Guidance

Bond Customer Support

To help you get the most out of Bond Online and the Bond 11+ website, we’ve created a Bond Customer Support site to help you answer any questions you might have.

Bond Customer Support site
 
You can also telephone our Customer Services team on 01536 452610, for general enquiries.

11+ Exam Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions about the 11+ exam, take a look at our 11+ exam Frequently Asked Questions:

About the 11+

My Child and the 11+

Preparing for the 11+ Exam

11+ Subjects

11+ Interviews

Bond 11+ Resources

About the 11+

For more information about the 11+ exams, please see our About the 11+ section.

What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination for secondary schools, in particular grammar schools and some independent schools, to identify academic ability and potential. It is taken towards the end of Year 5 or beginning of Year 6 of primary school.

The content of the 11+ exam varies between different areas of the country but generally it will focus on a combination of the following four subjects:

  • English
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness tests are not school-based subjects and will not be taught as part of the curriculum in state schools.

How long is the 11+ exam?

There are two different formats for 11+ exam papers:

  • Standard format – where children write their answers on the test paper
  • Multiple-choice format – where answers are marked in a separate answer booklet

11+ exam papers are timed and usually last between 45-60 minutes.

 

How is the 11+ different to other school exams?


The 11+ exam is part of the secondary school selection process for schools in England that select by academic ability – including state-funded grammar schools and selective independent schools. The exam is optional and is held at the start of Year 6. There are two main exam boards, GL Assessment and CEM, although some schools set their own test or mix and match their own test with particular papers taken from external exam boards. The exact make-up of the exam can vary between Local Authorities and between individual schools.

By contrast, national exams such as SATs cover core English and maths skills, are standardised and aligned to the National Curriculum, and are part of the government framework for education. They must be taken by all children in state-funded primary schools, towards the end of Year 6.

The Common Entrance exam is set by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) and used by many independent (private) schools. It is also an optional exam taken in Year 8 testing for academic ability and often referred to as ‘the 13+’. It covers most of the same core skills as the 11+ but will also include other subjects chosen by the school, such as science or modern and classical languages.

Selective independent schools might also offer entrance exams at 7+ and 8+. The Common Pre-Test is an online-format test offered by the ISEB for children in Year 6 (11+) and covers the same four subject areas as the standard 11+. 

Where can I find out about the 11 Plus exams?

With no published curriculum, and with many schools preferring not to publish the content of their exams, the 11+ can have an air of mystery about it. Different Local Authorities and senior schools set different combinations of tests, making it hard to choose 11+ resources to meet every child’s needs.

On this website you will find up-to-date guidance on the 11+ and other selective entrance exams. You can find out further admissions information on the website of your preferred school. 

Why is it so hard to find out information about the 11+?

Since the 1970s there has been a political move away from selective school processes to state school comprehensive systems. For this reason, fewer schools and Local Authorities are using the 11+ selection system. The 11+ is intended to test innate academic ability and therefore secondary schools want to ensure the playing field is as level as possible. This ethos is also why the content of the CEM test varies year on year. Schools are not obliged to provide anything other than basic information about the test they use.

What are the different 11+ exam boards and what is the difference between them?

The 11+ exam is highly regionalised: the subjects covered in the 11+ papers and how your child will be tested will depend on where you live.


There are two main exam boards for the 11+ exam:

  • GL Assessment – previously known as NFER, GL Assessment develop and administer 11+ exams in the majority of grammar schools in the UK.
  • CEM – developed by the Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring at Durham University, the CEM 11+ exam was created in response to fears from some grammar schools that the existing 11+ exam system had become too predictable. The CEM exam was designed to address concerns over question spotting and ‘teaching to the test’. As of 2022, the CEM test is now exclusively taken online.

 

Checklist – to find out how the 11+ exam is structured in your area, check the following details with your chosen school:

  • When is the 11+ exam?
  • Which subjects are tested?
  • How many questions will there be in the 11+ paper? 
  • What format does the exam take?
  • Who provides the exam?

 

Currently the GL and CEM exams are taken in the following regions:

GL ASSESSMENT: Barnet, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Buckinghamshire, Calderdale, Enfield, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Medway, North Yorkshire, Plymouth, Slough, Warwickshire, Wiltshire.

