Reading comprehension is a crucial skill for 11+ and independent school entrance exams, as well as Year 6 SATs. Strong comprehension skills help children understand, analyse, and interpret texts—a vital ability not just for exams, but for lifelong learning.
But how can you help your child develop these skills effectively? In this guide, we’ll cover:
What reading comprehension involves, and the skills your child will need
Different types of 11+ reading comprehension questions
The format of reading comprehension tests for different entrance exams
How to help develop your child's reading comprehension skills
What is reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension is the ability to read, process, and understand a text. It goes beyond just reading the words. It’s about grasping their meaning, making connections between ideas, and drawing conclusions.
In exams, children are tested on how well they can extract information, infer meaning, and evaluate a text.
Types of reading comprehension questions
Your child will likely see a variety of comprehension questions in their exams. Understanding these question types will help them prepare more effectively.
1. Vocabulary questions
These questions test a child’s understanding of specific words in the text. They might be asked to define a word or choose a synonym from multiple options.
How to prepare: Encourage your child to read widely and keep a vocabulary journal where they write down new words, their meanings, and example sentences.
2. Retrieval questions
For retrieval questions, your child will need to find and recall specific details from the text. Answers are usually stated directly in the passage.
How to prepare: Teach your child to scan the text efficiently and underline key information. Practising with short extracts and simple retrieval tasks can help build confidence.
3. Inference questions
Inference questions require children to read between the lines. Instead of directly stated answers, they have to use clues from the text to understand what’s implied.
How to prepare: Discuss books and passages with your child. Ask open-ended questions like, “Why do you think the character felt that way?” to encourage deeper thinking.
4. Summary questions
These questions assess a child’s ability to condense information and identify the main ideas in a passage.
How to prepare: Have your child practise summarising paragraphs in their own words, focusing on the key points without unnecessary details.
5. Author’s intent and literary techniques
Some questions ask about the author’s purpose, tone, and use of literary devices, such as metaphors or similes.
How to prepare: Expose your child to different writing styles. When reading together, point out techniques like descriptive language, persuasive writing, or storytelling elements.
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What format are reading comprehension exams?
GL Assessment 11+ comprehension
Most grammar schools use GL Assessment 11 plus exams. The structure of the English paper varies from school to school. Most papers include a reading comprehension task followed by spelling, punctuation and grammar questions.
The comprehension section consists of a passage of text which might be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. It could be a traditional or contemporary text. Your child will need to answer questions to show:
their literal understanding of the text
their ability to infer implied meaning and deduce information
that they can understand vocabulary in context
Depending on the format of the test, your child will have multiple-choice answers (most common) or will need to write short written answers.
The picture below shows the format of an online GL Assessment 11+ English comprehension practice test on Atom. Downloadable paper tests are also available with an Atom subscription.
ISEB English
The ISEB Common Pre-Test includes an English test. This has two sections: reading comprehension and SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar). The questions are adaptive, so as your child answers more questions correctly, the level becomes more challenging.
Your child will see a series of short passages – usually between 300–500 words. These could be fiction, non-fiction or poetry, and taken from a range of time periods. The test is taken on a computer and children can scroll to read each passage. All questions are multiple-choice.
Take a look at the format of an ISEB English test, as shown on Atom.
Year 6 SATs reading
The Year 6 SATs reading paper has a time limit of 60 minutes (including time for reading). Questions are based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum. There are 50 marks available.
Your child will have three texts to read and will need to answer questions on each text. Some questions include a page reference, so your child knows which page their answer should be based on.
Each text might be a different genre. Your child should read one text and answer the questions about it, before moving on to the next text. The space given for the answer will help your child work out what type of answer is needed.
Year 6 SATs practice tests are available on Atom. The reading tests look like this:
CEM Select comprehension
Comprehension is one of the longest sections on the CEM Select test. It is included in the verbal reasoning section (there is no separate English section).
Like the ISEB, this is a computerised test. Your child will see a scrollable passage of text (fiction or non-fiction) on the left of their screen. Questions will appear on the right side of the screen.
Here's an example comprehension question in a CEM Select test on Atom.
FSCE 11+ English
A few grammar schools in England use 11+ exams set by the FSCE. These tests are similar in style to GL Assessments.
Your child will need to read a short passage of text, which could be fiction or non-fiction. They will then work through questions which assess how well they have understood what they have read.
The picture below shows an example question from an online Reading School 11+ practice test on Atom. Reading School uses the FSCE for its 11+ exams. Paper tests are also available with an Atom subscription.
How to develop your child's comprehension skills
There are lots of ways you can help develop your child's comprehension skills at home. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Read widely
Reading a broad range of texts on a regular basis is the best way to develop comprehension skills. Find tips for engaging your child with reading here.
You can also encourage your child by modelling reading habits. Showing your child that reading is an activity you do for entertainment or relaxation can have influence. Try reinforcing this with positive comments, such as "I'm going to relax with my book now", or "My book is so good, I can't put it down!"
If you're reading together, ask your child questions about the story. This will help them get into the habit of analysing and interpreting what they're reading. You could ask questions such as:
What do you think is going to happen?
How would you describe this character?
How might this story be different if it was told from another character’s point of view?
Can you summarise what has happened in this chapter?
Looking for more advice? In the free parent webinar below, Hannah explains how to engage your child with reading. Learn about:
The importance of reading and knowledge
How to encourage your child to read
Reading and comprehension
Why reading to your child is as important as hearing them read
Learn more about 11 plus subjects, senior school entrance exams and Key Stage 2 learning. Register for an Atom parent webinar today – no subscription needed!
Practise keywords
Reading comprehension exam questions are usually formed around one or more keywords. If you're preparing for an exam, work through this vocabulary checklist together and make sure your child is comfortable and familiar with each of these terms and what they mean:
Compare
Technique
Explain fully
React
Summary
Statement
Atmosphere
Contrast
Purpose
Effective
Comparison
Quotations
Function
Select
Impression
Phrase
Sequence
Develop exam technique
Developing a strong exam technique will empower your child to tackle any difficult questions. Here's our strategy for approaching comprehension questions:
Read the passage – ideally twice.
Read the question carefully. Pay particular attention to keywords and phrases such as 'in your own words'. If your child is taking the test on paper, they can underline command words in the question (e.g. who, what, when). If the question explains which part of the text it is referring to (e.g. lines 36–38), reread that portion of the text.
Check how many marks are available for the question. Make sure to make a point for each mark. Questions with 3 or 6 marks usually require PEE answers (point, evidence, explain). If a written answer is needed, always write in full sentences. If the question is multiple-choice, use the process of elimination.
Take a deep breath before moving onto the next section. Remind your child to focus on their own test and not compare themselves to others in the exam room!
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