Maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
Competition
Selective
Prism’s suggested target
78% in practice (our estimate, not a school figure)
About the GL Assessment 11+ (four subjects)
Many local authorities (e.g. Trafford, Wirral, Warwickshire, Lancashire, Calderdale, Bournemouth & Poole, Gloucestershire) use GL papers in some mix of maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Stage
Paper
Questions
Time
11+
English
49
50 minutes
11+
Maths
50
50 minutes
11+
Verbal Reasoning
80
50 minutes
11+
Non-verbal Reasoning
40
40 minutes
Paper formats are indicative and change from year to year. Always check the current arrangements with the school or local authority.
How to prepare
The GL Assessment 11+ (four subjects) covers maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Most families start steady preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5, building accuracy first and speed later, then sit timed papers through the summer before the test, which usually takes place in September.
For maths, secure the Key Stage 2 arithmetic, fractions, ratio and problem solving before moving to the multi-step questions that separate the strongest candidates.
For English, read widely every day and practise comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar; selective tests reward precise word knowledge.
Verbal reasoning is a set of learnable question types, such as letter codes, hidden words and word analogies. Learning each type, then practising it against the clock, lifts scores quickly.
Non-verbal reasoning is about spotting patterns in shapes: rotations, reflections, sequences and matrices. Short, regular sessions work better than long ones.
Practice questions in the style of the test
Written by Prism in the style of the test, not taken from any school’s papers.
Question 1Aim for about 60 seconds
Which list is in order from smallest to largest?
18 0.2 15%
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, 18, 15%, 0.2
How to work it out
Change them all to the same form, such as decimals: 18 = 0.125, 0.2 = 0.2, 15% = 0.15.
Smallest to largest: 18, 15%, 0.2.
Why the other options are wrong
A (0.2, 15%, 18): Compare them as decimals (18 = 0.125, 0.2 = 0.2, 15% = 0.15): this list is not smallest to largest.
B (0.2, 18, 15%): Compare them as decimals (18 = 0.125, 0.2 = 0.2, 15% = 0.15): this list is not smallest to largest.
D (15%, 18, 0.2): Compare them as decimals (18 = 0.125, 0.2 = 0.2, 15% = 0.15): this list is not smallest to largest.
E (18, 0.2, 15%): Compare them as decimals (18 = 0.125, 0.2 = 0.2, 15% = 0.15): this list is not smallest to largest.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
Which part has a punctuation mistake? Choose “No mistake” if there is none.
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, grace’s favourite
How to work it out
A sentence always starts with a capital letter.
Why the other options are wrong
B (vegetable is sweetcorn,): This part is punctuated correctly.
C (although her brother): This part is punctuated correctly.
D (thinks it tastes strange.): This part is punctuated correctly.
E (No mistake): There is a mistake: A sentence always starts with a capital letter.
Question 3Aim for about 35 seconds
A four-letter word is hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next. Which two words hide it?
The miserly old man counted every penny.
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, The miserly
How to work it out
“them” is hidden in “The miserly”: read the letters straight across the gap.
Check each pair of neighbouring words in turn, joining the last letters of one word to the first letters of the next.
Why the other options are wrong
A (counted every): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
B (man counted): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
C (every penny): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
D (miserly old): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
Which figure completes the grid?
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
Across each row the shading changes in the same way; down each column the shape changes.
The missing figure needs the bottom row’s shape and the right column’s shading.
What entrance test does Calday Grange Grammar School use?
Calday Grange Grammar School uses the GL Assessment 11+ (four subjects), which tests maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Check the school’s admissions page for the current arrangements.
What score does my child need for Calday Grange Grammar School?
Schools do not publish pass marks. As a guide, Prism suggests a child aims to score around 78% consistently in practice for a selective school. This is Prism’s own estimate, not a figure from the school, and no score guarantees a place.
When should my child start preparing for Calday Grange Grammar School?
Most families start in Year 4 or early Year 5, then practise timed papers during the summer before the test, which usually takes place in September.
Preparing for Calday Grange Grammar School?
Prism starts with a free assessment across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then builds a weekly plan for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.