11 plus Verbal Reasoning practice

What the 11 plus tests in verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning on the 11 plus is not one skill. It is a set of recognisable puzzle formats: spotting a hidden word, working out a code, continuing a letter sequence, choosing the word closest in meaning to another. Each format has its own method, and once a child knows the method, the puzzle itself is usually well within their reach.

That is why the biggest single gain here is speed of recognition, not raw cleverness. A child who thinks “this is a letter-shift code” has already done half the work, while a child still working out what kind of question it is starts behind before reading the options. The eleven plus tests these formats under time pressure, so practice that builds recognition pays off faster than mixed questions done without a plan.

The verbal reasoning question types

There are 25 verbal reasoning question types, and none of them should be a surprise on the day. For how these formats appear in a GL Assessment paper specifically, see our guide to the verbal reasoning question types.

Word meaning

• Closest Meaning: two groups of words in brackets, such as (begin teach grow) and (start mend wash). Find the one word in each group that is closest in meaning to a word in the other.
• Opposite Meaning: the same two-group format, but the pair has to be most opposite in meaning.
• Related Words: a word analogy. Concur is to (agree debate decide) as object is to (receive protest reply). Work out how the first pair relates, then complete the second the same way.
• Word Connections: one word that fits both bracket groups, because it has two senses. Given (chest case) and (snout nose), the answer is trunk.
• Two Odd Ones Out: pick the two words in a group that do not share the connection the rest have.
• Rhyme and Synonym: a word in brackets sounds like a word that means the same as the answer. Two steps: find the rhyme, then find the meaning.

Letters and words

• Insert a Letter: add one letter to the end of the first word and the start of the second, so both become new words.
• Move a Letter: move one letter from the first word to the second so that both are still real words.
• Hidden Word: find a small word hidden across the boundary between two words in a sentence.
• Compound Words: join a word from the first group to a word from the second to make one new compound word.
• Complete the Word: fill in the missing letters, following the pattern given.
• Same Missing Letter: two words in a sentence have lost the same letter and had their remaining letters jumbled. Work out which letter is missing.
• Word Grid: a small grid where the rows are themed groups and the columns share a relationship. Find the word that belongs in the empty cell.
• Sentence Extra Word: the jumbled words rearrange into a sensible sentence except for one. Spot the word left over.

Letter sequences and codes

• Letter Series: continue a sequence of letters by spotting the pattern.
• Letter Connections: work out the relationship between sets of letters, then apply it to find the missing group.
• Letter-Position Bridge: two triplets of words, where the middle word is built from letters taken from fixed positions in the outer two. Apply the same rule to find the missing middle word.
• Letter-Shift Codes: crack a shift along the alphabet, a mirror code or a rule that differs per position, then apply it.
• Letter-Transform Pairs: two pairs of words show a rule that turns one word into another. Apply it to a third pair.
• Word-Number Codes: use the code given to turn a word into numbers, or numbers back into a word.
• Letters for Numbers: letters stand in for numbers. Work the arithmetic through to find the value asked for.

Number reasoning

• Number Series: continue a sequence of numbers by spotting the rule.
• Number Analogies: find the rule connecting groups of numbers, then use it to find the missing value.
• Complete the Sum: fill in the missing number, letter or symbol so the number sentence is correct.

Information and logic

• Reading Information: answer a question using only a short set of facts or rules given in the text.

Letter-shift codes are worth seeing worked through, because the method is entirely mechanical once a child knows it. If CAT is coded as DBU, each letter has moved one place forward in the alphabet: C to D, A to B, T to U. Using the same rule, DOG becomes EPH. The skill is not cleverness, it is checking the shift on a short word first, then applying it consistently to the next one.

How to practise 11 plus verbal reasoning at home

Vocabulary is the single biggest lever across every word-meaning format. Closest meaning, opposite meaning, related words, two odd ones out and rhyme and synonym all come down to how many words a child knows precisely, rather than roughly. Wide reading does more for that than any list of “11 plus words”, because context is how a meaning sticks.

Alphabet fluency is the second lever, and the one parents most often skip. Knowing letter positions both ways, that M is the 13th letter and the 13th letter is M, without counting on fingers, speeds up every code and letter-series question. A child counting from A each time is solving two problems at once.

Short, regular sessions beat long occasional ones here as much as anywhere. For what is realistic at each age, see how much 11 plus practice a child needs each day.

Common mistakes

• Assuming verbal reasoning is just vocabulary. It rewards a wide vocabulary, but a child who is strong on word meaning can still lose marks on codes, letter series or reading information if those formats are never practised.
• Answering before naming the format. A hidden-word question and a compound-words question can look similar at a glance but need different methods. A few seconds spent identifying the type saves far more time than it costs.
• Guessing once one option looks close enough. In word-meaning questions especially, the wrong options are often chosen precisely because they are tempting. Checking the exact relationship, not just the general feel, catches this.
• Applying a code rule without checking it twice. A letter-shift or letter-transform rule that fits one example by chance can still be wrong. Testing it against a second pair before applying it to the answer catches most careless errors.
• Rushing the alphabet check. Skipping the actual count on a letter-position question invites small, avoidable mistakes.

Where 11+ Daily fits

11+ Daily has Verbal Reasoning sessions across all five groups above, including formats children meet less often, such as letter-position bridges and word grids, not just closest meaning and letter series. The Today screen picks one specific skill for the day rather than a mixed bag, and a question a child gets wrong comes back in a later session until it is answered correctly.

Verbal Reasoning is one of four subjects covered, alongside English, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. There is more on how the Today screen decides what to practise, and on what 11+ Daily does and does not cover.

Questions parents ask