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What maths topics are in the 11+?

Updated 2026-11-04

Most 11+ maths is based on the primary curriculum up to Year 5 or Year 6, sometimes with a little stretch beyond it. The challenge is less about new topics and more about accuracy, speed and careful reading.

What level is 11+ maths?

11+ maths usually covers the Key Stage 2 curriculum, with an emphasis on Year 5 and Year 6 topics. Some tests are reported to cover content only up to the end of Year 5, including Buckinghamshire’s, because the test is sat early in Year 6. Others include some Year 6 material.

Questions are often worded as problems rather than bare sums, and some selective tests include a few that go a little beyond the usual curriculum. These reward children who understand ideas properly rather than having memorised methods.

Formats vary. Some tests are multiple choice; others ask for written answers. Check with your council or school which applies to you.

Number and calculation

Place value with large numbers and decimals, rounding and estimating.
Negative numbers, including temperature and number line problems.
Times tables to 12 × 12, and quick related facts such as 7 × 80.
Written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division.
Factors, multiples, prime numbers, square and cube numbers.
Order of operations, so that 2 + 3 × 4 is 14, not 20.

Fast, confident times tables are the single biggest help in 11+ maths. They speed up nearly every other topic.

Fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio

Equivalent fractions, simplifying, and comparing fractions.
Adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions, and finding fractions of amounts.
Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages.
Percentages of amounts, such as 15% of 60.
Ratio and proportion, including recipes and sharing in a ratio.
Simple algebra: missing numbers, formulas and number sequences.

These topics often appear together in word problems, so practise mixed questions once each idea is secure.

Measurement, shape and data

Converting units of length, mass, capacity and time.
Reading the 12-hour and 24-hour clock and working out time intervals.
Money problems and simple best-value comparisons.
Perimeter and area of rectangles and shapes made from them; area of triangles; volume of cuboids.
Angles on a straight line, around a point and in triangles; properties of 2D and 3D shapes.
Coordinates, reflections and translations.
Tables, bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and finding the mean.

Shape questions often combine skills, for example finding a missing length before working out an area.

Problem solving and reasoning

11+ maths questions are rarely just a calculation. A typical question wraps the maths in a short story about a school trip, a shop or a recipe, and the child must decide which operations to use and in what order.

Some questions are deliberately unfamiliar. They might ask a child to spot a pattern, work backwards from an answer, or try a few possibilities in an organised way. These reward calm, logical thinking rather than a memorised method.

Underline the numbers and the question being asked.
Draw a quick sketch, table or bar model to organise the information.
Work backwards when the end result is given and the start is missing.
Try a simple example with small numbers to see how a problem behaves.

Talking through a problem out loud at home is one of the best ways to build these skills.

Common traps

Many lost marks come from small slips rather than gaps in knowledge. Teach your child to watch for these:

Mixed units: a length in centimetres and another in metres within one question.
Questions that ask which answer is not true, or for the smallest rather than the largest.
Remainders in real life: if 30 children need minibuses of 8, you need 4 buses, not 3.75.
Time that crosses the hour or midnight, where ordinary column subtraction does not work.
Confusing area and perimeter.
Multi-step problems where the child stops after the first step.
Tempting wrong options in multiple choice that match a common mistake.

A quick estimate before calculating catches many of these. If the answer is wildly different from the estimate, something has gone wrong.

Working without a calculator

Calculators are not allowed in most 11+ tests, so mental and written methods need to be secure. Encourage your child to show neat working, even in a multiple-choice test, so they can check it.

Practise mental strategies such as doubling and halving, and multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000.
Use known facts: 25% is a quarter, 10% is a tenth.
Check answers using the inverse operation.
Skip a question that is taking too long and return to it later.

Timed practice matters in the final months, but understanding comes first. A child who knows why a method works will adapt better to unfamiliar questions. NITU’s four-test packs include worked answers that explain each step, which can help with reviewing mistakes.

Questions parents ask

Is a calculator allowed in the 11+?

Not in most tests. 11+ maths is usually taken without a calculator, so mental arithmetic and written methods need to be confident. Check your test’s rules with your council or school.

Does the 11+ include Year 6 maths?

It depends on the test. Some cover content only up to the end of Year 5, while others include some Year 6 topics. Check with your council or school.

What is the most important maths skill for the 11+?

Quick, accurate times tables make a huge difference, followed by careful reading of each question so that the right thing is calculated.

Want to see what a paper set out like your child's test looks like? Every pack and handbook has a free sample. Find your test area or try the free flash cards.

Test areas mentioned

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test: format and practice papers