Maths
What maths question types are on the GL 11+?
The GL 11+ maths paper covers 16 question types, from fractions, percentages and decimals through to ratio, algebra, sequences and geometry. Most turn up as word problems set in everyday situations, with five options to choose from. Some types appear far more often than others (our estimates come from practice papers).
Strong arithmetic and quick, accurate working under time pressure matter more than any single topic.
What are fractions questions on the GL 11+?
Fractions questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to work with parts of a whole: finding a fraction of an amount, adding or comparing fractions, simplifying, and converting between fractions, decimals and percentages. They appear as short calculations and as wordy problems, always with five answer choices.
What it looks like
A cinema has 150 seats. Two-thirds of them are booked online, then one-fifth of the seats still free are booked at the door. How many seats stay empty?
- A. 10
- B. 30
- ✓ C. 40
- D. 50
- E. 100
Why: Two-thirds of 150 seats booked online is 100, so 50 seats are still free before the door opens. Take one-fifth of that remaining 50, which is 10, and those get booked at the door, leaving 50 minus 10 equals 40 seats empty. The trap is taking the second fraction of the original 150 (one-fifth of 150 gives 30) instead of the 50 that were actually left.
How to approach it
- Read the whole problem first and note what fraction is taken at each stage.
- Work out the first fraction of the starting amount and subtract it.
- Take the next fraction of what is left, not the original total.
- Check whether the question wants the amount used or the amount remaining.
Fractions come up repeatedly inside the dominant Number section, often several times a paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are percentage questions on the GL 11+?
Percentage questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find a percentage of an amount, convert between fractions, decimals and percentages, or work out increases, decreases and discounts. Most are set in everyday money and measurement contexts, and a few ask your child to work backwards from a final price.
What it looks like
A bicycle is priced at 240 pounds. Its price is cut by 20 per cent in the January sale. What does the bicycle cost now?
- A. 48 pounds
- ✓ B. 192 pounds
- C. 208 pounds
- D. 220 pounds
- E. 288 pounds
Why: Find 10 per cent of 240 pounds by dividing by ten, which is 24 pounds, so 20 per cent is 48 pounds. The sale price is the original minus that discount: 240 pounds minus 48 pounds equals 192 pounds. The 48 pounds option is only the money saved, not the new price, and 288 pounds comes from adding the 20 per cent on instead of taking it off.
How to approach it
- Find 10 per cent by dividing the amount by ten, then build the percentage you need.
- Decide whether the question wants an increase, a decrease or just the percentage.
- For a discount, subtract the amount you found from the original price.
- Re-read to check you gave the final price, not the change.
Percentages feature in almost every GL maths paper, usually two to four questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are decimals questions on the GL 11+?
Decimals questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to order and compare decimal numbers, calculate with them, round them, and convert between decimals, fractions and percentages. Many are set in money or measurement, and the numbers often have different amounts of decimal places to test careful place-value thinking.
What it looks like
Which of these decimals is the largest? 0.7, 0.649, 0.72, 0.708, 0.6
- A. 0.6
- B. 0.649
- C. 0.7
- D. 0.708
- ✓ E. 0.72
Why: Give each number three decimal places: 0.700, 0.649, 0.720, 0.708 and 0.600. Comparing the digits from the left, 720 is the largest, so 0.72 wins. A child who thinks more digits means a bigger number is caught out and wrongly picks 0.708.
How to approach it
- Give every decimal the same number of places by adding zeros on the end.
- Compare the digits from left to right, place by place.
- The first column where they differ decides which number is larger.
- Remember that extra digits after the point do not make a number bigger.
Decimals appear directly in around three to six questions per paper, plus more inside money problems (our estimate from practice papers).
What are place value questions on the GL 11+?
Place value questions on the GL 11+ ask your child what each digit in a number is worth, from millions down to thousandths. They also cover rounding, ordering large or decimal numbers, multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000, and reading Roman numerals.
What it looks like
In the number 6,830,412, which of these shows what the digit 8 is worth?
- A. 8
- B. 800
- C. 8,000
- D. 80,000
- ✓ E. 800,000
Why: Counting the columns from the ones on the right, the 8 sits in the hundred thousands column, so it is worth 800,000. A child who lands one column short would pick 80,000, and one column too far would give it more than the number allows. Naming each column out loud, ones, tens, hundreds and so on, keeps the count honest.
How to approach it
- Find the column the digit sits in by counting from the ones on the right.
- Name that column: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on.
- The digit value is the digit multiplied by that column value.
- For decimals, the columns after the point are tenths, hundredths and thousandths.
Place value and rounding together make up roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are negative number questions on the GL 11+?
Negative number questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to order numbers below zero, compare them, and calculate across the zero boundary. They usually appear in real contexts like temperature, depth below sea level or bank balances, and test whether your child understands that a bigger digit can mean a smaller value.
