A practical guide to selecting the best story prompt when the 11+ exam paper gives you a choice. Includes a 60-second decision checklist, real exam-style prompts, and the three questions that reveal which prompt suits your strengths.

8 min readIntermediate

How to Structure a Short Story in 25 Minutes

A concrete, minute-by-minute plan for writing a short story under 11+ exam conditions. Covers the mountain story structure, pacing across paragraphs, and the most common time traps to avoid.

9 min readIntermediate

What to Do When You Can't Think of Ideas in the 11+ Exam

Five emergency strategies for the moment your mind goes blank in the 11+ exam. Covers the 'what if' technique, the 'borrow and twist' method, the senses trigger, the character-first approach, and the emotion map.

9 min readIntermediate

Time Allocation for the 11+ Creative Writing Paper

How to split your time between planning, writing, and checking in the 11+ creative writing exam. Includes pacing tips, word count targets, and what to do when you get stuck.

8 min readBeginner

How to Proofread Under Exam Pressure in 5 Minutes

A structured five-minute proofreading routine for the end of any 11+ timed writing task. Three focused passes, the finger-tracking technique, and a breathing method to stay calm when the clock is ticking.

8 min readIntermediate

How to Practise Timed Writing at Home

A practical guide for parents and students to simulate 11+ exam conditions at home. Covers setting up the space, choosing timer lengths, progressing from untimed to exam pace, reviewing finished pieces, and tracking improvement over weeks.

9 min readIntermediate

What 11+ Examiners Look for in Creative Writing

An insider guide to the four key areas 11+ examiners assess: content and ideas, structure and organisation, vocabulary and style, and spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Learn how marks are weighted and what separates good from excellent.

10 min readIntermediate

How 11+ Creative Writing Is Actually Scored: A Parent's Guide

A clear explanation of how GL Assessment and CEM mark 11+ creative writing, written for parents. Covers the four main criteria, what low, mid, and high-scoring responses look like, and the misconceptions that catch families out.

10 min readIntermediate

What Top-Scoring 11+ Stories Have in Common

An analysis of the six features that appear consistently in high-scoring 11+ creative writing. Includes example extracts, a comparison between average and top-band writing, and why the best stories are controlled rather than complicated.

10 min readIntermediate to Advanced

Common Reasons Students Lose Marks in 11+ Creative Writing

The ten most frequent mark-losing errors in 11+ creative writing, based on examiner reports and years of tutoring experience. Each error includes an example, its typical mark cost, and a concrete fix students can apply immediately.

10 min readIntermediate

How to Review a Mock Exam and Actually Learn From It

Most mock exams get marked and filed. This guide shows parents how to run a structured post-mock review session — categorising errors, targeting gaps, and turning a missed question into a genuine learning moment.

9 min readIntermediate

How Often Should My Child Sit 11+ Mock Exams?

Parents often do too many mocks or too few. This guide gives evidence-informed recommendations for mock frequency by month, explains the difference between full-paper mocks and section practice, and includes a sample Year 6 mock schedule.

9 min readIntermediate

Creating a Realistic 11+ Mock Exam at Home

A step-by-step guide for parents to set up, run, and debrief a mock exam at the kitchen table that genuinely mirrors exam conditions — from the right time of day to what to do after the pencils go down.

9 min readIntermediate

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