11+ Pre-Assessment
A valuable insight into your child’s strengths and weaknesses in English and maths
I offer a free downloadable CSSE 11+ pre-assessment to give you insight into your child’s English and maths ability, and help you explore whether the CSSE 11+ is the right pathway for them.
I often talk and write about how demanding the CSSE 11+ is. This pre-assessment has two main aims:
To help parents identify their child’s current strengths and areas for development.
To offer a realistic sense of whether their child is (or could be) working at a level where taking the CSSE 11+ seems like a sensible next step.
This pre-assessment will test your child’s current level in:
Reading fluency
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary and general knowledge
Spelling
Punctuation and grammar
Writing
Maths
The pre-assessment takes around 150 to 180 minutes to complete. It can be broken into smaller chunks rather than sat all in one go. While no two-and-a-half-hour assessment can fully predict 11+ success, it does provide valuable insight into your child’s current strengths and areas for improvement.
Before you begin the pre-assessment, I would strongly recommend visiting the CSSE website and reviewing the real past CSSE 11+ papers to get a sense of the difficulty. The CSSE 11+ is usually taken in the third or fourth week of September when children are in Year 6. The papers on the CSSE website are free to download but the most recent versions can only be purchased via the order form at the bottom of the page. After seeing the difficulty of the real exam, this pre-assessment is a sensible next step, offering a structured way to measure your child’s current ability and to create a plan or route map for reaching CSSE 11+ level by the time they start Year 6.
Part One - Reading Fluency
The first thing I assess is reading fluency. This is one of the strongest indicators of success in English exams. Fluent readers can move through a text quickly, accurately, effortlessly and with expression. Research shows a strong correlation between reading fluency and performance in comprehension tasks: children who read smoothly are better able to spot key details, infer meaning and follow the thread of a passage. Building fluency is therefore not just about speed, but also about confidence, accuracy and the ability to engage with a text at a deeper level.
As part of this assessment, you will need to hear your child read a short piece aloud to find out their “words per minute” score, alongside checking key elements of fluency:
Reading in phrases (grouping words together naturally rather than reading one word at a time)
Pace (reading at a steady, appropriate speed without rushing or dragging)
Syntax (reading so that sentences make sense, with pauses in the right places)
Self-correction (noticing and fixing mistakes when they misread a word)
Intonation (using expression and tone of voice to bring meaning to the text)
There are many free online “words per minute” calculators you can use. In my own pre-assessments, I use the Wonders fluency assessment published by McGraw-Hill. The printed book version no longer seems to be available but you may be able to find an online copy. The first passage in that series is called Jack’s List. I typically use six to eight passages of varying difficulty and then take an average WPM score.
To judge how strong a WPM score is, I use the grid below. You will notice “dips” between the end of one year and the start of the next. This is because schools typically see some learning loss over the summer holidays, so it is normal for scores to fall slightly at the start of a new school year before rising again. As a rough guide, I view a good score as being in the top 75th percentile and an excellent score as being in the top 90th percentile.
If your child struggles with fluency, I strongly recommend The Megabook of Fluency (Scholastic), which is full of practical exercises and strategies.
Part Two - Reading Comprehension
For comprehension, I use a website called ReadTheory. It provides children with a series of short passages followed by multiple-choice questions. The programme automatically adjusts the difficulty of the texts depending on how well the child is doing. If they answer questions correctly, the passages get harder; if they struggle, the level is reduced. This makes it a very useful way to find out your child’s reading level and how well they understand what they read.
The answers are multiple-choice and carefully designed to test whether a child has truly understood the text, so success requires genuine comprehension. The site also has explanations when a child gets a question wrong as to what the correct answer is and why.
Getting Started with ReadTheory
Go to www.readtheory.org
Click Sign Up and choose Parent.
Enter your child’s details and create a simple username and password. (Make a note of these so they can log in again easily.)
Your child will start with a short placement test of eight questions. This sets an initial reading level.
After this, the programme will automatically provide texts matched to your child’s ability.
Let your child work independently on a set of passages (5 is usually enough for a first assessment).
Once finished, click My Progress
Your child’s level will be presented as both a Grade and a Lexile score. Because the site is American, you can add 1 to the Grade number to find the equivalent UK year group. For example, if ReadTheory shows your child is working at Grade 5, that equates to Year 6 in the UK system.
The second measure is the Lexile score, shown as ###L or ####L. This is an international scale that indicates the difficulty of a text. Higher numbers mean stronger reading skills and the scale allows you to track progress over time.
You want your child’s ReadTheory assessment to place them at least one year ahead of their actual school year, and ideally further. From experience, I have found that children who reach Grade 9 (equivalent to UK Year 10) by the summer of Year 5 have an incredibly strong chance of doing well in the CSSE 11+. It is one of the most reliable predictors of test success I have come across.