What it looks like
At dawn the temperature on a mountain was minus 6 degrees Celsius. By midday it had risen to 9 degrees Celsius. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
- A. 3
- B. 6
- C. 14
- ✓ D. 15
- E. 16
Why: Count from minus 6 up to 0, which is 6 degrees, then from 0 up to 9, which is 9 more. Adding them, 6 plus 9 equals 15 degrees. Doing 9 minus 6 to get 3 ignores that the start was below zero, and forgetting the zero step gives 14.
How to approach it
- Picture a number line running from the negative start up to the higher number.
- Count the steps from the start up to zero first.
- Then count the steps from zero up to the final value.
- Add the two counts together to get the total change.
Negative numbers appear in roughly one to three questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
Prime number and factor questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to spot prime numbers, list factors and multiples, and find the highest common factor or lowest common multiple of two numbers. Some are set in word problems about sharing equally or events that repeat on a timetable.
What it looks like
Just one of these five numbers is prime. Which one is it? 39, 49, 61, 77, 87
- A. 39
- B. 49
- ✓ C. 61
- D. 77
- E. 87
Why: Test each for factors: 39 is 3 times 13, 49 is 7 times 7, 77 is 7 times 11 and 87 is 3 times 29, so all four are composite. Only 61 has no factors apart from 1 and itself, which makes it the prime. Checking division by 2, 3, 5 and 7 is enough to be sure at this size, since 7 times 7 is already 49.
How to approach it
- Remember a prime has exactly two factors: one and the number itself.
- Test each number for division by 2, 3, 5 and 7.
- If any of these divide it exactly, the number is not prime.
- Watch out for 51, 57 and 91, which look prime but are not.
Prime, factor and multiple questions appear as roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are sequence questions on the GL 11+?
Sequence questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to spot the rule linking a list of numbers and use it to find a missing or next term. Some give an nth-term formula to apply, and others hide the pattern inside a growing shape or a real-life word problem.
What it looks like
Work out the number that continues this pattern: 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ?
- A. 44
- B. 46
- C. 47
- ✓ D. 48
- E. 50
Why: Write the gaps underneath: plus 5, plus 7, plus 9, plus 11, each one two bigger than the last. The next gap must be plus 13, so 35 plus 13 gives 48. A child who assumes the gap stays at plus 11 lands on 46 instead, which is why writing the differences first matters.
How to approach it
- Write the difference between each pair of numbers underneath the sequence.
- Check whether the differences are constant or follow their own pattern.
- Work out the next difference, then add it to the last term.
- Test your rule on the earlier numbers before choosing an answer.
Sequence and pattern questions appear as roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are long division questions on the GL 11+?
Long division questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to divide larger numbers, usually by a two-digit number, inside a word problem. They often involve sharing or grouping, and the remainder must be handled correctly: rounded up, rounded down, or read as the amount left over.
What it looks like
A school has 245 pupils going on a trip. Each coach seats 40 pupils. How many coaches are needed?
- A. 5
- B. 6
- C. 6.125
- ✓ D. 7
- E. 8
Why: 245 divided by 40 is 6 with 5 left over. Six coaches carry 240 pupils, which leaves 5 pupils without a seat, so a seventh coach is needed. Choosing 6 forgets the 5 pupils still standing, and 5 is only the remainder.
How to approach it
- Decide which number is being shared and which is the group size.
- Divide to find the whole-number answer and the remainder.
- Ask whether the question needs rounding up, rounding down, or the remainder itself.
- For "how many needed", round up so nobody is left out.
Around two to four questions rely on division directly, with more using it as a hidden step (our estimate from practice papers).
What are long multiplication questions on the GL 11+?
Long multiplication questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to multiply larger numbers, typically three or four digits by a two-digit number, nearly always inside a word problem. Contexts include totals, costs and areas, and many questions combine the multiplication with a second step such as finding change.
What it looks like
A club orders 24 shirts costing 13 pounds each. They pay with 350 pounds. How much change do they receive?
- A. 28 pounds
- ✓ B. 38 pounds
- C. 48 pounds
- D. 312 pounds
- E. 662 pounds
Why: First multiply: 24 times 13 is 312, the total cost. Then subtract from the money paid: 350 pounds minus 312 pounds is 38 pounds change. The 312 pounds option is only the cost, the answer to the first step, and 662 pounds comes from adding rather than subtracting.
How to approach it
- Pick out the numbers to multiply and set them out in columns.
- Multiply by the ones digit, then by the tens with a placeholder zero.
- Add the two partial answers together to get the total.
- Complete any second step, such as subtracting from the money paid.
What are algebra questions on the GL 11+?
Algebra questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to work with letters that stand for unknown numbers. They cover substituting given values into an expression, solving one- and two-step equations, following function machines, and turning "think of a number" word problems into a calculation to find the missing value.
