best for you and your child. The most basic version of Bond Online, which is hosted on this site, is OUP’s own version. It is a simple practice question bank, which gives you unlimited combinations of thousands of questions, divided into subjects and topics. It is great if you want to practice, practice, practice. It is fully interactive and has instant marking, tutor feedback, and reporting tools for parents and tutors. But some children and parents want something more structured and directive. That is why we have collaborated with Century Tech and their world-leading AI, to create Bond Online Premium and Premium Plus. Find out more.

I have a subscription to OUP’s Bond Online and I want to upgrade to Bond Online Premium/Bond Online Premium Plus (or to switch the other way) – how do I do that?

OUP’s Bond Online sits on a different platform to Century’s Bond Online Premium/Bond Online Premium Plus. If you want to change from one to the other you will have to cancel your existing subscription and then create a new subscription on the other platform. It is not possible to transfer your details or your child’s progress records between platforms. See our Bond Online page for more details about what you get with each package and where to subscribe.

Can Bond books be used to prepare for all exam boards?

Yes, the core Bond titles are not aligned to any one exam board to allow greater flexibility in learning and thinking, so they offer great preparation for any 11+ exam. Bond does offer a series of CEM-specific titles to provide additional support for pupils who will be taking that exam. These CEM Select resources can also be used for GL students looking for an extra challenge.

You can also use the Bond programme if your child is sitting a school-written test (which would likely cover some or all of the same four subjects as the standard 11+ tests) or an Independent School Examination Board (ISEB) test, such as the Common Pre-Test (which covers all four of the core 11+ subjects of English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning).

Bond English and maths resources will also help build key skills for the ISEB’s Common Entrance Exam (13+), while Bond’s 11–12+ range of maths books in particular can help prepare for the greater demands of the Common Entrance maths content – but bear in mind that ISEB Comprehension follows a different format, so supplementary support materials may be needed for that.

If the 11+ is taken at the start of Year 6, when do I use the Bond 10–11+ books?

The age-ranges on these books can be seen as a target ability-level, rather than dictating when they should be tackled. So don’t aim to use the age 9–10 Bond titles only in Year 5 or to ‘save’ the 10–11+ books for Year 6, as there won’t be time to use them!

When starting on Bond resources in earlier years, start with ‘age-matched’ resources but be prepared to move up and down the age-range depending on how your child finds the materials. Working at a lower age-level shouldn’t be seen as a sign of failure; rather it enables a child to build secure foundations for their knowledge and confidence, which will pay off later.

Why is Bond preferable to other 11+ systems?

Bond offers a complete package of books and test papers that make up a tried and tested route through the 11+ exam. The Bond Placement Tests in the Parents’ Guide are a vital key to assessing your child and they work in harmony with the rest of the series. Bond doesn’t have full-colour quiz books with stickers, games and gimmicks because that isn’t what the 11+ exam is like. Instead it offers a cost-effective, thorough and concise action plan that, used in conjunction with the Parents’ Guide, will offer all of the support and information you and your child need.

What about SATs – or is Bond only for 11+ preparation?

Bond is for SATs too. The first Bond books, published over 50 years ago, were written to support children taking the 11+, which was compulsory for all children at the time. Since then, the range of titles has grown and now includes a series devoted to helping with SATs preparation and mastering the skills needed to complete primary school studies and move on to the next educational challenges. Whilst the SATs exam doesn’t always feel as high stakes as selective school tests like the 11+, for many children it is a major milestone in their educational development and getting the results they want can be a real point of pride and set them up to start secondary school with greater confidence. Bond SATs Skills titles cover all of the English and maths topics needed for the Key Stage 2 SATs exams and offer realistic exam-style questions, tips and guidance, and a structured learning programme to build confidence without stress. Find out more about our SATs Skills workbooks and flashcards here.

My child needs support with core maths and English skills, does Bond have anything to help them?

Yes, of course! Bond 11+ and SATs Skills titles are matched to the National Curriculum for maths and English, so can be used for general development too, but we also have the No Nonsense series, which offers targeted support for core maths and English topics. Each book provides structured step-by-step lessons with ‘how to do’ explanations and tips for extra help. Carefully-graded practice questions and tests encourage steady progression, pitched at just the right level. No Nonsense titles cut straight to the most important stuff and can also be used to support exam preparation where extra help is needed on certain topics or subject areas. See our full range of No Nonsense titles here.

My child has done their 11+/SATs exam, but is nervous about secondary school, can you help?

Absolutely! Bond 11+ titles go up to 12+-13+ years, to support preparation for the Common Entrance (13+) exam, but also for general skills development beyond Year 6 and for those looking for mid-year transfers to a selective school. On top of that, we also have our Get Ready for Secondary School titles, which are perfect for switching up those core maths and English skills, ready for Key Stage 3. Find out more here.

I’ve got younger children who are not ready for exam-style practice, do you have anything for them?

We do! Progress with Oxford is another series offered by OUP. It provides fun, interactive support for core English and maths skills, from handwriting and counting to comprehension and times tables. Fully aligned to what is taught in pre-schools and schools, they are designed to support children to complete activities independently. With fun characters and collectable stickers they provide encouragement every step of the way. There are titles available from age 3 right up to age 10. For younger children they can be a great way to engage with key skills from an early age before moving on to Bond titles or they can be used alongside or as an alternative to Bond for older children who would benefit from some more gentle support. Find out more or find them in the Bond shop.

Working With Bond Products

I am a tutor, can I get a discount on Bond products?

Yes! We love tutors – our authors are tutors and we work closely with them to develop our top-quality learning and practice resources and to make sure that any guidance we offer is accurate and trustworthy. We also love the many tutors who use our products in their teaching and recommend them to parents, which is why we want to make your lives as easy as possible and can offer you up to 50% off when you purchase five or more print or subscription products from the bond11+.co.uk shop (offer excludes Bond Online Premium and Bond Online Premium Plus). Drop us a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more.

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Note: If you are looking for support with using Bond Online Premium or Bond Online Premium Plus, please visit the Century Tech website at https://help.century.tech/support/home.

11+ Exam Frequently Asked Questions

About the 11+

My Child and the 11+

Preparing for the 11+ Exam

11+ Subjects

11+ Interviews

Bond 11+ Resources

Working With Bond Products

About the 11+

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