The 11+ Maths paper is broader and shallower than the KS2 SATs equivalent, designed to differentiate within the top quartile of the cohort rather than to cover every curriculum strand.
What this subject actually tests
Maths at 11+ tests fluent recall of arithmetic facts, fluent application of standard methods (long multiplication, long division, fraction operations), and the ability to read a word problem accurately and translate it into a calculation.
It is not primarily a test of clever problem-solving — it is a test of speed, accuracy and reading comprehension applied to mathematical content. Children who can do the maths but cannot read a problem carefully will lose marks.
Skill foundations to build first
Mental arithmetic fluency is the foundation. A child who needs to write down 7×8 has already lost the question — by the time they have written it down, transferred the answer and moved on, the time budget for the question is exhausted.
- Times tables to 12 with sub-second recall
- Number bonds to 100 and to 1000
- Fraction-to-decimal-to-percentage conversions for common values
- Long multiplication and long division by single digits in under thirty seconds
- Mental addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers
Question types your child will see
The Maths paper draws on a predictable list of question types. Recognising the type instantly is half the battle — the other half is executing the standard method without arithmetic errors.
- Word problems. Translating a verbal scenario into a calculation, often involving money, time or measurement.
- Fractions and proportion. Finding fractions of amounts, equivalent fractions, and ratio sharing.
- Percentages. Finding percentages of amounts and percentage change.
- Algebra. Substitution, simple equation solving, and the nth term of a sequence.
- Geometry. Perimeter, area, volume, angle properties, coordinates and reflections.
- Data handling. Reading bar charts, line graphs, pictograms; mean, median, mode and range.
How to practise effectively
Practise in short, focused sessions rather than long marathons. Fifteen minutes a day on a single topic, four days a week, beats one ninety-minute session at the weekend by a substantial margin.
Mark every practice session with your child the day after. The single highest-leverage habit is the post-mortem conversation — "why did you get this wrong?" — held calmly, without judgement, with the goal of identifying the underlying confusion.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The most common preventable mistakes are: misreading word problems (especially "how many more"), forgetting units, copying numbers wrong from the question to the workings, and rushing the final answer transfer to the multiple-choice grid.
Recommended books and resources
Recommended resources include the Bond 11+ Maths range (gentle progression through topic difficulty), Letts and CGP topic-specific workbooks, and the free Maths papers in our catalogue for timed practice. The free practice papers in this catalogue cover the same skills under realistic timing — use them as fortnightly diagnostics, not as the bulk of your topic work.