What it looks like
If 4n minus 7 equals 25, what is the value of n?
- A. 4.5
- ✓ B. 8
- C. 16
- D. 18
- E. 32
Why: Undo the equation one step at a time. Add 7 to both sides, which gives 4n equals 32. Then divide both sides by 4, which gives n equals 8. The value 32 is only 4n, so children who forget the final division stop there, and 18 comes from doing 25 minus 7 without dividing.
How to approach it
- Deal with the number added or subtracted first, doing the opposite to both sides.
- Then undo the multiplication by dividing both sides by the number in front.
- Keep both sides balanced: whatever you do to one, do to the other.
- Substitute your answer back in to check it works.
Algebra questions appear as roughly three to six per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are area and perimeter questions on the GL 11+?
Area and perimeter questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find the distance around a shape or the space inside it. They cover rectangles, triangles and compound shapes, sometimes with a missing side to work out first, and often ask your child to choose between the two measures correctly.
What it looks like
A rectangle has a perimeter of 30 cm and a length of 9 cm. Work out the width of the rectangle.
- ✓ A. 6 cm
- B. 7.5 cm
- C. 12 cm
- D. 15 cm
- E. 21 cm
Why: The perimeter is the whole way round the rectangle, so it equals two lengths plus two widths. Halve the perimeter (30 divided by 2 is 15) to get one length plus one width, then subtract the known length (15 minus 9 is 6). The width is 6 cm.
How to approach it
- Ask whether the question wants the distance around (perimeter) or the space inside (area).
- For perimeter, add every side; for a rectangle, double the length plus the width.
- For area of a rectangle, multiply length by width.
- Work out any missing side from the sides you are given first.
Area and perimeter together appear as roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are volume questions on the GL 11+?
Volume questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find the space inside a cube or cuboid, usually by multiplying length, width and height. Some give the volume and ask for a missing dimension, and others link volume to capacity in millilitres and litres, or count unit cubes in a solid.
What it looks like
A cuboid has a volume of 240 cm cubed. Its base measures 8 cm by 5 cm. What is its height?
- ✓ A. 6 cm
- B. 30 cm
- C. 40 cm
- D. 48 cm
- E. 227 cm
Why: The volume of a cuboid is length times width times height, so the height is the volume divided by the base area. The base area is 8 times 5, which is 40, and 240 divided by 40 is 6 cm. Dividing by just one side gives 30 or 48, which are wrong.
How to approach it
- Recall that the volume of a cuboid is length times width times height.
- To find a missing height, divide the volume by the base area.
- Work out the base area first by multiplying the two known sides.
- Keep all lengths in the same unit before you calculate.
Volume and capacity appear as roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are angle and shape questions on the GL 11+?
Angle and shape questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find missing angles and to know the properties of 2D and 3D shapes. They use rules such as angles in a triangle adding to 180 degrees, and cover symmetry, coordinates and nets. Diagrams are never drawn to scale.
What it looks like
Two angles of a triangle measure 48 degrees and 61 degrees. How big is the remaining angle?
- A. 61 degrees
- B. 69 degrees
- ✓ C. 71 degrees
- D. 109 degrees
- E. 119 degrees
Why: The three angles in any triangle add up to 180 degrees. Add the two you are given, 48 plus 61, which is 109, then take that from 180 to leave 71 degrees. The 109 option is the trap: it is just the two known angles added together, with the final subtraction from 180 forgotten.
How to approach it
- Work out which angle rule applies: triangle, straight line, or angles at a point.
- For a triangle, remember the three angles add up to 180 degrees.
- Subtract the angles you know from the total to find the missing one.
- Never measure the diagram, because it is not drawn to scale.
Geometry, of which angles and shapes are the largest part, makes up roughly six to ten questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are data handling questions on the GL 11+?
Data handling questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to read and interpret charts, tables and graphs, and to work with averages. They cover bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, pictograms and tables, and test the mean, median, mode and range as well as totals, differences and proportions.
What it looks like
The mean of five numbers is 14. Four of the numbers are 9, 20, 11 and 17. What is the fifth number?
- ✓ A. 13
- B. 14
- C. 15
- D. 57
- E. 70
Why: The five numbers must total 5 times 14, which is 70. The four given numbers add up to 9 plus 20 plus 11 plus 17, which is 57. So the fifth number is 70 minus 57, which is 13. Picking 14 just repeats the mean, and 57 is only the sum of the four known numbers.
How to approach it
- Multiply the mean by how many numbers there are to get the total.
- Add up all the numbers you already know.
- Subtract that from the total to find the missing number.
- Check by making sure all the numbers now average correctly.
Data handling appears as roughly three to six questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are speed, distance and time questions on the GL 11+?
Speed, distance and time questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to link how far, how fast and how long using the rule speed equals distance divided by time. They are always word problems about journeys, and most of the difficulty comes from converting minutes into fractions of an hour.
