How Long Should a Child Study for the 11 Plus?
Parents ask me this almost every week. “How long should my child be studying each day for the 11+?”
I always answer the same way. The right amount of study is whatever your child can sustain consistently, with focus, without resentment, that produces measurable progress over time. That is not a number. That is a pattern.
Still, parents need a rough benchmark. Here is mine, year by year, with the caveats that matter.
Year 3: not study, just enrichment
Year 4: 30 to 60 minutes a week, gently
In Year 4, structured 11+ work should be light. I would suggest:
- Two short sessions per week, 15 to 20 minutes each, alternating between English and maths
- Plus 20 minutes of independent reading every day (not 11+ specific, just good reading)
- Plus 5 to 10 minutes of times tables daily, if not already fluent
Total directed 11+ time per week: roughly an hour. Total reading time: about two and a half hours across the week. That is plenty.
If your child enjoys the work and asks for more, you can stretch a little. If they do not, do not push. Year 4 is for building a positive relationship with the work, not for proving anything yet.
Year 5 autumn: 2 to 3 hours per week
This is when proper 11+ work begins. A typical autumn term Year 5 schedule looks like this:
- One structured lesson per week, typically 60 to 90 minutes (whether at home with you, with a tutor, or in a small group class)
- 60 to 90 minutes of homework spread across two or three short sessions
- Daily reading, still 20 minutes minimum, ideally building toward 30
- 5 to 10 minutes daily on weak spots (this might be vocabulary cards, mental maths, or grammar)
Total directed 11+ time: around two and a half hours per week. Total reading: still around three hours across the week.
Year 5 spring: 3 to 4 hours per week
By spring, the volume needs to step up. Pace increases, timed sections begin, and the breadth of topics expands. Most children will be doing:
- One full 90 minute lesson per week
- Two homework sessions of 30 to 45 minutes
- One longer practice session at the weekend, around 45 minutes, often a single timed paper section
- Daily reading and short skills work, as before
Total directed work: around three to four hours. Children who are aiming for the most competitive grammar and independent schools may push toward five hours by the end of spring term, but I would not go beyond that for a Year 5 child.
Year 5 summer: 4 to 5 hours per week
Summer term is when we start to introduce full timed papers. Mock exams begin in earnest. Creative writing under time becomes routine. Vocabulary work intensifies.
Most children at this stage are doing four to five hours of directed work per week, plus reading. That is real commitment, but it is also a finite period. Six to eight weeks of summer term, then the all important summer holiday.
The summer holiday before Year 6
For grammar school families, this is the final intensive. For independent school families, it is a strong consolidation phase ahead of the November pre test.
A reasonable rhythm during the summer holiday is two to three weeks of focused daily work (around 90 minutes a day, never more than two hours), with full rest weeks before and after. Quality over quantity. A tired child does not improve.
Year 6 autumn: 4 to 6 hours per week, plus mocks
By Year 6, study has changed in character. It is less about new learning, more about refining what is already there: timed paper practice, error analysis, interview prep for independents, writing under pressure, and stamina.
Most children at this stage are doing four to six hours of directed work per week, plus the time spent on regular mock exams. That sounds a lot, and it is, but it is for a focused window of weeks before the exams themselves.
What "too much" actually looks like
I will be direct. If your child is doing more than seven hours of formal 11+ work per week in Year 5, and more than nine in Year 6, you are likely doing harm. Signs that the load is too high include:
- Reluctance to start sessions, every time
- Tears or shutdowns during work that used to be manageable
- Sleep problems, headaches, stomach aches
- A drop in performance despite more time invested
- Loss of pleasure in things they previously loved (reading, drawing, sport)
If you see two or more of these, reduce the load. The exam is six months or six weeks away. Your child is theirs for life. Always make the long term decision.
Two anchor principles
If you only remember two things, remember these.
One: consistency over intensity. Five short sessions a week beat one long Saturday morning every time. The brain consolidates between sessions, not during them.
Two: quality of correction over quantity of practice. Twenty minutes spent properly understanding three wrong answers is worth more than an hour of new questions.
Want help building a sensible weekly study plan for your child’s year group? Our Weekly Workshops do exactly this, structured input plus right sized homework, taught by qualified primary teachers.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours should my Year 5 child study a day?
Aim for short, focused sessions rather than long blocks. 30 to 45 minutes most weekdays in autumn term, building to 45 to 60 minutes by summer term, plus a longer weekend session. Beyond that, you are usually getting diminishing returns.
Is it bad to study every day?
Short daily sessions are generally good (mental maths, vocabulary, reading). Long daily sessions are not. Two days off per week is healthy. Children need recovery time to consolidate.
What if my child wants to do more?
Lovely problem to have. Let them, in moderation. Watch carefully for the moment enthusiasm tips into anxiety. Some children self pressure as much as their parents do. Step in if you see it.
How do I make study time productive rather than busy?
Three rules. Set a clear goal for each session before you start. Mark and discuss everything they do. Stop while they still want to come back, not when they are exhausted.
My child is in Year 6 and I think we are behind. Should they study more?
Probably not more hours. Probably better hours. Targeted work on specific weaknesses, with proper feedback, will move them faster than adding volume.
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