Wirral Admissions Test 11+ guide

Which schools use the Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test is used by four grammar schools:

• Calday Grange Grammar School (boys)

• West Kirby Grammar School (girls)

• Wirral Grammar School for Boys (boys)

• Wirral Grammar School for Girls (girls)

There are three more grammar schools in the area, but these schools do not use the Wirral Admissions Test. Find out more about these schools and their 11 plus entrance exams:

• The Liverpool Blue Coat School (boys and girls)

• St Anselm’s College (Catholic boys’ school)

• Upton Hall School (Catholic girls’ school)

What's on the Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test consists of two papers, taken on the same day with a short break between. These papers are supplied by GL Assessment – one of the leading providers of 11 plus exams in the country.

Your child will have a question booklet and separate answer sheets for each paper. All the questions in the test are multiple-choice, so your child needs to mark the answer options they think are correct on the answer sheets.

Each paper is divided into three different types of questions: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and maths.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning looks at how well your child can apply logic and solve problems with written information. This could include letters, words, symbols and numbers. Verbal reasoning is not taught at primary school, so your child might be unfamiliar with these types of questions.

Your child may need to:

• identify patterns

• use logical thinking to solve problems

• spot similarities and differences between words

• understand rules, such word choice and grammar

• process verbal information

Non-verbal reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning tests how well your child can apply logic and solve problems with visual information. This might include shapes, diagrams and pictures. Like verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning is not taught on the national curriculum.

Questions will require your child to:

• process graphic information

• follow visual patterns and rules

• use spatial awareness

• use logical thinking to solve problems

• understand shapes, space and measures

Maths

The maths questions will be aligned to the content your child has learned in Key Stage 2. However, some questions might be more difficult than they are used to. This is so that they can show how well they can use their skills to solve different kinds of problems.

The main topics taught in Key Stage 2 maths include:

• Number (place value, four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages)

• Measurement (such as units, perimeter, area and volume)

• Geometry (including properties of shapes and position and direction)

• Statistics (such as interpreting information in tables and diagrams and using line graphs)

How can I help my child prepare for the Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test is designed to be challenging. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the exam in September 2024.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before the 11 plus. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

Atom Home makes learning a more enjoyable process for your child. They'll explore exciting worlds full of interactive questions, earning coins to spend in the Atom shop. Atom adapts to your child, showing them questions at just the right level of difficulty to keep them motivated.

Read widely

11 plus exams test your child’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

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

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with the topics they’ve learnt in Year 5, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build 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 for the Wirral Admissions Test. 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’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.