What it looks like
A runner covers 15 km in 30 minutes. What is her average speed in kilometres per hour?
- A. 0.5
- B. 7.5
- ✓ C. 30
- D. 60
- E. 450
Why: Thirty minutes is half an hour, or 0.5 hours. Speed equals distance divided by time, so 15 divided by 0.5 equals 30 km/h. In half the time she covers 15 km, so in a full hour she covers 30 km. Multiplying 15 by 30 uses the minutes by mistake and gives 450.
How to approach it
- Write down which values are the distance, the time and the speed.
- Change the time into hours, remembering 30 minutes is half an hour.
- Use speed equals distance divided by time.
- Check the answer is a sensible speed for the person or vehicle.
Speed, distance and time appears as roughly one to three questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are ratio and proportion questions on the GL 11+?
Ratio and proportion questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to share an amount in a given ratio, simplify ratios, scale recipes or maps, and link ratios to fractions. They are usually word problems, and the trickiest part is treating a ratio as parts of a whole rather than as a simple fraction.
What it looks like
Nadia and Tom share 90 marbles in the ratio 5:4. How many marbles does Tom get?
- A. 10
- ✓ B. 40
- C. 45
- D. 50
- E. 90
Why: Add the ratio numbers, 5 plus 4, to get 9 equal parts in total. One part is 90 divided by 9, which is 10 marbles, and Tom has 4 parts, so he gets 4 times 10 equals 40. The 50 option is Nadia's larger 5-part share by mistake, and 45 comes from splitting the marbles equally in half rather than by the ratio.
How to approach it
- Add the numbers in the ratio to find the total number of parts.
- Divide the amount by the total parts to find one part.
- Multiply one part by the ratio number for the person asked about.
- Check the shares add back up to the starting amount.
Ratio and proportion appears as roughly two to four questions per paper (our estimate from practice papers).
English
What English question types are on the GL 11+?
The GL 11+ English paper covers 6 core skills: reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary and word classes. A reading passage usually anchors the paper, with questions that test understanding alongside technical accuracy. Every question gives five options, and comprehension carries the most marks (our estimates come from practice papers).
A wide vocabulary and careful reading tend to lift scores across every part of the paper.
What are reading comprehension questions in the 11+?
Reading comprehension questions in the GL 11+ ask your child to read a passage and answer multiple-choice questions about it. Some questions ask about facts stated in the text, while others ask what the writing suggests, what a word means in context, or how the author creates an effect.
What it looks like
Read the extract, then answer the question.
"Mara pressed her nose to the coach window and watched the familiar streets slide away. She had counted the days until this trip, yet now her packed suitcase felt strangely heavy on her lap."
Question: What does the extract suggest about how Mara feels as the coach leaves?
- A. She is bored by the long journey.
- ✓ B. She is excited about the trip but also uneasy about leaving.
- C. She is angry with her family for sending her away.
- D. She is frightened of travelling by coach.
- E. She is tired out after all her packing.
Why: The extract says Mara counted the days, which shows she was eager, but her suitcase feeling strangely heavy hints at reluctance to leave. Only option B holds both feelings together. The other options seize on a single detail or add feelings the text never supports.
How to approach it
- Read the whole extract before you look at the question.
- Underline the exact words the question points you to.
- Ask what those words show about the character, not just what happens.
- Pick the option supported by every clue, then check it against the text.
In a typical GL English paper: around 13 to 18 questions on a single passage (our estimate from practice papers).
What are spelling questions in the 11+?
Spelling questions in the GL 11+ show a sentence split into four labelled parts, and your child decides which part contains a misspelled word. A fifth option, "No mistake", is chosen when every word is spelled correctly. The words are the kind taught in Years 5 and 6.
What it looks like
One part of this sentence contains a spelling mistake. Which part?
- A. We were genuinely
- ✓ B. gratefull for the
- C. warm welcome at
- D. the village hall.
- E. No mistake
Why: The word "gratefull" has been given a double l; the correct spelling is "grateful" with a single l. "Genuinely" looks tricky but is spelled correctly, and the remaining parts are fine too, so the error sits in part B.
How to approach it
- Read the whole sentence naturally to hear any word that jars.
- Check the tricky word in each part letter by letter.
- Watch double letters, silent letters and endings like -ful and -ly.
- If every word is correct, choose "No mistake".
In a typical GL English paper: around 4 to 8 spelling questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are punctuation questions in the 11+?
Punctuation questions in the GL 11+ show a sentence split into four labelled parts, and your child decides which part contains a punctuation error. A fifth option, "No mistake", is chosen when the sentence is correct. Apostrophes, commas and speech marks are tested most often.
What it looks like
One part of this sentence contains a punctuation mistake. Which part?
