In a previous article we mentioned that we would take a deeper look into what and how Quest Assessments will assess the 11 plus exam. This article explores the similarities and differences between the pre-2026 11 plus exams assessed by GL and the new Quest Assessments for the English section only (other articles will look at other sections).
If your child has been attending an 11 plus tuition centre, it’s highly probable he or she has covered the majority of what will be assessed, so parents should not be worried about this.
What’s the same in the Quest Assessments 11+ exam?
The previous GL exam assessed the following:
- Comprehension
- Spelling
- Punctuation
- Vocabulary/ definitions
- Literary devices
- Fact-finding within a text
- Inference
Also, no knowledge outside of the text was required; whatever questions came up, the answers could be found within the text.
All of the above is also true for Quest Assessments. Thus, we can see that the majority of the content is more or less the same between the old and new exam board.
What’s different in the 11+ exam?
Having gleaned through different familiarisation materials, the biggest difference seems to be the inclusion of poetry in the Quest Assessments exam.
Previously, there wasn’t much of a focus on poetry with GL assessments. That’s not to say 11 plus tuition centres did not teach any poetry- some did. But this was often in the context of sitting the Stage 2 St Olave’s exam or another test that specifically assessed poetry.
Consider this question from a Quest Assessments familiarisation paper:
“Look at stanza 2. Who or what is coming…”
Straight away, the word “stanza” sticks out. The use of the word stanza implies that a child should be familiar with the anatomy of a poem.
Another similar question can be seen below:
“What rhyme scheme does the poet use throughout the poem?”
The possible answers include:
A. ABCB
B. AAAB
C. ABAB
D. ABBA
Again, this solidifies the idea that children need to know the make-up of a poem.
Final thoughts
My first thought is that parents should not be worried about the new exam. Most of the content will be near identical to the previous exam set by the GL exam board.
There is, however, one big difference: poetry.
Parents who are tutoring their own children should strongly consider teaching some poetry to their children. Good 11 Plus tuition centres should be adapting their offering to include the teaching of poetry. At Grammar School Pathway, we are fortunate enough to have Fred, a creative writing/ poetry specialist, in the team so we are well placed to adapt to the demands of Quest Assessments. If there is sufficient demand, we may offer a poetry intensive course in one of the school holidays- please get in touch if you’d be interested.
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