FSCE 11 plus: what you need to know

Please note: the FSCE 11+ exam may be changing the structure and content of the test from September 2025. For specific information about your target grammar school's exam, we recommend checking the school website directly.

If your child is aiming for a grammar school that uses the FSCE 11+, this guide will tell you what the exam is, how it works, and how to help them get ready.

Key takeaways:

• The exam tests English, maths and creative writing and is taken on paper.

• From September 2025, subjects tested by some schools may include any of the following: Art & Design, Computing, Design & Technology, English, Geography, History, Languages, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, and Science.

• There are a mix of question types in the exam. These include multiple-choice questions and free response questions.

• The pass mark, or qualifying standard, is decided by individual schools.

What is the FSCE 11 plus?

The FSCE 11 plus is a Year 7 entrance test. It was created by Future Stories Community Enterprise – linked to Reading School – in 2022. The test helps grammar schools see which students might thrive there.

Which grammar schools use the FSCE 11 plus?

Here are some schools using the FSCE 11+ for 2026 entry:

• Chelmsford County High School for Girls (Essex)
• Colyton Grammar School (Devon)
• Heckmondwike Grammar School (West Yorkshire)
• Lancaster Girls' Grammar School (Lancashire)
• North Halifax Grammar School (West Yorkshire)
• Reading School (Berkshire)
• Skipton Girls' High School (North Yorkshire)
• The Crossley Heath School (West Yorkshire)

What is the format of the FSCE 11 plus?

The FSCE 11 plus exam is taken on paper. For all papers, your child must write their answers in the spaces provided. Any other work will not be seen or marked.

The instructions are read out by a voice recording. At the start of each section, the voice recording will tell children:

• which page number they must turn to
• the section number and name
• instructions for how to answer the questions
• an example question (also printed in the question booklet, so they can follow along)
• how much time they have to complete the section
• when they can start answering the questions
• how much time they have left before the end of the section

At least one exam invigilator will available to help your child if they need any support.

Your child’s details, such as their name, primary school, and date of birth, plus the date and time of the test, will be pre-written on each of their answer sheets. If any information is incorrect, they can raise their hand at the start and an invigilator will help.

There are three papers in total, including:

1. Multiple choice paper

• This paper contains a mixture of English and maths multiple choice questions. On an answer sheet, your child will select the best answer, A, B, C, or D.

2. Free response paper

• This paper also contains a mixture of English and maths questions.
• Your child will need to provide written answers to questions in the space provided.

3. Creative writing paper

• Your child will need to write a full extended answer to a prompt. We've included more information about this paper below.

What subjects are tested on the FSCE 11 plus?

The FSCE 11 plus tests English, maths and creative writing.

English and maths are covered across two papers with a mixture of question types. Some questions are multiple-choice, while others ask for free text responses.

The creative writing test is a third separate paper.

1. English

English questions in the FSCE 11 plus cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling.

Reading comprehension

The questions will assess how well children understand a short passage of text, and their ability to analyse and interpret the text. This could be fiction or non-fiction.

Take a look at an example comprehension question.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary questions test the words your child currently knows and how well they understand their meaning. For example, your child may need to identify the word from the choice of options that is an exact or close match (synonym) of the main word in the question.

Take a look at an example below.

Missing letters

Spelling is assessed through missing letters questions. In each question, children will see a word with some letters removed. They will need to identify the full word in the context of the sentence and complete the word so that it is spelt correctly.

Here is an example of a ‘missing letters’ question.

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2. Maths

FSCE 11 plus maths questions test your child’s knowledge from Year 5 of the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum. This covers the following topics:

• Number and place value: round numbers, negative numbers, and Roman numerals
• Calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, plus factors and prime, square and cube numbers
• Fractions, decimals and percentages: comparing and ordering, adding and subtracting, multiplying and rounding, and beginning to understand percentages
• Measurement: units, perimeter, area and volume
• Geometry: 2D shapes, 3D shapes, angles, reflection and translation
• Statistics: tables and line graphs

Here is an example of a maths question.

3. Creative writing

The third subject assessed in the FSCE 11 plus exam is creative writing. This helps schools to assess children from all angles.

Your child will see a prompt, which they will use as the title for a piece of original writing. Time will be built into the test for your child to plan their answer before they are told to start writing.

Planning

• Space will be provided in the question booklet for your child to plan their creative writing piece.
• This will not be marked, but they should use this time to structure their ideas and organise their thoughts.
• They may wish to write notes, plot out the steps in their story, or draw a spider diagram. They won't be able to write on the answer sheet during the planning time.

Writing

Your child will be told when the planning time has finished, and when to start writing on the answer sheet. Any work written in the question booklet will not be marked.

Examiners will be looking for children who can show:

• creativity and imagination
• good structure and pace
• correct and effective use of spelling, punctuation and grammar
• an extensive and interesting vocabulary
• varied sentence structures

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How is the FSCE 11 plus exam marked?

Each school sets their own “eligible score.”

Papers 1 and 2 (English and maths) are marked electronically. OMR (Optical Mark Readers) scan the answer sheets and detect the marks your child has made in the boxes.

Your child’s raw scores from the English and maths papers will be age-standardised. This is a process that takes into account your child’s age at the time of taking the test, and the number of correct marks. The standardised age score (SAS) is the final score which schools use to rank candidates.

Children who have achieved an eligible score have their creative writing paper marked by examiners. The eligible score is usually set by the school itself – more details will be included in your target school’s admissions policy.

11 plus practice papers from Atom Home provide your child with a standardised age score equivalent to the scoring used in real 11 plus exams. We recommend that students aim for a SAS of at least 120 when practising for entry to grammar schools.

How to prepare for the FSCE 11 plus

Here are our top tips for helping your child prepare effectively for the FSCE 11 plus exam.

Build knowledge

Your child should have a good understanding of Year 5 content before testing their knowledge under exam conditions. Using a 'little and often' approach is key, as our brains learn new information more effectively when focusing on smaller ‘chunks’ of information. Experts recommend study sessions of 20–30 minutes for 10-year-olds.

Building knowledge is easy and fun with Atom Home. When you enter your target schools, Atom gives your child a clear weekly plan to pass the entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

The English paper will test your child’s ability to read and analyse text. The best way to prepare for this is to read widely at home, including both fiction and non-fiction texts.

Encourage your child to read books from different genres and by a range of authors. Increasing your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Refine exam technique

Practice tests can help your child build problem-solving skills and confidence working under test conditions. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.

With Atom Home, you'll unlock online mock tests and printable practice papers. Enjoy automatic marking and progress tracking with the online tests, and help your child get familiar with the real exam experience with printable practice papers.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they have the ability to improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.