I recommend using ReadTheory weekly after the pre-assessment. Aim for around 2–5 passages per week and sit with your child while they complete them.
Reading comprehension is a complex and controversial topic. While many people talk about skills like inference and deduction, I do not believe that these are stand-alone abilities that can simply be practised in isolation. A child’s ability to infer meaning depends heavily on what they already know and the words they can understand. The more knowledge and vocabulary your child has, the easier it becomes for them to make sense of unfamiliar texts. ReadTheory works best when an adult is sat with the child rather than something done as independent practice. This way you can use the extracts to broaden your child’s understanding of the world and enhance their vocabulary. For example, If your child reads an extract set during World War II, you could mention what you know from school, family stories or TV programmes, helping them to connect the text with real events and deepening their background knowledge.
Part Three - Vocabulary and General Knowledge
Vocabulary and general knowledge play a significant role in English exams, particularly in the CSSE 11+, where children often encounter unfamiliar words, cultural references or extracts that assume a certain level of background knowledge. A child with a wide vocabulary and a strong base of general knowledge will usually find it easier to make sense of challenging texts, infer meaning, and respond confidently to comprehension and writing tasks.
This part of the assessment is adapted from an earlier version produced by Bond, a well-known publisher of educational materials for 11+ preparation. I have developed it further to provide greater depth. The questions are designed to give a quick snapshot of how broad your child’s general knowledge is. After completing this section, you may notice particular areas where they are less confident, which can then be targeted for improvement.
This is the only part of the pre-assessment with a strict time limit. Allow your child to spend up to one minute on each question. Once they reach Question 30, give them a further five minutes to revisit any answers. If your child is a slow writer, you may write their answers for them. The time limit is included to test their ability to recall information under pressure, not to test handwriting speed.
To give you a sense of where your child sits compared to age expectations, I use the following grade boundaries for vocabulary and general knowledge. These show what I consider an OK, Good or Excellent score at different points in Years 3–5.
It is important to remember that all graded parts of this pre-assessment are a snapshot measure of current capability, not future potential. Most children whose scores fall into the ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent’ ranges in all areas of their pre-assessment do tend to go on to do well in the CSSE 11+, but it is not an exact science. I have tutored children who performed exceptionally well in Year 4 but, despite my best efforts, took their foot off the gas and later struggled. Similarly, I have seen children who initially underperformed in all or part of the pre-assessment, sometimes scoring considerably below the OK boundary, who have gone on to catch up and eventually achieve scores high enough to secure a place at Colchester’s grammar schools.
The key message is that capability can change. If children and parents put time and effort into weaker areas and focus on filling gaps, scores can improve dramatically. On the other hand, even if a child does very well at the pre-assessment stage, they still need to keep working hard, reading widely and making accelerated progress. Without that sustained effort, strong early results can fade and children risk struggling when it comes to the real CSSE 11+.
As a parent, you can help develop this area by encouraging curiosity and regular discussion. Reading widely, both fiction and non-fiction, is hugely beneficial as it exposes children to new vocabulary and ideas. Conversation is also powerful. Talk about news stories, history, places you visit or even everyday household tasks. When your child learns a new word, encourage them to use it in different contexts so it becomes part of their active vocabulary.
Part Four - Spelling
In this section of the pre-assessment, your child is asked to correct a short passage that contains a number of deliberate spelling mistakes. This checks two things: whether they can spot misspelt words and whether they can correct them accurately. The scoring system gives full marks for words that are fixed correctly, partial credit if they are identified but not corrected, and small penalties if your child changes a word that was already correct.
In the CSSE 11+ English paper, spelling is assessed as part of the writing task, with up to five marks available for spelling, punctuation and grammar combined. In earlier years, there were also marks for spelling within the comprehension paper, and although this has not been the case since the 2022 entry, the instructions on the front of the CSSE comprehension booklet still state that correct grammar and spelling is recommended.
I think spelling is important but I do not want to overstate its importance. A child can still score highly in the CSSE English paper even if they are a weak speller. The other elements of the English assessment carry greater weight: fluent reading, broad vocabulary, strong general knowledge, secure understanding of punctuation and grammar rules and the ability to write in a clear, accurate, mature and creative way.
I use the following grade boundaries. These show what I consider an OK, Good, or Excellent result at different points across Years 3–5.
I encourage parents to familiarise themselves with the National Curriculum requirements for spelling, especially the statutory word lists for Years 3/4 and 5/6. At the start of Year 3, it is completely normal if your child struggles with harder words such as delicious and definitely, as these are less likely to have been taught in school as opposed to simpler patterns like consonant doubling (bigest → biggest) and common tricky words (freinds → friends). By Year 4, your child should be recognising most of the errors in this passage, with only the more advanced words still causing difficulty. By Year 5, they are expected to be secure with almost all of these spellings.
