Maths Help UK

Exam-day strategy

Pacing, skipping hard questions, multiple-choice elimination, marking grids correctly.

The 11+ is time-pressured: ~50 questions in 50 minutes is typical. Skipping a tough question (with the intent to come back) preserves momentum. Multiple-choice papers often allow elimination of obviously wrong options.

Worked examples
Aim 50 questions in 50 minutes: ~1 minute each.
Skip and return: don't lose 5 minutes on one question.
Multiple-choice: eliminate the impossible answer first.

Frequently asked questions

Should children check their work?
Yes if they finish early. Mistakes are common at speed; even one corrected mistake matters.
Marking grids?
Practise filling them on past papers. Mis-shading lines is a real source of lost marks.