What is verbal reasoning in the 11+?
Verbal reasoning tests how well a child can think with words and letters. Questions look like puzzles: crack a code, find a hidden word, spot the next letters in a series. It isn't taught as a subject at most primary schools, which is why it feels strange at first and why it improves so quickly with practice.
Verbal reasoning appears in GL Assessment 11+ papers used by many grammar schools, and similar skills show up in FSCE and independent school tests. Check which format your target schools use in our 11+ exam guide.
The main verbal reasoning question types
There are around 20 common question types. They fall into five families, and a child who has a method for each family can handle almost anything on the day.
| Family | Question types | Key skill |
|---|---|---|
| Codes | Letter codes, number codes, word codes | Knowing the alphabet positions quickly |
| Sequences | Letter series, number series | Spotting the rule between each step |
| Word building | Hidden words, missing letters, compound words, moving a letter | Spelling and scanning carefully |
| Meaning | Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, odd one out | A wide vocabulary |
| Logic | Word problems, true statements, number relationships | Reading precisely and organising information |
Worked examples to try
Letter code. If ROAD is written as SPBE, how is FISH written?
Hidden word. Find the four-letter word hidden across two neighbouring words: Sam ate his lunch early.
Letter series. What comes next? B, D, G, K, ?
Analogy. Bird is to flock as fish is to (school, pond, fin, water, net).
Compound word. Which word can go in front of all three: ball, print, step?
Move a letter. Move one letter from the first word to the second to make two new words: TWIN, SEAT.
Antonym. Which word is most opposite in meaning to generous? (kind, mean, rich, open, loud)
How to practise verbal reasoning
- 1Learn the alphabet positions. Write A to Z with numbers 1 to 26 underneath. Children who know that M is 13 and T is 20 without counting save minutes on code questions.
- 2Teach one question type at a time. Do five questions of a single type, talk through the method, then move on. Mixed papers come later.
- 3Build vocabulary daily. Synonyms, antonyms and analogies all depend on word knowledge. Our 11+ vocabulary list is a good place to start.
- 4Say the method out loud. If your child can explain how they solved it, they'll solve the next one faster.
- 5Add timing last. Speed comes from confidence. Once methods are secure, move to timed sections and then full mock exams.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Counting the alphabet on fingers instead of knowing positions
- Answering the question they expected, not the one written (for example, decoding when the question asks them to encode)
- Missing hidden words that span a full stop or comma
- Spending too long on one hard question. In a timed paper, move on and come back
Want a tutor to teach every question type?
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