Guessing instead of method
Most children invent a strategy for each question. A tutor replaces guesswork with a named method per question type, so the child recognises what to do within seconds.
11+ reasoning
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning for 11+ entry
Reasoning papers are not an intelligence test, whatever the name suggests. They are a set of recognisable question types with recognisable methods, sat under severe time pressure. Children who are taught the methods and then drilled on timing improve; children who only sit paper after paper usually plateau.
- Years 5 and 6
- Method before speed
- Weekly progress notes
What happens next
- 1. A free consultation about the student's stage and goals.
- 2. A shortlist of tutors, reviewed by a person before it reaches you.
- 3. A free compatibility trial before anything is paid for.
Founding lessons from £25 per hour. No grade or place is ever guaranteed.
Who reasoning tuition suits
Reasoning work sits alongside English and maths preparation rather than replacing it. It is most useful for children who are academically strong but slow, or who freeze when a question type looks unfamiliar.
- Year 5 children beginning preparation with a comfortable runway
- Year 6 children who need timing and accuracy sharpened before test day
- Children scoring well on untimed practice but poorly under the clock
- Children who have never been taught non-verbal reasoning explicitly
What usually gets in the way
These are the patterns we see most often, and what a tutor does about them.
Running out of time
Reasoning sections are deliberately tight. We build pace in stages: accuracy first, then a target time per question, then full sections to time.
Careless marking errors
Answer sheets, transfer errors and misread instructions cost real marks. We practise the mechanics of sitting the paper, not just answering questions.
Anxiety about unfamiliar questions
Children panic when a question type looks new. We teach a fallback routine - skip, mark, return - so one hard question does not cost a whole section.
What we cover
- School-set papers
- GL-style question types
- CEM-style question types
Verbal reasoning
- Word codes and letter series
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Logic and deduction
- Vocabulary building
Non-verbal reasoning
- Series and matrices
- Rotation and reflection
- Odd one out
- Spatial and 3D folding
Test craft
- Timing routines
- Answer-sheet accuracy
- When to skip and return
- Checking strategy
How our tutors teach reasoning
Lessons are short, varied and specific. A tutor will typically teach one or two question types properly, then use mixed practice so the child has to identify the type rather than repeat a drill.
- One question type taught at a time, with the method written down in the child's own words
- Mixed practice so recognition, not repetition, is being tested
- Timed sections introduced only once accuracy is stable
- A short set of homework questions, marked and discussed in the next lesson
- Parents receive a note on what improved and what to practise
A typical first four weeks
Every plan is adjusted at the consultation, but this is the shape most engagements take.
- Week 1
Baseline and question-type audit
An untimed paper shows which question types are unknown rather than simply slow. The tutor separates the two.
- Week 2
Teach the weakest types
Two or three question types are taught explicitly, with a method the child can state back.
- Week 3
Mixed practice
Question types are interleaved so the child practises recognising what is in front of them.
- Week 4
Timed section and review
A full section to time, followed by error analysis and a written plan for the next block.
What families ask
When should reasoning practice start?
Year 5 is comfortable for most families. Starting earlier rarely helps, and starting in Year 6 is possible but leaves less room for teaching methods before timing work begins.
Do all selective schools test reasoning?
No. Some set their own English and maths papers with reasoning elements rather than standalone reasoning sections. Tell us the schools you are considering and we will match preparation to their published arrangements.
How much practice should we do at home?
Short and frequent beats long and occasional. Most tutors set fifteen to twenty-five minutes between lessons, marked and discussed rather than simply completed.
How do we start?
Book a free consultation. We talk through the schools, the timeline and the child's current level, then recommend a tutor and arrange a free compatibility trial.
Related support
11+ preparation
School-specific preparation, not generic practice papers.
Read about 11+ preparationQE Barnet 11+ preparation
Independent preparation shaped around the school's published assessment.
Read about QE Barnet 11+ preparationHenrietta Barnett 11+ preparation
Preparation for a multi-stage selective entry, planned backwards from the dates.
Read about Henrietta Barnett 11+ preparationTalk to us about 11+ reasoning
Tell us the stage, exam board and timeline. We will recommend a tutor and arrange a free compatibility trial.
This page was last reviewed by the Tutivate team on 1 August 2026. Admissions requirements and dates change; always confirm details against the official source before making decisions.