How to Prepare for 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning is the most coachable subject in the entire 11+. Once a child has met each of the 21 standard question types, learned the technique behind each one, and practised against a clock, scores often rise 20 percentage points or more in a few months.
The risk is wasting all of that potential by drilling papers without teaching the underlying techniques. Here is how I would do it properly.
What verbal reasoning actually tests
Verbal reasoning is logic applied to language. It tests:
- Word relationships (synonyms, antonyms, analogies)
- Word manipulation (compound words, hidden words, letter rearrangements)
- Codes (letters and numbers substituted in patterns)
- Sequences (letter or number patterns to extend)
- Logical deduction (reasoning from given conditions)
- Vocabulary (closely related to all of the above)
Verbal reasoning is most heavily used by GL Assessment, which sets papers for many state grammar schools. It also features in the ISEB pre test (in modified form), and in some independent school written papers.
The 21 standard question types
GL verbal reasoning is built on a defined list of 21 question types. Most resources organise their teaching around these. The names vary slightly between publishers, but the types are consistent. The main families are:
Word relationships
Synonyms (closest in meaning), antonyms (opposite in meaning), analogies (“hot is to cold as up is to ?”), odd one out, two words from each set.
Word manipulation
Compound words (“sun” plus “flower”), hidden words within longer words, letter changes, anagrams, missing letters.
Codes
Letter to number codes, letter shift codes (A becomes B), word to code questions, code to word questions.
Sequences
Letter sequences, number sequences, missing terms in alphabetical or numerical patterns.
Logic
Logical deduction from given conditions (“A is taller than B, B is taller than C, who is shortest?”), simple set logic, problem reasoning.
Once a child has met each of these, with the technique explicitly taught, the rest is practice and timing.
How to teach verbal reasoning systematically
Here is the order I would teach in:
Step 1: introduce the type
Show two or three worked examples. Talk through the strategy. Make the rule explicit. “In a synonym question, you are looking for the word closest in meaning. Often there are two close options; pick the closer.”
Step 2: untimed practice
Five to ten questions of that single type, untimed. The goal is technique, not speed. Mark and discuss every error. The first time a child meets a code question, they often need 15 minutes for one example. By the third, they can do it in 30 seconds.
Step 3: timed practice on type
Once technique is solid, introduce time pressure on the same type. Twenty questions in five minutes is a typical target. Track speed week by week.
Step 4: mixed practice
Once several types have been covered, mix them. The exam itself mixes types, and the skill of switching between question styles is its own challenge.
Step 5: full timed papers
Once all 21 types are covered and mixed practice is solid (typically by Year 5 summer), full timed verbal reasoning papers begin. Mark them properly. Build a habit of error analysis: which types are still slow? Which are still inaccurate? Target the top three weak types each week.
How long it takes to cover the syllabus
Three habits cost marks.
1. Spending too long on one question
Verbal reasoning rewards speed. A question worth one mark, taking three minutes, is a poor trade. Train the habit of moving on if a question is not coming, and returning if there is time.
2. Not learning specific techniques
Code questions, for example, are nearly impossible without a clear method. Children who try to brute force them lose marks. Teach the method (“write the alphabet, work out the shift, apply it”) and they become reliable.
3. Thin vocabulary
Synonyms, antonyms and analogy questions all depend on knowing words. Vocabulary work outside of verbal reasoning practice is the underlying foundation. Children who read widely have an enormous head start here.
Resources I recommend
- Bond 11+ Verbal Reasoning workbooks (graded by age) are well structured for self study
- CGP Verbal Reasoning is a good alternative
- Atom and other adaptive platforms provide question level adaptive practice that can be useful, particularly for daily short bursts
- Specific past papers from your target schools where available
Our weekly workshops include systematic verbal reasoning teaching across all 21 question types, with weekly homework, marking and timed practice. Most children move from “overwhelmed” to confident within a term.
Frequently asked questions
When should my child start verbal reasoning?
Year 4 spring for light exposure, Year 5 autumn for systematic teaching. Earlier than Year 4 spring is generally too early; the abstract logic involved is taxing for younger children.
How much verbal reasoning per week?
In Year 5 autumn, around 30 to 45 minutes per week alongside other subjects. By Year 5 summer, 45 to 60 minutes. In Year 6, 60 minutes plus regular timed practice. More than this risks fatigue without proportionate gain.
My child finds verbal reasoning frustrating. Help.
Often this is because they are doing mixed papers before learning specific techniques. Go back to teaching one type at a time, untimed, with full discussion. Frustration is usually a signal of poor sequencing rather than poor ability.
Is verbal reasoning the same across exam boards?
GL Assessment uses the standard 21 type structure. Independent school papers vary, often with broader vocabulary and reasoning questions in less standardised forms. The underlying skills overlap heavily; specific exam practice should match the target school.
How important is vocabulary for verbal reasoning?
Critical for synonyms, antonyms, analogies and odd one out questions. A child with a thin vocabulary will plateau no matter how much technique they learn. Vocabulary work outside verbal reasoning is the fundamental investment.
