Eleven Plus Ability

There are ultimately only two ways that a child can pass the eleven plus. The first is through innate ability and the other is by working on eleven plus materials.

Some Eleven Plus questions seem to require immense innate ability. Other questions can be answered by children with widely different abilities - if they are trained and taught.

If a small selection of eleven plus questions require abundant ability – then it is likely that these questions will be more difficult to learn by rote or practice. If, however, the question requires a rare skill then those types of questions must be very attractive to parents of very able children.

I wonder if it follows that questions that are extremely hard for most of the eleven plus population will help to select children who will do very well in the eleven plus – and thus go onto enjoy lives of great prestige, high salaries and ample leisure.

If this does follow then the next time you meet a hard question with your child, don’t rail against the eleven plus system – but think positively of money, power and flights of fancy. Above all hope and pray that the reward is worthy of the sacrifice.