11+ CSSE Format Will Davidson Maths Concierge 11+ format 📝

What is the CSSE 11+ test?

The CSSE 11+ Test is used by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) and is a standardised exam designed to gauge prospective pupils’ abilities across Maths, English and Continuous Writing. 11+ CSSE papers are therefore a key part of the admissions process for the 10 academically selective schools in the CSSE.

If you live in Essex and are interested in sending your child to one of the CSSE grammar schools, it is important to gain as much knowledge as you can about the CSSE 11+. This page will give you all of the information you need to know to prepare your child for this important test.

The CSSE 11+: an overview

The CSSE 11+ is an entrance exam that is used by ten leading schools (King Edward VI Grammar School, Colchester County High School for Girls, Colchester Royal Grammar School, Southend High School for Girls, Southend High School for Boys, Westcliff High School for Girls, Westcliff High School for Boys, St. Bernard’s High School for Girls, St. Thomas More High School and Shoeburyness High School). Seven of these schools are traditional Grammar schools and the other three (St Bernard's High School, St Thomas More High School and Shoeburyness High School) are selective entrance comprehensive schools.

CCHS is not part of the CSSE 11+ exam and currently works with the FSCE board.

The CSSE has been created to offer a broad range of challenging questions which are intended to allow children to both show their numeracy and language skills whilst also allowing opportunities for them to be creative which is built within the continuous writing. Due to high competition for places, passing the 11+ does not guarantee an offer from one of the 10 CSSE schools—however, it is essential to pass the test to have a chance. To prepare your child for the CSSE 11+ test, you should focus on developing their confidence, knowledge and abilities across Maths, English and Continuous Writing.

CSSE 11+ registration, exam dates and results

To register for the test, there are two important steps.

Firstly, you must fill out an application on the CSSE’s website. Then, you must also apply using your local authority’s form. Generally, the cut-off each year for applications and CSSE 11+ registration falls in mid-July—but you should check with your local authority for more exact dates.

The CSSE 11+ exam dates fall in mid-September, and results are expected during October.

The CSSE 11+ exam format

The CSSE exam is made up of two test papers—one on English and one on Maths. The format is age-standardised to ensure older pupils do not have an undue advantage. This is not necessarily always applied and will depend on the results of the entire cohort.

The 11+ CSSE Maths paper traditionally tested pupils on skills across the KS2 National Curriculum but due to increased competition for places, the general level of skill is more similar to that of Y7/8 KS3 content.

Meanwhile, the 11+ CSSE English paper assesses pupils’ vocabulary, grammar, comprehension and Continuous Writing.

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CSSE 11+ syllabus

What Maths topics does the 11+ CSSE Test cover?

The CSSE 11+ Maths paper requires cogent and advanced confidence across fractions, decimals and percentages and the ability to correctly interpret “word-heavy” maths problems and various graph types. To understand the topics covered better, we recommend pupils practise with CSSE 11+ test papers for maths.

For a broad overview of what KS2/3 Maths skills are covered in the CSSE Maths paper, please review the list below:

Numbers: Reading and writing numbers, number lines, order and compare, place values, prime numbers, square numbers, cube numbers, operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division—patterns and sequences, fractions and decimals, percentages, word problems.
Algebra: BIDMAS, simple linear equations, creating equations from shapes.
Ratio & Proportion: Speed, distance & time, word problems, proportional diagrammatic understanding.
Geometry: 2D shapes, area and perimeter of shapes, angles, coordinates, reflections and translations.
Measurements: Unit conversions, mass, length, area, capacity/volume, money, time.
Graphs & Statistics: Pictograms, bar charts, pie charts, line charts, mean, median, mode & range, Venn diagrams.
Train & bus timetables.

What English syllabus does the 11+ CSSE Test cover?

The CSSE’s 11+ English paper is often regarded as challenging for many children, often requiring children to grapple with fairly sophisticated language and concepts.

