Free 11+ verbal reasoning practice
2147 questions, free, with the working shown after every answer. Twelve at a time, nothing timed and nothing recorded.
- Letter sequences Two letters move through the alphabet by their own step. Work out what comes next. 105 questions
- Letter codes A word is written in code. Find the rule, then use it on a different word. 105 questions
- Number sequences Find the pattern in the gaps between the numbers, then continue it. 105 questions
- Letter analogies One pair of letters changes in a certain way. Do the same to another pair. 105 questions
- Number analogies Two complete sets show the rule. Use it to fill in the brackets in the third. 105 questions
- Number odd one out Four numbers share something. Work out what, then find the one that does not. 105 questions
- Number relationships Two worked examples show what is done to a number. Do the same to a third. 105 questions
- Letters for numbers Each letter stands for a number. Do the sum, then turn the answer back into a letter. 105 questions
- Complete the sum Work out one side of the sum, then find the number that makes the other side match. 105 questions
- Alphabet positions Count along the alphabet: halfway between two letters, steps forwards and back, and the alphabet backwards. 105 questions
- Word codes Each letter of a word stands for a number. Use the code to write a new word, or to read one. 105 questions
- Alphabetical order Put five words in alphabetical order in your head, then say which comes where. 105 questions
- Compound words Take one word from each group to make one new word, like foot and ball making football. 105 questions
- Missing letters Find the one letter that ends the first word and starts the next, in two pairs at once. 105 questions
- Closest meaning Find the word that means the same, or nearly the same, as the word in capitals. 79 questions
- Opposite meaning Find the word that means the opposite of the word in capitals, and avoid the word that means the same. 73 questions
- Logic problems Use the clues to put five people in order, then answer a question about them. 105 questions
- Move a letter Move one letter from the first word into the second, so that both make new words. 105 questions
- Hidden words A four-letter word is hiding across the gap between two words. Find it. 105 questions
- Word analogies Find the link between two words, then use it to complete a second pair. 105 questions
- Odd two out Three words belong together. Find the two that do not. 105 questions
What is 11+ verbal reasoning?
Verbal reasoning tests how well a child can think with words, letters and numbers: spotting the rule in a sequence, cracking a code, finding a word hidden in a sentence, completing a word analogy, or working out who is tallest from a set of clues.
Most primary schools don't teach it as a subject, so the questions can look strange at first. But each type follows a fixed rule, and once a child has seen the rule a few times it stops being a puzzle.
Areas whose 11+ includes it
- Bexley
- Birmingham
- Buckinghamshire
- Gloucestershire
- Kent
- Lincolnshire
- Medway
- Slough
- Trafford
- Warwickshire
- Wirral
For entry in September 2027, from our area guides, each written from the published admissions arrangements. Some areas are changing their tests for later years: the guides say how.
How to practise at home
- Learn one question type at a time. Each topic here is a single type, so twelve in a row let your child find the rule.
- Know the alphabet by position (A is 1, M is 13, Z is 26). Letter codes and sequences depend on it, and counting on fingers is slow.
- After a wrong answer, read the working together, then try the same type again straight away.
- Read widely and talk about words. A good vocabulary helps with every verbal question.
When the topics feel secure, try the verbal reasoning mock paper: 42 questions in 50 minutes, marked when you finish. Prefer pencil and paper? Print a verbal reasoning practice paper with answers and working.