Find an online 11+ tutor

Here is a constructed teaching example, not a question from an entrance paper:

A group has 28 pupils. Three quarters travel by bus. Two sevenths of those bus travellers get off at the first stop. How many pupils get off there?

An answer of 8 might come from calculating two sevenths of 28. That calculation is correct, but it uses the wrong group. Ask the child what “those bus travellers” refers to and mark that group on the working.

1. Find the bus travellers: 28 ÷ 4 = 7, then 7 × 3 = 21.
2. The second fraction applies to those 21 pupils: 21 ÷ 7 = 3, then 3 × 2 = 6.
3. A clear explanation is: “Six get off. I used 21 for the second fraction because only the bus travellers can get off the bus.”

Online, the child can talk through each line while showing their paper. The tutor can then distinguish a calculation mistake from a misunderstanding of the question.

For a fresh try, change the group to 30 pupils, with four fifths travelling by bus and one third of those getting off first. The answer is 8: 30 ÷ 5 × 4 = 24, then 24 ÷ 3 = 8. Look for the child to identify the second group unaided.

These short constructed examples show how an explanation can reveal more than a tick beside an answer. They illustrate skills to discuss with a tutor; they are not official questions or a complete practice paper.

Reading an inference

Read: “Maya checked the clock again and tightened her grip on the unopened envelope.” What might Maya be feeling?

“She has failed her exam” invents information: the envelope is unopened and the sentence never mentions an exam. A supported answer is: “Maya may be tense or impatient. Checking the clock again suggests she is waiting, and her tightened grip suggests tension.” Another interpretation can work if the child can justify it from the words.

On a shared text or paper copy, have the child point to the evidence and explain the connection. For a follow-up, remove “tightened her grip” and discuss which part of the answer is now less strongly supported.

Explaining a verbal relationship

For the analogy bird is to nest as bee is to ___, “hive” fits the animal-and-home relationship. “Honey” is associated with bees, but does not preserve that relationship. Have the child describe the link before choosing an answer. This is a simple starting activity for vocabulary and verbal reasoning, where those skills are part of the target test.

Describing a change in a shape

Draw an arrow pointing up. A quarter-turn clockwise makes it point right. Start from up again: a half-turn clockwise makes it point down. If a child chooses left for the first turn, trace the direction round a clock face together. Then ask them to explain the turn without moving the paper.

This is a foundation for discussing direction before harder patterns or spatial tasks. Match subsequent difficulty to the assessment; for example, ISEB non-verbal reasoning includes both 2D patterns and 3D spatial reasoning.

A useful match combines knowledge of your child’s entrance test with an explanation your child can follow online. Compare profiles for relevant teaching experience, then use the free introductory meeting to discuss goals, approach and arrangements. Bring one piece of work and explain where your child gets stuck. The introduction is normally a conversation about fit, rather than a full teaching lesson.

Each tutor sets the hourly rate shown on their profile. Latimer invoices after lessons on a pay-as-you-go basis. Agree the lesson length, frequency and any resource costs before booking, so you can judge the total commitment. Check Latimer’s FAQs for payment and cancellation information.

You can contact a tutor through the directory or make a free matching request. Include the target school or test, intended entry year, your child’s current year group, the main difficulty, a budget and suitable online lesson times. Explain any learning or access needs you want considered.