For example, in recent years, papers have included some quite complex comprehension texts which require attention to detail, nuanced understanding and an ability to detect irony, humour and subtlety. Therefore, a well-developed reading ability (essentially Key Stage 3) will be necessary.

For a broad overview of what KS2 English skills are covered in the CSSE 11+ test, please review the list below:

Comprehension: Identifying and gathering information from the text, understanding literary techniques, inference, understanding character thoughts, feelings and emotions, summarising sections of a passage, as well as explaining the meaning of high-level vocabulary.
Vocabulary: Synonyms and antonyms, Latin and Greek root words, gendered words and idioms.
Grammar: Tenses, main and subordinate clauses, pronouns, prepositions, determiners, conjunctions, verbs (modal, verb agreements), nouns, adjectives, plurals, suffixes, prefixes, compound words and use of the active/passive voice.
Punctuation: Speech, hyphens, parentheses, commas, full stops, semi-colons and hyphens.

This is a non-exhaustive list, but we encourage all students to read, read, read. As Frederick Douglass famously said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

How can my child prepare for the CSSE 11+?

One general tip for helping your child to prepare for the CSSE 11+ assessment is to start preparing as soon as possible. A little-and-often approach to preparing for this important exam can work wonders; for instance, you can use manageable daily question tasks to help your child become acclimated to a wide variety of 11+ questions across both papers.

CSSE 11+ Maths preparation

To help your child prepare for the Maths paper specifically, we recommend a holistic approach to review core skills across KS2 Maths, including plenty of practice with breaking down “wordy” maths problems and helping your child to develop a robust understanding of (for example) percentages, decimals and fractions.

We also strongly recommend making regular use of both past CSSE 11+ past papers (available from the CSSE website) and CSSE Maths practise papers to help your child consolidate confidence and skills across the relevant areas.

CSSE 11+ English preparation

When it comes to the CSSE 11+ English paper, we recommend that you support your child by having them read as much as possible, as often as possible. One recommendation Maths Concierge makes is to read traditional Penguin classic books such as Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations. This will help them strengthen the skills necessary to grapple with texts that require relatively advanced comprehension. Reading appropriate texts daily will also give them plenty of opportunities to practise inference and to use context to work out the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

In addition to various questions which will require a sound grasp of grammatical concepts and punctuation, the CSSE 11+ English paper can also include a somewhat unusual type of creative writing task that requires pupils to write descriptively on a given topic in only a few sentences. Towards this type of question, a wide vocabulary and practice at continuous writing will be advantageous.

To practise all these areas, we recommend using CSSE 11+ English practise papers.

Tips to approach exam content

With the best will in the world, knowledge alone isn’t always enough to allow children to shine on the day of an 11+ test; sometimes having a set of sound exam techniques at their fingertips is just as important. With this in mind, below are some of our top hints for solving CSSE 11+ questions:

Time management is key. Encourage your child to avoid spending too much or too little time on each question—no single question is worth the whole paper, so they should practise the art of giving each one their best shot before calmly moving on to the next question.
Knowledge gaps are okay. In a test, resilience is important—if your child is easily thrown or anxious about not knowing things, this can easily result in a spiralling effect during an exam. Help your child to be at ease with the fact that (like everyone) they will have knowledge gaps and that this is not something to fear.
Write down your working. In Maths questions, this habit is important, as it can give the marker a clear picture of a child’s knowledge and understanding. Unfortunately, method marks are not given but this process can help identify weak areas.
Be a detective—look for clues. Sometimes children assume that if they don’t 100% comprehend a question straight away, they cannot answer it. However, letting your child build a habit of looking for “clues” where necessary can help—for example, if they find a word they don’t know, encourage them to look closely at the context to see if they can make an educated guess.
Prioritise questions based on difficulty. Help your child practise identifying challenging/complex questions and returning to them if necessary after they’ve tackled other easier ones. This can be a helpful strategy in both Maths and English papers, allowing children to pace their concentration productively.