- A. The teacher collected
- ✓ B. all the childrens
- C. homework before
- D. the bell rang.
- E. No mistake
Why: The word "childrens" is a possessive here, because the homework belongs to the children, so it needs an apostrophe and becomes children's. Children is already a plural, so the apostrophe goes before the s. No other part has a punctuation error, so the answer is B.
How to approach it
- Read the line and picture the punctuation each part needs.
- Check every apostrophe: is it possession, or just a plain plural?
- Check capital letters, commas and the mark that ends the sentence.
- If nothing is wrong, choose "No mistake".
In a typical GL English paper: around 4 to 8 punctuation questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are grammar questions in the 11+?
Grammar questions in the GL 11+ usually give a sentence with a missing word and five options, and your child picks the word that is grammatically correct. They test verb tenses, homophones like their and there, apostrophes, conjunctions and word endings, often within a short passage read as a continuous story.
What it looks like
Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence.
"By Friday, the team had finally ______ their new captain."
- A. chose
- ✓ B. chosen
- C. choosed
- D. choose
- E. chosed
Why: After the word "had" you need the past participle, which is "chosen", not the past simple "chose". "Choosed" and "chosed" are not real words, and "choose" is the present tense, so only "chosen" fits after "had".
How to approach it
- Read the whole sentence and spot the tense it is using.
- Cross out any option that is not a real word.
- After "had" or "have", use the past participle form of the verb.
- Read your choice back in the sentence to check it fits.
In a typical GL English paper: around 8 grammar or cloze questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are vocabulary questions in the 11+?
Vocabulary questions in the GL 11+ ask your child to choose the word closest in meaning to a given word, or to pick the best word to fill a gap in a sentence. They test how many words your child knows and how precisely they understand shades of meaning.
What it looks like
Choose the word closest in meaning to the word in capitals.
"The STERN headmaster rarely smiled at the pupils."
- ✓ A. strict
- B. sad
- C. loud
- D. rear
- E. calm
Why: Here "stern" describes the headmaster as serious and strict, so "strict" is the closest match. "Rear" is a real meaning of "stern" (the back of a ship), but it cannot describe a person, and the other options point to different moods.
How to approach it
- Read the word inside its sentence to fix its exact meaning.
- Say a simple synonym in your own head first.
- Match your synonym to the closest option.
- Reject any word that is merely linked, not equal in meaning.
In a typical GL English paper: roughly 4 to 8 vocabulary questions, split between the passage and standalone gap-fills (our estimate from practice papers).
What are word class questions in the 11+?
Word class questions in the GL 11+ ask your child to name the job a word is doing in a sentence, such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb or preposition. The words are always shown in context, and the tricky ones are those that do not behave the way children expect.
What it looks like
What type of word is the word in capitals?
"The old house SEEMED empty, though smoke curled from the chimney."
- ✓ A. verb
- B. adjective
- C. adverb
- D. noun
- E. preposition
Why: The word "seemed" is a verb, even though it describes a state rather than an action. Linking verbs such as "seemed", "was" and "appeared" still do the job of a verb, so "adjective" is the trap here, not the answer.
How to approach it
- Read the word in its sentence, never on its own.
- Ask what job the word is doing in that sentence.
- Remember that verbs can show a state, not only an action.
- Do not be fooled by word endings; always check the function.
In a typical GL English paper: around 2 to 3 word class questions within the comprehension section (our estimate from practice papers).
Verbal Reasoning
What verbal reasoning question types are on the GL 11+?
The GL 11+ verbal reasoning paper covers 17 question types, blending word puzzles (synonyms, antonyms, analogies, hidden words) with letter and number codes, sequences and short logic problems. Each is multiple choice with five options. Verbal reasoning is the most varied of the three papers, and word-based types appear most often (our estimates come from practice papers).
Many of these types reward pattern-spotting and a methodical approach far more than raw knowledge.
What are synonym questions in the 11+?
Synonym questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find the word closest in meaning to a given word. They test vocabulary and precise understanding, not just a rough sense of a word. The five options usually include a near-miss lookalike and an opposite, both there to catch a careless reader.
What it looks like
Which word means most nearly the same as RAPID?
- ✓ A. swift
- B. slow
- C. loud
- D. narrow
- E. calm
Why: "Rapid" means very fast, so the closest match is "swift". "Slow" is the deliberate trap because it points the opposite way, and "loud", "narrow" and "calm" are simply unrelated. Saying the meaning of the target word in your head before reading the options stops the opposite from catching you out.
How to approach it
- Read the target word and say its meaning in your head before looking at the options.
- Scan all five options and do not stop at the first one that seems close.
- Cross out any opposite and any word that is merely linked to the target.
- Choose the option that could replace the target word with no change in meaning.
What are antonym questions in the 11+?
Antonym questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find the word most opposite in meaning to a given word. They test vocabulary and precision. GL often hides a synonym of the target word among the options, which catches children who read "opposite" as "closest".