CEM: Bexley, Devon, Kirklees, Redbridge, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Wolverhampton.

GL ASSESSMENT AND CEM: Lancashire, Torbay, Trafford.

GL AND SCHOOL'S OWN TEST: Bromley, Reading, Wirral, Kent.

SCHOOL'S OWN TEST: Cumbria, Essex, Kingston upon Thames, Liverpool, Southend-on-Sea, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton.

N.B. Please note, this information was correct at time of publication, but schools do change exam board so it is essential that you check with each school to which you are applying.

 

GL and CEM 11+

GL and CEM are the two main exam boards for the 11+ and although they cover broadly the same topics – English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness – there are very real differences to the way the GL and CEM 11+ exams work, which will have an impact on how you support your child.

To help you prepare your child for the 11+ exam, we’ve summarised the key differences between GL and CEM.

Which subjects are covered?

  • GL: English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness (schools can choose any combination of these to best suit their selection policy).
  • CEM: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and numerical reasoning (‘verbal reasoning’ encompasses many of the skills tested in the GL English exam, including comprehension and ‘numerical reasoning’ involves the core maths skills needed for the GL exam).

 

Which skills will be tested?

Your child will require strong skills in the following areas:

  • GL: vocabulary, logic, maths, and spelling
  • CEM: English, comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and maths. CEM verbal reasoning is very different to GL and success is dependent on children having a wide-ranging vocabulary.

 

Why is CEM different?

The CEM 11+ exam is favoured by some regions and schools as it is seen as more ‘tutor-proof’ than GL. CEM places more emphasis on:

  • not producing or endorsing any published practice papers
  • basing the test papers more closely on the National Curriculum, which is followed by all state school children
  • a perceived increase in difficulty
  • it is an online-only test

 

If your child is sitting a GL Assessment-examined test, use plenty of past and practice papers to familiarise your child with the question types in each subject.

If your child is sitting a CEM-examined test, work hard on developing a deep and rich vocabulary:

    • Use a vocabulary book to record new words and their meanings to ensure that your child really understands the new words they are learning and can use them in context.
    • Read widely with your child and use ‘grown up’ words in ordinary conversation, explaining their meaning as you go.
    • Practise synonyms and antonyms, for example, encourage your child to use more sophisticated words to describe something, or complete crosswords together.
    • Plenty of exam prep using practice papers is also important for CEM, but the question types that appear in the real CEM 11+ exam are much more unpredictable.

 

For both tests, but especially the CEM-examined tests, time management skills are of great importance:

    • Make sure your child does plenty of timed practice and is accustomed to managing their time carefully.
    • Use practice test papers to set mock tests under exam conditions to help them get used to formal exam conditions – getting used to working in test conditions will help your child feel less intimidated by the real exam.

I am undecided about entering my child for the 11+ exam. Is there any other benefit to following the Bond system or is it purely geared towards the 11+ exam?

The Bond 11+ system covers English, maths, verbal, and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness. All Bond English and maths books are matched to the National Curriculum and practicing reasoning questions develops transferable skills that can be used across the curriculum, widening the core skills of any pupil. Many parents, therefore, choose to use them as rigorous, general home support for their children as they progress through school. Preparing your child for secondary school is a very sensible use of time and money, and the Bond system provides a cost-effective and systematic way of doing so. Additionally, for more focused preparation for the SATs assessment which all state school attending primary school children sit, Bond now also offers a SATs-specific range – Bond SATs Skills  – that mirrors the question approach and difficulty levels used in these tests. Bond SATs Skills books provide ideal preparation and support for SATs and can be used in parallel with 11+ preparation material.

What do I do if my exam board changes?


Start by visiting your target grammar school’s website for information on the format of the test. Then check out the new exam board’s website for helpful materials: some may offer familiarisation papers, banks of question types, and parent guides. Don’t feel you have to abandon all the resources you are currently using; instead, look for areas of overlap in terms of skills, and mix-and-match resources to start with – though bear in mind, a different exam board will word questions differently, and it’s vital that children become familiar in advance with the style of questions they will meet in the exam. Finally, introduce new aspects gradually, for instance with 10 Minute Tests, before you launch into full, timed exam papers.

Bond Handbooks are available for individual subjects, but also for the dual subject approach of the CEM exam in the How to Do… series.