The Spelling section of my CSSE 11+ Pre-assessment can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.
If your child struggles with spelling, I recommend the Schofield & Sims English Skills series. I use Book 3 with my Year 4 English group and Book 5 with my Year 5 English group, so if you are planning for your child to join these groups, please avoid those particular books. The tasks in the English Skills books are divided into three parts, with Part B focusing on spelling rules.
Part Five - Punctuation and Grammar
In this section of the pre-assessment, your child is asked to rewrite a short passage containing deliberate punctuation and grammar mistakes. This checks whether they can spot errors and correct them accurately without introducing new problems. Some of the errors are definite, such as missing capital letters or apostrophes, while others can be corrected in more than one acceptable way.
As mentioned in the spelling section, up to five marks are awarded in the writing section of the CSSE 11+ English paper for spelling, punctuation and grammar. I believe many parents underestimate the importance of punctuation and grammar when it comes to 11+ preparation and school in general. These skills underpin every aspect of written English. They shape sentences, guide meaning and make writing clear and easy to follow. A child who can control punctuation and grammar effectively will not only avoid unnecessary mistakes but also write with greater precision, variety and confidence.
Even though only five marks are explicitly awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar in the CSSE 11+, strong skills in these areas influence a child’s overall ability to understand English and to write clearly and accurately. In the 11+ mock exams I host for Year 5 children, I frequently see examples of pupils who have not mastered basic grammar rules and cannot write grammatically accurate sentences. This is a serious weakness, and if your child struggles with punctuation and grammar (particularly sentence structure), I would prioritise this urgently.
Scores for this section of the pre-assessment are based on how many errors your child fixes correctly, how many they notice but do not fully correct, and whether they make unnecessary changes to things that were already correct. A “best fit” mark out of 10 is then awarded. To help place this in context, I use grade boundaries that show what I consider OK, Good or Excellent at different stages in Years 3 to 5. Not all errors are of equal weight. It is more concerning if a child in Year 4 fails to capitalise London than if they do not recognise that camera requires a punctuation mark (other than a comma) or a conjunction after it. By the middle of Year 5, I would generally expect children to achieve full marks on this task.
If your child struggles with punctuation and grammar, I recommend the Schofield & Sims English Skills series (the same series I recommend for spelling). I use Book 3 with my Year 4 English group and Book 5 with my Year 5 English group, so if you are planning for your child to join these groups, please avoid those particular books. The tasks in each book are divided into three parts, with Part C being especially useful for children who need extra support with sentence structure.
Part Six - Writing
In the CSSE 11+ English paper, the continuous writing section is worth one third of the marks, with reading comprehension making up the other two thirds.
There are two tasks in this section. The first is a short story, based on the picture prompt of two empty swings. Children are asked to write between six and ten sentences. This task tests a child’s ability to plan and write a short narrative in an interesting and creative way.
The second task asks children to write a short set of instructions on how to cross the road safely, in between four and eight sentences. This contrasts with the story and tests how clearly and logically a child can explain something in order, while using the right tone for a younger audience.
The Writing section of my CSSE 11+ Pre-assessment can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.
These pieces can be hard for parents to mark.
What I’m looking for in a Story
A clear, well-shaped narrative driven by a goal or dilemma faced by the main character and inspired by the picture.
Interesting details and a sense of atmosphere, with vocabulary and imagery used thoughtfully rather than feeling shoehorned or clichéd.
Control of language, with varied sentence structures, accurate punctuation (including advanced punctuation like semicolons where appropriate), and writing that flows smoothly.
What I’m looking for in Instructions
Clarity and order, with a clear introduction and steps that are logical, precise and written in the right sequence.
Appropriate tone and detail. In this case, simple, practical language suited to a younger audience should be used, with any extra touches (like tips or safety advice) adding value.
Technical accuracy, with correct grammar and punctuation, and varied sentences that help make the instructions feel polished and easy to read.
Ultimately, you want your child’s writing to feel controlled and mature, with them making deliberate choices about language and structure to suit the specific aim or purpose of the task. If I had to summarise what I believe good 11+ writing looks like, it would be writing that feels as though it was produced by a much older child and has achieved a clear purpose, perhaps to entertain or inform me as the reader, or to evoke an emotional response such as excitement, suspense or nostalgia.
A company called No More Marking has exemplar pieces of writing for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, which I’ve linked below. The Year 6 100th percentile example is excellent, and it reflects the style and standard I aim for with my tutees by the time they take the test.