What it looks like
Which word means the opposite of TIMID?
- A. shy
- ✓ B. bold
- C. quiet
- D. gentle
- E. nervous
Why: "Timid" means easily frightened or lacking confidence, so its opposite is "bold". The catch is that "shy", "quiet" and "nervous" all mean roughly the same as timid, which is the synonym trap GL loves to set. Define the word, say its opposite out loud, then look for that opposite in the list.
How to approach it
- Define the target word, then say its opposite out loud before reading the options.
- Match the strength of the word, so a strong word takes a strong opposite.
- Reject any option that means the same as the target, which is the synonym trap.
- Pick the option that cancels out the target word's meaning.
Opposite-meaning questions do not appear in every GL paper; the type rotates in and out of the paper (our reading of GL practice papers).
What are verbal analogy questions in the 11+?
Verbal analogy questions on the GL 11+ give a word pair and ask your child to complete a second pair in the same way: A is to B as C is to what. They test whether a child can spot the exact relationship between two words and apply it to a new word.
What it looks like
Cub is to bear as foal is to ?
- ✓ A. horse
- B. stable
- C. calf
- D. mare
- E. young
Why: A cub is a young bear, so the second pair needs the adult that a foal grows into: a horse. "Mare" is a trap because it names only the female adult, while the link is simply young to adult. "Stable" is where a horse lives, not what it becomes. Name the relationship before you choose.
How to approach it
- Say the connection between the first two words as a full sentence.
- Apply that exact connection to the third word to predict the answer.
- Find your prediction among the options.
- Check the direction matches and reject words merely linked to the third word.
What are odd two out questions in the 11+?
Odd two out questions on the GL 11+ give five words and ask your child to find the two that do not belong with the rest. The other three share one clear, specific connection. The two odd words are simply the leftovers and do not need to relate to each other.
What it looks like
Which two words do not belong? oak, rose, pine, birch, daisy
- A. oak and pine
- ✓ B. rose and daisy
- C. oak and birch
- D. pine and daisy
- E. birch and rose
Why: Oak, pine and birch are all trees, so they form the group of three. Rose and daisy are flowers, which makes them the two that do not belong. Look for the three words that clearly link before deciding which two are left over.
How to approach it
- Read all five words before deciding anything.
- Look for the three words that share one specific link, not the two oddities.
- Name the link exactly, such as all trees rather than all plants.
- The remaining two words are your answer, even if they differ from each other.
What are compound word questions in the 11+?
Compound word questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to join two shorter words to make one longer, real word. In the common version a child picks one word from each of two groups, and the word on the left always comes first. They reward wide vocabulary and careful, systematic checking.
What it looks like
Which word makes a new word when placed in front of both ACHE and MASTER?
- A. tooth
- ✓ B. head
- C. school
- D. grand
- E. band
Why: The linking word must make a real word with both partners. "Head" gives headache and headmaster, and both are real words. Each other option works with only one partner, such as toothache but not toothmaster, or schoolmaster but not schoolache, so it fails the both-sides test.
How to approach it
- Take each option and join it to the first partner word.
- If that makes a real word, join the same option to the second partner word.
- Keep only the option that makes a real word with both partners.
- Check the letters, not the sound, so near-misses do not fool you.
When compound words appear, expect roughly 3 to 5 questions in the paper (our estimate from practice papers).
What are hidden word questions in the 11+?
Hidden word questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to find a small word hidden across the gap between two neighbouring words in a sentence. The hidden word is usually four letters long, made from the end of one word and the start of the next, kept in order.
What it looks like
Find the four-letter word hidden across two neighbouring words: "The cobra napped in the sun."
- A. COIN
- B. NAPE
- ✓ C. BRAN
- D. SUNK
- E. THEN
Why: Check each pair of neighbouring words for a four-letter word made from the end of one and the start of the next. In "cobra napped", the last three letters of "cobra" (bra) join the first letter of "napped" (n) to make BRAN. No other word boundary in the sentence hides a four-letter word.
How to approach it
- Move along the sentence one pair of neighbouring words at a time.
- At each gap, try taking three-plus-one, two-plus-two, and one-plus-three letters.
- Read the four letters as a word, ignoring how they sounded in the original words.
- Stop when you find a real four-letter word bridging the gap.
What are move a letter questions in the 11+?
Move a letter questions on the GL 11+ ask your child to take one letter out of the first word and add it to the second word, so that both become new, real words. The letters that stay keep their original order. They test spelling and flexible word knowledge.
What it looks like
Move one letter from PLANT to CAR so that both become new, real words. Which pair is the result?
- A. PANT and CARL
- ✓ B. PLAN and CART
- C. LAND and RACE
- D. PLAN and RACE
- E. PANT and CART
Why: Removing the T from PLANT leaves PLAN, and adding that T to the end of CAR makes CART, so both are real words. No other single letter can move and leave two real words: taking the L gives PANT, but you cannot add L to CAR to make a real word, and reordering letters is not allowed.