For more guidance, see how tutor Juliette Green dealt with just this challenge.


My Child and the 11+

My child is top of the year, but it is not an academic school. How can I tell how bright my child is compared to pupils in other schools?

Being able to work quickly is essential for any timed test, but it is also something that can be improved with practice. The Bond system uses timed papers and following the books will ensure your child becomes used to working within a time frame. The Bond 10 Minute Tests are a great way to introduce the concept of working within a time limit, whilst keeping the pressure to a minimum. If timing is an issue, try starting with 10 Minute Tests but allowing more time at first and then gradually shortening the length of time allowed for each paper. Assessment practice titles offer longer tests and your child can work up to full length Test Papers which offer a realistic exam experience.

Our online products also offer timed mock tests, with a built-in timer. This can be especially helpful for preparing children for the CEM exam or other online tests, but is also a great way to mix things up with practice and build in flexibility for any exam prep.

You can also take a look at the Bond Handbook  range for ideas on how to improve the techniques your child uses and then gradually shorten the length of time given to each paper. Speed matters and so focusing on this is pivotal.

 

I think my school does the 11+ test in May, so why are school options sent in March?

The exams held in May are SATs, which are different to the 11+. SATs are compulsory for all children in state primary schools; whereas the 11+ is optional and is part of a selective admissions process. The 11+ exams are usually held in September, though some independent schools prefer November or January.

I am going to move house to be in the catchment area of a grammar school. When is the best time to move?

If you are genuinely moving permanently into a new area, then your child should not be disadvantaged by this. You will often need to list the new address on your application to the school and to be already living at this address. Be aware that popular schools will be alert to any evidence that a family has moved temporarily into a new area, is listing multiple addresses, or has made other sudden changes to their lifestyle (such as church attendance) in order to support an application.

How fierce is competition for the 11+?

There are always more pupils applying for grammar schools than there are places available, sometimes as many as 10 pupils for every one place, and so competition is fierce. When a school has an admissions policy based on the 11+ results only, those with the highest results take the places.

If my child fails the 11+, can they retake it?

For many schools the 11+ is the one and only opportunity, although some schools have 12+ and 13+ exams. There are no ‘retakes’ within an academic year. These are similar to the 11+ but taken in Years 7 and 8. They are ideal for pupils who are in the Middle School system, mid-year transfer students, or pupils who wish to enter a selective secondary school after Year 7.

Can past papers be bought for practice?

Schools and Local Authorities, who commission an exam board to write the 11+ paper, do not usually make exam papers available. General example papers written by some exam boards (e.g. GL Assessment) can be bought from bookshops and online, although boards such as CEM do not endorse any exam preparation and deliberately vary their test each year to discourage tutors ‘teaching to the test’.

Familiarisation tests are available on some school and Local Authority websites to give an idea of what the test looks like. Schools that set their own papers will often send out copies of past papers, as will schools that sit the Common Entrance exam.

 

What is the difference between the questions in the Bond books and the questions in the online practice area?

The online products provide a very different way of preparing for the 11+, allowing for different learning styles and a change of approach to keep things interesting! They focus on the four 11+ subject areas and feature realistic question types. Additionally, all the online questions are different from the material in the books, creating an even wider pool of resources. The tests are auto-marked and feedback is given immediately, so the child can work through independently, learning from their mistakes and building on their successes. The online products can be done anywhere and used on any device with internet access. The 10 question tests are useful fit around busy schedules.

The online products are a great tool for 11+ skill development and also particularly helpful for preparing your child for the CEM exam (which is online only) and other online selective tests, as they allow your child to practise answering questions in a digital environment.

Whether used with or without the addition of an online subscription, the Bond range of books provides a complete programme of practice and preparation. The books are designed to be written in, allowing your child to interact with the material and providing a much-needed break from screen time.

 

How can I explain an answer to my child when I can't work out the question myself?

All online practice resources and many of the Bond books and test papers include expanded, worked-through answers, so you can see how that answer was reached and explain it to your child. The Free Resources section of the website also provides some extended explanations for questions from across the range of books.

 

The Bond Handbooks provide comprehensive explanations and worked examples of all 11+ question types across English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

 

Do I get to see the 11+ marked paper so I know how they have done?

