When to start and how much to do each week is probably the question we hear most from parents. The honest answer is: it depends on your child and your target schools. But here's a framework that works well for most families.
Year 4
Foundation Phase
Year 4 is too early for serious exam prep, but it's a great time to build the foundations that will make everything easier later on. Think Maths fluency and a love of reading, rather than past papers.
- ›2 to 3 sessions per week, around 20 minutes each
- ›Focus on Maths fluency: times tables, fractions, place value. These are the building blocks for everything
- ›Read widely. Fiction, non-fiction, newspapers. Vocabulary grows through exposure, not word lists
- ›A few Verbal Reasoning questions a week is plenty at this stage, just to build familiarity
- ›No timed practice yet. Let confidence build first
Year 5
Build Phase
Year 5 is when structured preparation starts to make sense. You can bring in all three subjects and build a proper weekly routine. From January onwards, start introducing some timed practice so the clock doesn't come as a shock later.
- ›4 to 5 sessions per week, 25 to 30 minutes each
- ›Bring in all three subjects: Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning
- ›Rotate subjects across the week and avoid doing the same one two days in a row
- ›Introduce timed practice from January of Year 5 onwards
- ›Go through mistakes together. Understanding the error matters more than ticking off more questions
Year 6
Exam Phase
Most 11+ exams happen in September or October of Year 6, so the summer before is the most important window. Keep it consistent and focused, but please protect your child's wellbeing too. A tired, anxious child won't perform at their best, however much preparation they've done.
- ›5 sessions per week, 30 minutes each, plus one longer mock session at the weekend
- ›Do at least two full mock exams in proper exam conditions before the real thing
- ›In the final four weeks, focus on the weakest areas that the mocks have flagged
- ›Wind down in the final week. Rest and confidence matter more than last-minute cramming
- ›Talk through exam day in advance: what to expect, how long it takes, that it's completely normal to feel nervous
Sample weekly timetable (Year 5 or early Year 6)
| Day | Suggested session |
|---|
| Monday | Maths — 25 mins |
| Tuesday | Verbal Reasoning — 25 mins |
| Wednesday | Rest or free reading |
| Thursday | Non-Verbal Reasoning — 25 mins |
| Friday | Maths or VR — 25 mins |
| Saturday | Mixed practice or timed mini-test — 30 mins |
| Sunday | Rest |
What to avoid
- ✗Starting too intensively too early. Children who are drilled hard in Year 4 often run out of steam by Year 6, when it actually matters
- ✗Drilling without understanding. If your child can get an answer right but can't explain why, they'll struggle when the format changes slightly
- ✗Ignoring how your child is feeling. Stress affects performance. A happy, rested child will nearly always outperform an anxious, exhausted one
- ✗Skipping mock exams. Sitting a proper timed exam for the first time on the actual day is a lot to ask. Mocks take away the unknown
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