11+ maths stays inside the national curriculum — the difficulty is pace and disguise, not new content. Every question your child meets in a GL Assessment paper is something they have already been taught by Year 5 or Year 6; the exam simply asks them to recognise it fast, under time pressure, and often hidden inside a wordy problem. This guide gives you the full topic checklist with the highest-mark areas flagged, worked examples of the methods children lose marks on, and a clear sense of what "exam-ready" actually looks like. Everything here links to a free Quest Arena worksheet so you can turn each topic into practice today.
How the 11+ maths paper actually works
Since CEM's separate 11+ tests were phased out around 2022-2023, GL Assessment now dominates most regions, with Essex (CSSE) and many independent schools running their own bespoke or ISEB Common Pre-Test papers. The typical GL maths paper is 50 questions in 50 minutes — roughly a minute per question — presented as multiple choice with answers A-E marked on a separate OMR answer sheet. No calculator is allowed. That format rewards two things equally: knowing the method, and being quick enough to reach the end. A child who understands every topic but works slowly will still leave marks on the table.
Raw scores are converted into a Standard Age Score (SAS), roughly 69-141 with 100 as the average. Age-standardisation adjusts for how old your child is on test day, which helps summer-born children. Many grammar schools look for around 111+, but exact pass marks vary by area and year, so treat topic mastery — not a single number — as the goal. CSSE and independent papers often include free-response maths and a little more probability than GL.
The complete topic checklist
Use this as a coverage map. Tick each area off only when your child can do it quickly and explain it. Fractions, percentages and ratio carry the most marks, wrapped inside word problems. BIDMAS, averages and basic algebra are the most-missed easy marks. Geometry contributes steadily via area and perimeter and angle facts.
- Number: place value, reading and writing large numbers, ordering, rounding to the nearest 10/100/1000 and to decimal places; the four operations with large numbers (column methods, long multiplication, short and long division); negative numbers across zero.
- Number properties: factors, multiples, HCF and LCM; prime numbers and prime factorisation; square and cube numbers, square roots; Roman numerals; BIDMAS.
- Fractions, decimals and percentages: equivalent and simplifying fractions, improper/mixed conversion, four operations, fraction of an amount; decimal ordering and operations; percentage of an amount, increase/decrease and reverse percentages; conversions between all three.
- Ratio and proportion: simplifying, sharing in a given ratio (equal and unequal parts), scaling recipes, direct and inverse proportion.
- Algebra and sequences: substitution, forming and solving simple equations, function machines; term-to-term and position-to-term (nth-term) rules, triangular numbers.
- Geometry and measure: coordinates in four quadrants, translations and reflections; angle facts; 2D and 3D shapes, nets, faces/edges/vertices; perimeter, area (including compound shapes) and volume; unit conversion; money, time, timetables and speed-distance-time.
- Statistics: mean, median, mode and range; bar charts, pictograms, line graphs, pie charts, tables, Venn and Carroll diagrams; simple probability (more common in CSSE and independent papers).
Want to track this across the whole year? Build your timeline in the revision hub and pressure-test coverage in timed mock papers.
The methods children get wrong — worked step by step
Most lost marks come from a handful of methods. Here are the ones worth drilling until they are automatic.
Adding fractions (common denominator)
To work out 2/3 + 1/4, find a common denominator (the LCM of 3 and 4 is 12): rewrite as 8/12 + 3/12 = 11/12. The rule for the "keep-change-flip" division method: 3/4 divided by 1/2 becomes 3/4 x 2/1 = 6/4 = 1 1/2. For a fraction of an amount, 3/5 of 40 = (40 ÷ 5) x 3 = 24. Always simplify the final answer — an unsimplified fraction often will not match any of the A-E options.
Compound area (split or subtract)
An L-shape is the classic mark-loser. Split it into two rectangles, find each area, then add — or find the area of the large enclosing rectangle and subtract the missing corner. For an L that is 8 cm x 6 cm with a 3 cm x 2 cm bite removed: 48 − 6 = 42 cm². The trap is mixing up area and perimeter, so always write the units.
BIDMAS in the right order
For 4 + 3 x 2, a child who works left to right gets 14; the correct order does multiplication first: 4 + 6 = 10. Brackets and indices come before multiply/divide, which come before add/subtract.
Sharing in a ratio (unequal parts)
Share £60 in the ratio 2:3. Total parts = 5, so one part = £60 ÷ 5 = £12; the shares are 2 x £12 = £24 and 3 x £12 = £36. Check they add back to the original £60.
Averages from one data set
For 4, 7, 7, 2, 10: the mean is 30 ÷ 5 = 6; the median (order first: 2, 4, 7, 7, 10) is 7; the mode is 7; the range is 10 − 2 = 8. With an even count, the median is the mean of the middle two numbers.
Quick-reference tables to memorise
These facts should be instant recall. Print them, test them, and revisit weekly.
| Angle fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Angles on a straight line | 180° |
| Angles around a point | 360° |
| Angles in a triangle | 180° |
| Angles in a quadrilateral | 360° |
| Vertically opposite angles | Equal |
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
| 1/4 | 0.25 | 25% |
| 3/4 | 0.75 | 75% |
| 1/5 | 0.2 | 20% |
| 1/3 | 0.333… | 33.3% |
| 1/10 | 0.1 | 10% |
Formula quick-list: area of a rectangle = length x width; area of a triangle = (base x height) ÷ 2; perimeter = total distance around; volume of a cuboid = length x width x height; speed = distance ÷ time; mean = total ÷ number of values.
Speed, accuracy and worded problems
Fifty questions in fifty minutes leaves no room for slow recall — mental-maths technique and instant table facts are what separate finishers from non-finishers. Build both with daily drills, then pressure-test in timed mocks. Useful shortcuts include partitioning (48 + 36 = 40 + 30 + 8 + 6), rounding-and-adjusting (99 x 4 = 400 − 4), and doubling/halving to simplify multiplication.
For any multi-step worded problem, teach a fixed routine: underline the actual question, list what you are given, choose the operation, work it out, then check the units and re-read the final sentence. The most common exam trap is a last line that quietly switches what is being asked — "how much change?" after you have just found the total cost. Aim for about a minute per question and, in a multiple-choice paper, never leave a blank: an educated guess still has a one-in-five chance.
Frequently asked questions
Is a calculator allowed in the 11+ maths paper?
No. GL Assessment and the great majority of 11+ maths papers are non-calculator, which is exactly why fluent mental maths and secure times tables matter so much. Practise every worksheet by hand.
How many questions are there and how long per question?
A typical GL maths paper is around 50 questions in 50 minutes — roughly a minute each. CSSE and some independent papers differ and may include free-response answers, so check your target school's format.
When should we start, and does algebra really come up?
Most families begin serious preparation in Year 5, building on solid Year 4 number work. Yes, simple algebra, sequences and some geometry appear — these are Year 6 curriculum topics that are often tested in the autumn of Year 5, so bring them in early.