No, the 11+ paper is not returned to parents. You will get a result that tells you what the pass mark is and your child’s score.

 

Preparing for the 11+ Exam

What can I do to help my child pass?

Firstly, it’s vital to mark work promptly and go through incorrect answers supportively with your child to ensure they don’t repeat the same mistakes. Use the expanded answers or the Bond Handbooks to see the best method for answering a question. A workbook, such as the Bond assessment practice range or the 10 Minute Tests features worked examples and techniques, offering a resource a child can refer back to as well as a record of their progress. This is especially important with vocabulary building and spellings.

More generally, making sure that your child is organised keeps them stress-free. If your child is working, then a quieter environment is helpful. Sometimes just sitting next to your child as they work can be a comfort.

How do I know how well my child is doing?

If you subscribe to one of our online products, you will be able to track your child’s progress, see their marks for each test, identify strengths and weaknesses and see where and how much they are improving.

All Bond Assessment Papers and Bond 10 Minute Tests contain a progress chart that enables a child to record their score for each paper, tracking their progress and identifying strengths and weaknesses.

Detailed parental advice on checking general ability, as well as specific subject skills, is included in the four Handbooks and throughout The Parents’ Guide to the 11+

 

How can my child's scores for the 11 Plus be improved?

Practice is the best way to develop skills and improve scores – the key is to start at a manageable level and build up from there. Whilst a challenge can be invigorating, attempting questions that are too hard for your child can have a negative impact on their results and their confidence. If in doubt, start with materials that you know they are comfortable with and then gradually increase the difficulty.

All Bond books include guidance on how to get the best results and on which books to try next, depending on the scores your child is achieving. For ages 9-10 and 10-11+, Bond assessment practice also includes Up to Speed titles for children needing additional support to get up to the level required for exam success and Challenge papers for those who are working at the required level but are looking for an extra challenge or those who are applying for the most competitive schools. 

With a subscription to one of our online products, parents and guardians get access to detailed reports showing how their child has been performing across topics, allowing them to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Bond Handbooks are packed with essential explanations and guidance, as well as ideas on how to improve scores and tutor exam tips.

Each pack of Bond 11+ Test Papers also includes ‘The secrets of 11+ success’ booklet.

The Free Resources section of this website also includes the Bond Placement Tests which will help you to establish your child’s strengths and weaknesses across the core subject areas. The Free Resources section also features activities, further guidance, additional practice material, and walkthrough videos.

 

What's the best way to motivate my child?

Many children find online work more appealing. Subscribing to an online product means that your child gets easy access to questions and instant feedback on their answers. Being able to try out different answers, do the same test again and again, and see their score immediately can be highly motivating.

Bond books also offer practical ideas and tips that should help your child stay motivated during practice sessions for the 11+. In particular, look out for:

  • the ‘Bond motivational planner’ system inside The Parents’ Guide to the 11+
  • the puzzle pages in each 10 Minute Tests title for English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning
  • ideas for games and tutors’ top tips for parents and guardians throughout the Bond Handbooks

How many hours of homework should my child be doing for 11+ preparation?

The aim of homework is to consolidate skills and to revise techniques. Little and often is a great way of learning but it does depend on the age of your child.

At Key Stage 1, games, reading, and building vocabulary can be a natural part of the day. Adding five minutes of times tables each day, five minutes of spellings, and time for reading before bed is perfect.

From Year 3, at-home activities should support a rounded education. Playing with Lego develops spatial awareness; computer programming and playing chess both develop strategic thinking; and games like Scrabble (or Junior Scrabble) help consolidate spellings. There are plenty of apps that children can use to support maths skills and spellings. The Bond Assessment Papers are age-appropriate so a child can complete a paper in a short time. If they enjoy the NVR and VR books, allow them to indulge their enjoyment. At this stage, developing a love of learning is key.

In Year 4, an assessment paper can be done a few times a week with a Bond 10 Minute Test on other days. Continue with times tables, spellings, and reading.

From Year 5, the assessment papers can be completed on most days, while Bond 10 Minute Tests keep learning fresh. Much depends on the exam board(s) your child is preparing for: if they are doing both GL and CEM, there will be more work to complete. Have some time when there is no homework at all and ensure your child has plenty of rest and relaxation. Although it is crucial to have a broad education, giving your child work to do that is not part of the 11+ can add unwanted stress, so there comes a point when focusing on the exam takes precedence.

