Are you preparing your child to sit the South West Herts Consortium 11 Plus Exams in 2023?
If so, you’re not alone. Last year over 3500 children sat these exams and similar tests are used by selective schools up and down the country, to assess children’s academic ability and determine if they’re suitable for admission.
Preparing for any 11 Plus exam can be a daunting task. And as a parent there are so many questions. Should you hire a tutor? Invest in past papers and study materials? Or maybe you’re unsure how to support your child without adding too much pressure.
Don’t worry though. In this up to date Parents Guide for 2024 admissions, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the South West Hertfordshire 11 Plus exams. From understanding the exam format to registration dates, minimum pass marks and study strategies, we’ll guide you through the process – and help you support your child’s academic journey.
What are the South West Herts Consortium 11 Plus Exams?
The South West Hertfordshire Consortium is a group of partially selective schools in Hertfordshire. These schools use “11 Plus Exams” for children in the area, to assess their academic abilities. A high score in these exams can lead to admission in one of the participating schools.
11 Plus exams look at academic potential and help decide whether a grammar school environment is right for your child.
Your child can only take the 11 Plus exam once per academic year. The tests usually take place in September (although the exact dates can vary from year to year). They happen when your child has just started Year 6 – their last year of primary school.
Seven schools in South West Hertfordshire share these 11 Plus exams. This means your child only has to take one round of tests, rather than a separate exam at each school.
Which schools make up the South West Herts Consortium?
The schools in the South West Hertfordshire Consortium are “partially selective”. This means they are state-funded secondary schools that select a proportion of their intake each year by academic ability.
Each school assesses students on sports, music, or academic aptitude – with some making entrance decisions based on one, two, or all three criteria.
The seven schools in the South West Hertfordshire Consortium are:
Music criteria only
Academic and Music criteria
Watford Grammar School for Boys
Watford Grammar School for Girls
Academic, Music and Sports criteria
All these schools have a well-deserved excellent reputation for academic excellence. As you’ll already know – admissions are highly sought after, which means a high mark in the 11 Plus Exam is a crucial step to securing a place.
Who administers the South West Herts Consortium test?
The South West Hertfordshire Consortium 11 Plus Exam is administered by the Consortium itself.
You can find the registration page here, with up-to-date advice on deadlines, dates for testing and familiarisation papers.
Who sets the test?
GL Assessment sets the test and creates the papers.
GL Assessment is a leading provider of educational assessments to schools across the UK and Ireland. They specialise in tests designed to assess a wide range of skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and numerical ability.
These tests are also designed to be fair and unbiased, with no advantage given to students from any particular school or background.
For free familiarisation papers, visit the GL Assessment website. You’ll also find information on question types and approaches to answers, parent guidance and tips for preparation.
What is the format of the South West Hertfordshire 11 Plus Exams?
The entrance exams for South West Hertfordshire Consortium schools consist of three different tests.
These are:
Academic Ability: 9th September 2023
Music Aptitude: 4th September and 18-22nd September 2023
Sports Aptitude: 13th September 2023 (Queen’s School only)
You can choose which tests you want your child to take when you register.
Here’s the format of each exam in more detail.
Academic Ability
The Academic exams consist of two multiple-choice papers:
The Maths paper tests a range of mathematical skills, including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data handling. It assesses your child’s knowledge of Key Stage 2 national curriculum objectives.
The Verbal Reasoning paper tests a range of verbal skills, including vocabulary, comprehension, and problem-solving. It assesses your child’s ability to spot patterns, manipulate verbal information and connect ideas.
Both papers are timed (taking around just under an hour). Historically, the Maths test sets 50 questions in 50 minutes, while the Verbal Reasoning test sets 80 questions in 50 minutes.
Despite this, the exact number of questions and timings can change from year to year – so it pays to be flexible and prepare your child with a wide range of past-papers. For example, in 2022 the maths paper had 60 questions in 50 mins which caught a lot of parents off guard.
Music Aptitude
If your child is applying for a music place, they’ll sit the Music Aptitude Test.
