Verbal Reasoning

Types of verbal reasoning exams

There are two types of verbal reasoning exams your child will take depending on the schools in your local area, and there are a few differences between examination types:

GL (NFER) assessments

These GL assessments cover up to 21 different verbal reasoning skills. These may require a child to find the correct answer to a question using their problem-solving abilities or find the answer from a selection of options, such as picking out the correct antonyms or analogies. For children preparing for this exam type we cover all 21 question types during our exam preparation class.

CEM exams

The question types tend not to be as clearly defined in the CEM exams. Verbal reasoning skills are commonly assessed as part of the 11 Plus English test. To give your child the best possible practice, our course largely focuses around the most common verbal reasoning question types that have historically appeared in the CEM exams.

Verbal reasoning questions

Depending on your child's individual needs we will develop their vocabulary skills in our tailored sessions. Our range of 11 Plus and Entrance exam practice resources help your child feel familiar with the different types of verbal reasoning questions they may face.

Here is an example question:

"Hidden word"

A four-letter word is hidden at the end of one word and the beginning of the next word. Find the pair of words that contain the hidden word.

The probe streaked through outer space.

Answer: probe streaked

Support before and after the 11 Plus exam

We believe in ensuring that your child is not only prepared for their 11 Plus exam, but ready and excited for the challenges at their new school!

That's why we provide:

• Traditional paper-based and online activities in 11 Plus tuition sessions

• Individualised maths and English tuition to develop core skills

• The confidence and social skills to succeed in their new school