Where can I find free 11+ practice papers?

You do not need to spend a lot of money on 11+ papers to get started. The most useful free materials come straight from the organisations that write the tests. This guide lists the official free sources we trust, what each one contains, and how to use them without wasting them.

Which free 11+ papers are official?

There are two main official free sources for East London families. We checked every link below on 1 October 2026.

What is in the GL Assessment free pack?

GL offers free downloads that you can print at home, with no registration needed. The council's Redbridge 11 plus page says GL Assessment provides the Redbridge test and links to these materials directly.

The GL free materials page has separate downloads for:

• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning
• English
• Maths
• Non-verbal reasoning and Maths (combined)
• Verbal skills

The packs use a multiple-choice layout with answer sheets. GL is clear that they give a general feel for the test, and that timings and question numbers in local tests may differ. So treat them as practice in the style, not an exact copy of the Redbridge paper.

GL also sells further practice papers on the same site. These are optional.

What is on the CSSE website?

The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) publishes real past papers for free on its practice material page. For each of 2021, 2022 and 2023 entry, there is an English paper, an English continuous writing paper, a Maths paper and mark schemes.

These are the most realistic free papers for the Essex test, because they are the actual papers children sat. The CSSE test has two papers, English and Maths, each 60 minutes, with 10 minutes extra reading time for English, according to the CSSE website.

Even if your child is only sitting the Redbridge 11+, the CSSE Maths papers are useful extra problem-solving practice for strong Year 5 and Year 6 children. Just remember the format is different. If you are wondering whether Essex schools are an option for you, read our guide to Essex CSSE grammar schools for East London families.

Is there free help for pupil premium families?

Yes, for the Essex test. CSSE has a partnership with Atom Learning that gives free online learning and 11+ familiarisation to pupil premium children. Your child's primary school confirms eligibility, then you fill in a form on Atom's site. Families who are not eligible can use a short free trial. Details are on the CSSE Atom Learning page.

What other free resources help with 11+ skills?

Practice papers only test skills. Children still need to learn the Maths and English underneath. Oak National Academy has free, curriculum-aligned online lessons for primary Maths and English, which are useful for filling gaps.

Your local library is another free source. Ask whether it has 11+ practice books, and borrow plenty of novels too: wide reading is one of the best preparations for verbal reasoning and comprehension.

How should we use free papers so they are not wasted?

Use them in the right order and at the right time. Real papers are limited, so do not burn through them too early.

1. Year 5, autumn and spring: use the GL familiarisation packs untimed to learn the question types. Our guide to verbal and non-verbal reasoning helps here.
2. Year 5, summer term: start timed sections with the answer sheets, so your child gets used to filling them in.
3. Summer holiday before Year 6: use full papers under test conditions, one or two a week.
4. After every paper: go through each mistake. Was it a gap in knowledge, a careless slip, or time running out?

Keep a simple record of scores and the types of question your child gets wrong. That list tells you what to practise next.

Should we buy more papers as well?

Maybe, but only once the free ones are used well. Many families find that a few good papers, carefully reviewed, help more than piles of papers done quickly. If you do buy, choose papers that match your child's actual test format.

Be wary of anything claiming to be the "real" Redbridge paper. The council does not publish past papers on its 11+ page, and its only practice links point to GL Assessment.

How LCB can help

Free papers are a great start, but they do not explain why an answer is wrong. In our 11+ tutoring, we use practice like this alongside teaching, so your child learns the method behind each question type. Groups are small (3 to 5 children), the tutor stays the same each week, and lessons run in Barking or online.

Not sure where your child is starting from? Book a free assessment and we will tell you which areas to practise first.