How to approach it
- Remove each letter of the first word in turn and check the leftover is a real word.
- When it is, add that letter into the second word at every position.
- Keep the move only if both new words are real and no letters are reordered.
- Try the process in both directions if the first does not work.
What are missing letters questions in the 11+?
Missing letters questions on the GL 11+ show a word with three letters taken out of the middle, and those three letters spell a small word of their own. Your child must find the three-letter word that fills the gap and completes the longer word. They test spelling and word-building.
What it looks like
Which three-letter word fills the gap to make a real word? JO ( _ _ _ ) EY
- A. OWN
- ✓ B. URN
- C. INK
- D. EAR
- E. ILL
Why: Putting URN into JO ( _ _ _ ) EY makes JOURNEY, and "urn", a container, is itself a real word. None of the other options fills the gap to make a real word, so both tests are satisfied only by URN.
How to approach it
- Read the letters you can see and guess the whole word they belong to.
- Work out which three letters are missing from the middle.
- Check those three letters also spell a real word on their own.
- Test each option in the gap and keep the one that satisfies both.
What are shared letter questions in the 11+?
Shared letter questions on the GL 11+ give two pairs of word parts, each with a gap, and ask for the single letter that completes all four words. The same letter ends the first part and begins the second part in each pair. They test spelling and quick word-building.
What it looks like
Which single letter completes all four words? SEA ( ? ) EAP and COA ( ? ) AND
- A. T
- ✓ B. L
- C. R
- D. S
- E. M
Why: The same letter must finish the first part and start the second part in both pairs. "L" makes SEAL and LEAP, and also COAL and LAND. A letter like R makes SEAR and REAP but fails on the second pair, so only L completes all four words.
How to approach it
- Look at each pair as two gaps that the same letter must fill.
- Start with the pair that has the fewest letters that could possibly work.
- Test your chosen letter against all four words, not just one pair.
- Choose the letter that makes every one of the four words real.
Shared letter rotates in and out of GL papers, often alongside letter codes; when it appears you may see around six questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are letter code questions in the 11+?
Letter code questions on the GL 11+ give a word and its coded version, and ask your child to work out the rule and apply it to a new word. The code shifts each letter along the alphabet by a set amount. An alphabet line is printed on the paper to help with counting.
What it looks like
If FROG is written in code as HTQI, what is the code for BEAD?
- ✓ A. DGCF
- B. DGBF
- C. CGCF
- D. DFCF
- E. DGCG
Why: Compare each letter of FROG with its code: F to H, R to T, O to Q, and G to I are all two steps forward. Applying the same plus-two shift to BEAD gives D, G, C, F. Check every letter rather than assuming the shift after only the first one.
How to approach it
- Write the code word underneath the plain word, letter beneath letter.
- Count the alphabet shift for each letter separately.
- Confirm the shift is the same all the way along.
- Apply that shift to every letter of the new word.
Letter codes rotate in and out of GL papers; when the type appears you may see around six questions in the section (our estimate from practice papers).
What are number word code questions in the 11+?
Number word code questions on the GL 11+ give a group of words and a jumbled group of number codes, and ask which code matches a word (or the reverse). Each letter stands for a fixed digit, but the digits are not alphabet positions, so your child must work them out by comparing shared letters.
What it looks like
The words TIP, PIT, TAP and PAT have the codes 476, 654 and 456, but one word has no code. What is the code for TIP?
- ✓ A. 456
- B. 654
- C. 476
- D. 465
- E. 546
Why: TIP and PIT share the same three letters, so their codes must use the same three digits, which are 456 and 654. TAP is the only word containing A, so it takes the code with the odd digit, 476, which gives T equals 4 and P equals 6. TIP therefore begins with 4 and reads 456.
How to approach it
- Spot words that share letters and match them to codes that share digits.
- Use a word with a unique letter to pin down a code quickly.
- Build a letter-equals-digit table as each clue appears.
- Read off only the letters you need to answer the question.
What are word code analogy questions in the 11+?
Word code analogy questions on the GL 11+ show how one word changes into another by moving, swapping or changing letters, then ask your child to change a new word in the same way. Every result must be a real word. They test letter-pattern spotting, not meaning.
What it looks like
POTS becomes STOP in the same way that TRAP becomes ?
- ✓ A. PART
- B. TRIP
- C. RAPT
- D. PRAT
- E. TARP
Why: "Pots" spelt backwards is "stop", so the rule is to reverse the whole word. Reversing "trap" letter by letter gives P, A, R, T, which spells PART. The other options rearrange the letters in different ways, so they do not follow the reversal rule.
How to approach it
- Compare the first word and its partner letter by letter.