 

My child is bright and capable, but they are very slow to work questions out. Does this mean they are going to fail the 11+?

The Bond Placement Tests in the Free Resources section of the website will help to identify where the problem areas are and will suggest which books your child needs to strengthen any areas they struggle with. Each book in the assessment practice series is carefully graded to ensure steady progress is made and the answer booklets make it easy for parents to check for accuracy. The Bond Handbooks give useful advice on how to approach different question types if your child is struggling to understand what the question is asking.

My child makes silly mistakes and loses marks because of it. How can I help?

No mistake is silly, as it has been made for a reason. Avoid negative labels. Instead, go through each error when you mark a paper then ask your child, in a supportive manner, why they think they made the mistake. Prompt if necessary: Did they not know the technique needed? Do they need more consolidation to remember the technique needed? Have they made a working-out error that reveals a lack of security in times tables or subtracting / multiplication / addition / division methods? Did they lose focus at that point? Did over-confidence lead to not working out the problem, or not checking their work afterwards?

Once you have this information, make a note of it in the page margin, and keep a tally in order to identify recurring issues or areas of weakness which can then be addressed in isolation. Tackling problems in a constructive and focused way will not only boost a child’s self-confidence, it will also model useful life-skills.

How can I tell if I’ve chosen the right resources?

Keep a check on your child’s progress. If they are not making steady advances, then reassess the resources that you are using. The aim is to provide a stress-free transition between one level and the next, to consolidate techniques and methods, to learn exam skills, and to build confidence. For a parent, a trustworthy system that is not only affordable and but also adaptable is key. Creating a proper, tailored learning plan for your child is vital.

I’ve been told to use lots of different companies for the 11+ to have the best chance of passing. Is this true?

No. When you want the best for your child it can be tempting to invest in every resource available. But buying every book, signing up for every online system and bombarding your child with an overwhelming range of resources is counterproductive. And while there are some fantastic materials available, others are poorly written and fail to prepare children properly. Even cost is not a guarantee of quality.

At Bond, we handpick the best tutors and teachers, with a long history of success, to be our authors. Our comprehensive range of print and online resources offers a complete programme of learning and practice for the 11+ and SATs and can also be used to prepare for the Common Pre-Test, Common Entrance, and other selective school examinations, as well as for general improvement across core subjects and skills.

11+ Subjects

My child is bright at many subjects but struggles at Maths/English – what can I do to help them?

The Bond Placement Tests in the Free Resources section of the website will help to identify where the problem areas are and will suggest which books your child needs to strengthen any areas they struggle with. Each book in the assessment practice series is carefully graded to ensure steady progress is made and the answer booklets make it easy for parents to check for accuracy. The Bond Handbooks give useful advice on how to approach different question types if your child is struggling to understand what the question is asking.

 

How can I help my child with comprehension and writing tasks for the 11 Plus?

The Bond range of tutorial guides includes two titles that deal specifically with the knowledge and skills required to successfully tackle these aspects of English: Focus on Comprehension and Focus on Writing

 

In addition, comprehension practice can be found within:

 

11+ Interviews

Will my child need to sit an interview as well as completing the 11+ exam?

Check with the school’s website to confirm if your child will need to have an interview. For many grammar and private schools there are no interviews, and parents are simply notified if their child has a place. Other schools invite just the child along for an interview; and others interview both the child and the parents or guardians.

How should my child prepare for an interview?

Make sure your child is confident about any in-school or extracurricular activities they have done and can explain how these might help them in secondary school. For example, ‘Playing in the primary school football team has helped me to be focused and to work well with others,’ or ‘Playing the flute in the orchestra has helped me to be more confident.’

Your child may be asked to bring along schoolbooks and sometimes certificates or awards from ‘out of school’ activities. Be selective: do include your child’s latest music, dance, sporting award or newspaper cuttings of events your child has taken part in, but don’t take along every piece of artwork your child has ever created, or certificates older than a couple of years.

The interviewer is looking for pupils who will best suit the school environment. Read the school prospectus to see what they value. Do they mention sports schemes, travel opportunities, debating societies, music activities, drama groups, reading schemes, or church events? What has your child done that links to this or demonstrates a transferable skill?

