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
The table shows how many customers bought each flavour of sweets on each day. Each customer bought 5 packs. How many packs of cherry sweets were sold on Thursday?
Grape
Cherry
Lemon
Monday
15
34
26
Tuesday
33
13
10
Wednesday
23
17
22
Thursday
22
24
15
Friday
16
14
16
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, 120
How to work it out
Find Thursday in the Cherry column: 24 customers.
Each bought 5 packs: 24 × 5 = 120 packs.
Why the other options are wrong
A (305): This uses every flavour on that day, not just one.
B (70): This reads the wrong row: check the day.
D (24): This is the number of customers; each one bought 5 packs.
E (29): This adds 5 instead of multiplying.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
What does the word “cryptic” mean?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, mysterious and hard to understand
How to work it out
“Cryptic” (adjective) means mysterious and hard to understand.
For example: The note contained a cryptic message.
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?
She is fluent in French and Spanish.
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, French and
How to work it out
“hand” is hidden in “French and”: 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 (She is): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
B (fluent in): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
D (in French): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
E (is fluent): 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: C
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.
St Ambrose College 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 St Ambrose College?
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 St Ambrose College?
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 St Ambrose College?
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.