Check your registration deadline

Note: Some grammar school areas do not use a single central registration page. In these areas, parents may need to check each individual grammar school’s admissions page.

For example, in parts of Lancashire, registration arrangements may vary by school, so parents should check the official admissions page for each school they are considering.

Confirm the exam format

Exam formats can change from year to year, so it is important to check the most up-to-date information on the official school, council or consortium website. Do not rely only on other websites, as they may not reflect the latest admissions arrangements.

Some schools have multiple rounds of assessment, and different stages may use different formats or exam providers. Others write their own papers. Always verify the format directly with the school or admissions body.

Choose a diagnostic paper

Once registration is complete and the exam format has been checked, your child is officially in the process and you have a clearer idea of what the exam may involve.

With only a few months left before many September exams, the next step is working out what to focus on.

At this stage, the most useful thing is not necessarily more work. It is clearer information: which subjects are secure, which question types are causing mistakes, and whether timing is becoming an issue.

As a baseline, we usually recommend starting with a Prep Ed 9–10 practice paper. If your child is aiming for a more competitive grammar or independent school, you may also want to try a 10 – 11 paper.

• your child’s current strengths and weaker areas
• their speed and pacing
• a score that gives you a clearer sense of where your child is currently sitting
  (a standardised score, not just a raw score)
• which areas need targeted practice next

Decide what needs targeted practice

Based on the diagnostic paper, choose targeted worksheets to strengthen the areas that need attention. Targeted practice is usually more useful than simply completing more general papers.

There is always some variation between papers. If a paper happens to contain several questions from an area your child finds difficult, their score may drop quickly. This is why it is helpful to strengthen weaker areas before relying too heavily on full papers.

At this stage, we usually recommend regular targeted practice, with a full or mixed practice paper roughly once a week.

If you are unsure what to focus on next, you can contact us and speak to a real teacher for guidance.

Good luck!