 

Bond 11+ Resources

How can the online practice area help my child improve?

As your child builds up a score profile for each question type, it will become clear which questions they are struggling with and which ones they excel at. It’s important to have had quite a few goes at each question type so that a clear picture emerges. It’s then easy to target practice on the types of question your child finds trickier.

 

Who has written the questions for Bond Resources?

The questions have all been written by experienced tutors and teachers. Since J.M. Bond wrote the original books we have built a select team of trusted authors, all of whom have a proven, high success rate. The Bond author team includes Michellejoy Hughes, Jane Bayliss, David Clemson, Frances Down, Sarah Lindsay, Nicola Morgan, Alison Primrose, Jane Cooney, Andrew Baines, and Malcolm Thomas.

Can Bond books be used to prepare for both GL and CEM 11+ exams?

Yes, the core Bond titles are not aligned to any one exam board to allow greater flexibility in learning and thinking, so they offer great preparation for both GL and CEM exams. Bond also offers a series of CEM-specific titles to provide additional support for pupils who will be taking that exam. These CEM resources can also be used for GL students looking for an extra challenge.

You can also use the Bond programme if your child is sitting a school-written test (which would likely cover some or all of the same four subjects as the standard 11+ tests) or an Independent School Examination Board (ISEB) test, such as the Common Pre-Test (which covers all four of the core 11+ subjects of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning).

Bond English and maths resources will also help build key skills for the ISEB’s Common Entrance Exam (13+), while Bond’s 11–12+ range of maths books in particular can help prepare for the greater demands of the Common Entrance maths content – but bear in mind that ISEB Comprehension follows a different format, so supplementary support materials may be needed for that.

Is it possible to pass the 11+ without having a private tutor?

 

Yes. Some pupils will pass the 11+ without ever having had any 11+ tuition or having seen a practice paper. Other pupils will work through a couple of practice papers. Others will have private tutors. As with most things, preparation will make children feel more confident in approaching the questions. It is important to remember that every child is different and what might suit one child, won’t suit another. Whatever system you choose, don’t be afraid to change it if it’s not working effectively.

 

My child was not born in the UK and doesn’t have the word knowledge or general knowledge to answer some of the questions. What can I do?

 

This is a common situation which can impact on a child’s attainment in comprehension and verbal reasoning. Look for ‘I Spy’-type books with a UK focus; these are often inexpensive and wonderful for building general knowledge and vocabulary. Bond Flashcards: Synonyms and Antonyms are useful in introducing your child to more words in a fun way. More generally, encountering a wide range of UK-based novels and television (factual and news programming as well as drama) can broaden children’s cultural familiarity; and keeping subtitles switched on during viewing will reinforce vocabulary and spelling.

 

Does my child sit a different exam for each school on our shortlist?

 

If you live within a Local Authority that has grammar schools, your child might only need to sit one exam as part of the application process. However, in a Local Authority where different schools have varied requirements, or if you’re applying to schools from an adjacent county, your child may need to sit multiple exams depending on what is stipulated by your desired schools. Therefore, it is imperative to check the entrance requirements of individual schools.

 If the 11+ is taken at the start of Year 6, when do I use the Bond 10–11+ books?

The age-ranges on these books can be seen as a target ability-level, rather than dictating when they should be tackled. So don’t aim to use the age 9–10 Bond titles only in Year 5 or to ‘save’ the 10–11+ books for Year 6, as there won’t be time to use them!

When starting on Bond resources in earlier years, start with ‘age-matched’ resources but be prepared to move up and down the age-range depending on how your child finds the materials. Working at a lower age-level shouldn’t be seen as a sign of failure; rather it enables a child to build secure foundations for their knowledge and confidence, which will pay off later.

Why is Bond preferable to other 11+ systems?

Bond offers a complete package of books and test papers that make up a tried and tested route through the 11+ exam. The Bond Placement Tests in the Parents’ Guide are a vital key to assessing your child and they work in harmony with the rest of the series. Bond doesn’t have full-colour quiz books with stickers, games and gimmicks because that isn’t what the 11+ exam is like. Instead it offers a cost-effective, thorough and concise action plan that, used in conjunction with the Parents’ Guide, will offer all of the support and information you and your child need.