- Describe exactly what changed: which letters moved, swapped or changed.
- Apply that same change to the new word.
- Check your answer is a real word and appears in the options.
What are number series questions in the 11+?
Number series questions on the GL 11+ give a row of numbers that follow a hidden rule and ask for the number that comes next. The rule might be adding, subtracting, multiplying, or a gap that keeps changing. They test pattern spotting and quick, accurate arithmetic.
What it looks like
What number comes next? 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, ?
- A. 17
- B. 18
- ✓ C. 19
- D. 20
- E. 21
Why: Look at the gaps between the numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4. Each gap grows by one, so the next gap is 5. Adding 5 to 14 gives 19. Writing the differences first is what reveals the rule.
How to approach it
- Write the gap between each pair of numbers.
- If the gaps are equal, keep adding that amount.
- If the gaps change, find the pattern in the gaps themselves.
- Apply the rule once more to reach the next number.
Number series usually appears in every GL paper, with roughly 3 to 5 questions (our estimate from practice papers).
What are letter pair series questions in the 11+?
Letter pair series questions on the GL 11+ show a line of letter pairs that follow a pattern and ask for the pair that comes next. The two letters in each pair usually follow their own separate rules. An alphabet line is printed to help with counting the steps.
What it looks like
Which pair comes next? BD, DF, FH, HJ, ?
- A. IK
- B. JK
- ✓ C. JL
- D. KL
- E. IL
Why: Take the first letters: B, D, F, H each jump two places, so the next is J. The second letters D, F, H, J also jump two places, giving L. Combining them gives JL. Treat the two letters as two separate sequences.
How to approach it
- Write the first letter of every pair in one row.
- Write the second letter of every pair in another row.
- Find the step pattern in each row on its own.
- Take the next letter from each row to build the answer pair.
What are letter sum questions in the 11+?
Letter sum questions on the GL 11+ give letters number values (A is 1, B is 2, up to Z is 26) and ask your child to work out a calculation, giving the answer as a number or a letter. An alphabet line with values is printed on the paper. They test arithmetic accuracy alongside alphabet knowledge.
What it looks like
Using A equals 1, B equals 2, and so on to Z equals 26, which letter is missing? B + F + ? = R
- A. H
- B. I
- ✓ C. J
- D. K
- E. L
Why: Replace each letter with its value: B is 2, F is 6, and R is 18. So 2 plus 6 plus the missing value equals 18, which means the missing value is 10. The letter with value 10 is J.
How to approach it
- Write the number value under each letter in the calculation.
- Follow the arithmetic carefully, using BODMAS if there is more than one operation.
- Work out the missing value or the total.
- Convert the number back to a letter if the answer needs one.
What are balance equation questions in the 11+?
Balance equation questions show a number sentence with a missing value in brackets, and ask your child to find the number that makes both sides equal. One side is worked out fully, then matched to the side with the gap. They test arithmetic and the order of operations.
What it looks like
Solve the equation: 16 + 4 x 5 = ( ) x 6
- A. 4
- B. 5
- ✓ C. 6
- D. 7
- E. 30
Why: Use BODMAS on the left: multiply 4 by 5 to get 20, then add 16 to reach 36. The right side is 6 times the missing number, and 6 times 6 makes 36, so the bracket holds 6. Doing the multiplication before the addition is what keeps the two sides balanced.
How to approach it
- Work out the side of the equation that has no gap, using BODMAS.
- That total must equal the side with the gap.
- Ask what number makes the gapped side reach the total.
- Put your answer back in and check both sides match.
What are logic and language questions in the 11+?
Logic and language questions on the GL 11+ use written clues to work out an answer, such as putting people in order, following a chain of statements, or deciding what must be true. They test careful reading and step-by-step reasoning rather than vocabulary.
What it looks like
Five children ran a race. Mia finished first. Priya finished ahead of Sam. Sam finished ahead of Leo. Owen finished behind Leo. Who finished second?
- A. Mia
- ✓ B. Priya
- C. Sam
- D. Leo
- E. Owen
Why: Mia finished first. The clues Priya ahead of Sam, Sam ahead of Leo, and Owen behind Leo place these four in the order Priya, Sam, Leo, Owen. So Priya takes second place, just behind Mia.
How to approach it
- Turn each clue into a simple mark, such as one name above another.
- Build a single ordered line from all the clues.
- Read off the exact position the question asks for.
- Check your order does not break any of the clues.
About the author
About the author
Ben Jackson
Founder of PrepStep
Hello, I'm Ben. I built PrepStep as a parent, not a publisher. I have already taken one of my children through the 11+, and I have another preparing for it now, so I have felt both the planning and the worry from the kitchen-table side. PrepStep is the tool I wanted for my own family: honest, calm and genuinely useful, with the method taught before every topic and a worked explanation after every question. Everything here is written to help you help your child, without the hype.