This involves around 60 questions about topics such as rhythm, melody, pitch and texture. The test takes 45 minutes.
If your child performs well in this test, they’re invited back for an audition. During this performance, they can play their own choice of music – either vocally or on an instrument. Marks are awarded for musicality, accuracy and musical communication.
Find more information on the SW Herts Schools website.
Sports Aptitude
Queens’ School is the only school using the Sports Aptitude test. They state only children with “exceptional sports aptitude” who live within their catchment area should apply.
This test covers various aspects of physical fitness, with movement skills selected from the Council of European Physical Fitness. Elements include shuttle runs (testing speed and agility) as well as an endurance run (8 minutes) and things like standing broad jumps (for explosive strength) and the “flamingo test” (balance).
Find more information on the SW Herts Schools website.
Is there a minimum pass mark for the South West Hertfordshire Consortium?
There’s no minimum pass mark for the South West Hertfordshire Consortium 11 Plus Exam.
Instead, the Consortium uses a scoring system to rank students based on their relative performance each year. This means students who achieve the highest scores are more likely to secure a place at one of the schools.
However, it’s important to note that admission to these schools is highly competitive, and a high score doesn’t automatically guarantee a place. Schools define their own cut-off scores each year, based on their admissions criteria and student performance.
To get an idea of the previous years cut-off scores, take a look at each school’s website.
For instance, Watford Boys Grammar School lists the lowest scores required for a place, broken down by area, exam and year. For the Watford area, the lowest admission score was 202 for the academic test and 35 for the music test. For the rest of the admission area, this rose to 215 for the academic test and 39 for the music test.
Remember, this doesn’t necessarily mean a similar mark would be good enough this year. So when you’re preparing for the exam – aim for the top!
What are the registration deadlines for 2023?
For 2023, online registration for the South West Hertfordshire Consortium 11 Plus Exam commences on Tuesday 11th April and closes on 16th June.
It’s important to register your child as early as possible to ensure they have a place in the exam. Late registration may be possible, but this is subject to confirmation by the Consortium.
You can find more key registration information on the South West Herts Schools website.
How should I help my child prepare for the tests?
Preparing your child for the South West Hertfordshire Consortium 11 Plus Exam requires careful planning and dedication.
Because the Verbal Reasoning paper contains so many potential question types, familiarise your child with as many past papers and different questions as possible. This will improve their exam technique and help them stay calm on the day.
Focus on any weaknesses and help your child develop a strong vocabulary (for instance, going over synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and compound words).
For the maths paper, much of the content comes from the Key Stage 2 syllabus. So make sure your child’s familiar with this, and work on any areas of weakness or uncertainty. You should aim to complete the Year 6 syllabus well before the exam, with plenty of time for past paper practice.
Lots of children struggle with time-management (for both the Maths and Verbal Reasoning papers), so this needs to be tackled well in advance of the exam.
Here are a few more tips:
Start early: It’s never too early to start preparing for the 11 Plus Exam. Even if your child is in Year 5, start familiarising them with the exam format and questions they may encounter.
Practice papers: Practice papers are an excellent way to help your child prepare for the exam. You can find a range of practice papers online.
Set a study schedule: Create a study schedule for your child that includes regular practice sessions and plenty of breaks. Stick to the schedule (as much as possible!) to help your child develop good study habits.
Encourage reading: Reading is an excellent way to improve your child’s verbal skills, which are tested in the VR paper. Encourage them to read widely and discuss what they’ve read with you.
Consider a tutor: If you feel your child would benefit from additional support, consider hiring a tutor who specialises in 11 Plus Exam preparation (like us, at Achieve Learning!). A experienced tutor can provide tailored support and guidance, focusing on areas where your child needs extra help.
At Achieve Learning we have been delivering expert guidance and support for the eleven plus exams since 2004 and have a range of proven resources to help your child prepare for the South West Hertfordshire 11 Plus Exams.
We offer mock exams and practice papers to help your child identify strengths and weaknesses. Our experienced tutors also provide tailored support to help your child excel in the exam. Book a free assessment today to find out more.
