The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) 11 plus exam is used to decide whether a child will be granted admission to one of ten grammar schools in Essex.
Do you have questions about the Essex 11 plus process for entry in September 2024? In this article you will find:
Accurate, up-to-date breakdown of the test content
Frequently asked questions, answered
Expert guidance on how best to prepare your child
We have everything you need to know here in one place to ensure you and your child are fully prepared!
Chelmsford County High School for Girls is not a member of the CSSE. It has its own admissions process and a separate 11 plus exam.
What is covered in the CSSE 11+?
The CSSE 11+ test is a paper-based exam taken by pupils in Year 6 who wish to attend one of the ten grammar schools in Essex listed above. Children take two written papers, both of which are created by the CSSE Consortium. The papers are designed to assess Key Stage 2 English and maths skills and challenge the depth and security of pupils’ knowledge. English test.
The English paper consists of two sections. In the first section, children will be given 10 minutes to read an extract of text (this tends to be 19/20th Century), after which they will answer questions to demonstrate their understanding. Past tests have also included a selection of verbal reasoning questions, such as identifying synonyms and antonyms or rearranging jumbled sentences.
The second section is a continuous writing task (commonly known as ‘creative writing’) based on a prompt. Children will be assessed on the originality of their ideas, the accuracy of their vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar, and the use of appropriately varied structure. The English test has a total time limit of one hour.
The maths paper covers the national curriculum content for Key Stage 2 all the way upto mid-Key Stage 3 maths and consists of a mixture of questions to test arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving skills. The key topics covered in the test are number and place value, operations, fractions (including decimals and percentages), ratio and proportions, measurement, geometry and simple statistics.
The maths test also has a total time limit of one hour. Children are not allowed to use calculators.
What is the pass mark for the CSSE 11+?
The scores for each paper are standardised and ‘weighted’ (each paper is worth 50% of the total marks). The results of all candidates are then analysed by date of birth to work out if an age-adjustment is required. The pass mark may vary each year depending on the success rate of the previous cohort. If a year group finds the questions exceptionally challenging, the pass mark may be lower than it was the previous year. The test is designed to be academically challenging; there has previously been a minimum score of 303 for entry into all 10 grammar schools in Essex.
The suggested average standardised score for both papers is 300, which highlights the need to exceed the ‘average’ score. However, it’s worth checking the admissions policy for your child’s target school. Many schools are more likely to give a place to a pupil with a lower score within their priority zone or catchment area than a child with a slightly higher score who lives beyond the priority zone.
How can I help my child prepare for the CSSE 11+?
No surprises: make sure your child is familiar with all styles of questions they will experience in the test. This reduces the potential for panic on the day and will give them the confidence to answer the questions to the best of their ability. You will also be able to download familiarisation papers from the CSSE website from Easter 2023.
Develop their vocabulary: the English paper will test your child’s depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge, which may include the names of unusual objects or descriptions. Reading for pleasure is a great way to support your child’s development in these areas.
Tailor their learning journey: setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help your child progress efficiently. Utilising the Maths Concierge Resources you can get a great understanding of the concepts needed to be successful. Our Mock Exams are specifically designed and proven as the market leading mocks in Essex. With each exam, you’ll get data-driven insights into your child’s progress. Our algorithm creates data making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
We trust you won’t be disappointed.