Year 3 - No More Marking Exemplars
Year 4 - No More Marking Exemplars
Part SEVEN - Maths
The maths section of the pre-assessment is designed to assess arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving ability. Apart from the first page of questions, real CSSE 11+ maths papers do not contain many arithmetic problems and instead are focused heavily on reasoning, word problems and problem-solving. It is vital that children know their times tables and are able to calculate accurately and efficiently but this alone is not enough. Some children who are excellent at arithmetic struggle with CSSE 11+ maths papers because they cannot interpret word problems correctly and lack the reasoning skills and deep conceptual understanding of mathematics that other children have and that the exam demands.
The maths pre-assessment is split into two parts:
Arithmetic (20 questions): quick-fire calculations to test accuracy and fluency with the four operations, fractions, percentages, decimals and order of operations.
Reasoning and problem solving (30 questions): a broader mix of word problems, shape and measure, coordinates, averages, time and ratio.
All questions are taken from National Curriculum objectives, ranging from Year 2 to Year 6.
The Maths section of my CSSE 11+ Pre-assessment can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.
As with the other parts of the pre-assessment, these scores and gradings below are not pitched at the typical Year 3, 4, 5, or 6 child but are framed in terms of what I would expect of a child aiming to get a high enough score in the CSSE 11+ to gain a place at Colchester Royal Grammar School or Colchester County High School for Girls. Once your child has completed the paper, don’t just mark it, look at the score and move on. Instead, review the mistakes carefully and look for patterns. For example, do they make mistakes when calculating mentally? Do they struggle with worded problems (e.g. Question 24 or 36) even though the calculations themselves are straightforward?
The CSSE 11+ maths paper is incredibly difficult. I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that recent CSSE papers resemble GCSE Foundation papers in places, and children need to be working at least two years beyond their peers to stand a realistic chance of success. For almost all pupils, the maths paper is the one that requires the most preparation. To give one example, most schools do not cover algebra until Year 6, and even then it is usually taught briefly for a week or two between February and April in preparation for the SATs. If a child has not had extra preparation before the 11+, they will struggle with any questions requiring algebra, as well as many other areas that may not yet have been taught at school, or at least not in the necessary depth.
Children do not need to be tutored to pass the 11+ (although a good tutor will provide a massive boost to their chances) but they do need to do extra preparation, especially in maths, in order to outperform their peers and reach the standards required for one of the most demanding 11+ exams in the country,
Next Steps
Now that your child has completed the pre-assessment, hopefully you have a clear picture of your child’s current strengths and the areas that need more focus. The vast majority of children need to put in extra preparation to have a good chance of succeeding in the CSSE 11+.
From a business point of view, I should be talking up how essential it is to have a tutor, but I do not believe that to be true. If you have a good understanding of the demands of both papers, and you have the time, patience and expertise to do so, you can self-tutor your own child successfully.
That said, high-quality tuition does bring valuable structure, expertise and reassurance. My 11+ groups are designed with this in mind.
Why Choose My 11+ Groups?
My 11+ groups are designed to provide highly focused and effective support, guided by my 15 years of teaching and tuition experience.
Targeted Support: I offer separate Maths and English lessons. This means if your child only requires support in one area, you can sign up for that subject only, ensuring preparation is focused precisely on the weaknesses identified by the pre-assessment and saving you both time and money.
Small, Focused Classes: My groups are capped at a maximum of 4 children. This small size ensures that every child receives a significant amount of individual attention and targeted feedback. No child goes under the radar.
Unrivalled Expertise: As a current Year 6 teacher in a high-performing primary school, I know exactly what schools teach and, critically, what the 11+ demands beyond it.
Mastering the Maths Challenge: I teach beyond the demands of KS2, having tutored children up to KS3 and GCSE. This depth is essential for tackling the incredibly difficult CSSE 11+ Maths paper, which can resemble GCSE Foundation papers in places.
Exceptional Writing Progress: I have received high praise from staff and parents about the significant progress children make in their writing when taught or tutored by me.
WHO THESE GROUPS ARE FOR
To keep lessons pacey, challenging and effective, my groups are best suited to children who:
✓ Already have strong foundations in maths and English.
✓ Are working at a high level for their age and enjoy being stretched.
✓ Can keep up in fast-moving lessons with regular consolidation.
✓ Are motivated to practise independently between sessions.
✓ Are aiming for top performance in the CSSE 11+.
If your child is not yet ready for this level of challenge, the pre-assessment will highlight the areas to strengthen first. In those cases, I will advise honestly on the best route forward.
READY TO ACCELERATE YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS?
If you want the confidence that comes from expert-led, targeted preparation, my 11+ groups could be the perfect fit.
I encourage you to visit my Tuition Page for more details about structure, schedule and fees. I also have a page where you can learn more about My Approach to teaching and tuition in general.