The 11+ is a vocabulary test in disguise. Be ready for it.
VocabPlus teaches your child the 1,000+ words that appear in 11+ papers — plus 700 more through 160 near-synonym word ladders — using the same question styles they'll face on exam day.
1,000+
exam words
7
exam-style question types
160
word ladders (+700 words)
40
week study plan
The problem every parent discovers late
Ask any 11+ tutor what quietly decides verbal reasoning and English marks, and you’ll hear the same answer: vocabulary. Synonym questions, cloze passages, comprehension, even creative writing — they all lean on the breadth of words a child knows.
Here’s the catch: vocabulary can’t be crammed. Techniques can be learned in a term; a thousand words take months of steady, spaced practice. It’s the one part of 11+ preparation that punishes starting late — and the part most resources treat as an afterthought: a printed list, a word of the day, good luck.
VocabPlus exists to do this one job properly.
How it works
1. Learn a little every day.
Six new words a day, grouped into friendly themes — Villains and Troublemakers, Truth, Lies and Secrets — with child-clear definitions, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms and the traps examiners love. About 15 minutes, designed for a 7-11 year old to do alone.
2. Get quizzed the exam’s way — as much as they want.
Every quiz uses real 11+ formats: GL-style four-option synonym, antonym and odd-one-out questions, CEM-style cloze and missing-letter puzzles, and homograph questions — one word, two meanings — that most children never see before exam day. Your child is only ever tested on words they’ve studied, so scores mean something. And beyond the daily quiz, Exam Practice & Mock Tests lets them test themselves without limits — quick 5-question bursts or full timed mocks, as often as they like.
3. Remember it for good.
Our spaced-repetition engine brings each word back just before it fades — after a day, then two, then four, a week, a fortnight, a month. Words a child gets wrong return sooner. A word only counts as mastered when every one of its meanings has been answered correctly. That’s the difference between meeting a word and owning it.
Built different
Multi-meaning words, taught properly.
“Minute” the time and “minute” the size. “Novel” the book and “novel” the new idea. The 11+ loves words with two faces — so every meaning is taught separately, and our one-word-two-sentences questions train exactly what the exam asks.
Word ladders for shades of meaning.
Big, huge, enormous, colossal — which is strongest? 160 intensity ladders add roughly 700 more words on top of the core word bank, teaching your child to feel the difference between near-synonyms — the precise skill behind “closest in meaning” questions and sharper creative writing.
Motivation that runs itself.
Correct answers earn coins. Coins buy hats, capes and rocket boots for their avatar. Streaks build, a journey map fills in, and practice becomes the part of the day your child asks for. No nagging required — that’s the point.
You stay in the loop.
The parent dashboard shows words mastered, weak spots by question type, time spent, and a projected finish date. Printable revision sheets turn any week into a fridge-door study aid.
A late start isn't a lost cause.
Fast-track mode lets a motivated child learn new words in unlimited batches, then test themselves to their heart’s content in Exam Practice & Mock Tests — built for families starting months, not years, before the exam.
Safe by design.
No adverts, no chat, no external links, and we collect nothing from children beyond a first name and a PIN. Upgrade prompts are only ever shown to you, never to your child.
Try it yourself — question 1 of 3
Which word is closest in meaning to BRAVE?
Honest pricing
Try everything free for 7 days — every word, every mode, no card details needed. If it works for your family (you’ll know within a week), Premium is all 1,000+ words, word ladders, unlimited mock tests and up to five children for less than the cost of a single hour with a tutor each month.
Free trial
£0
for 7 days, no card needed
- ✓ Every word, every question type
- ✓ Full 40-week plan, all 160 ladders
- ✓ Unlimited Exam Practice & Mock Tests
- ✓ 1 student profile
Premium
£5.99/mo
or £59.99/yr — additional students £3.99/mo each, up to 5 total
- ✓ Everything in the free trial, indefinitely
- ✓ Up to 5 students
- ✓ Parent dashboard exports
- ✓ Cancel anytime — progress is never deleted
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need to learn vocabulary for the 11+?
Yes — directly and indirectly. Synonym, antonym and cloze questions test words head-on, while comprehension and writing reward breadth of vocabulary. Examiners consistently choose words at the edge of a typical Year 5 vocabulary, which is why deliberate practice beats hoping reading alone will cover it.
How many words does my child need to know?
There's no official list, but analysis of past papers and established preparation lists converges on a core of around a thousand words. VocabPlus teaches 1,000+ words, curated from exactly those sources and organised into a 40-week plan.
How long does it take each day?
About 15 minutes: six new words, a handful of review words, and a short quiz. Consistency beats bingeing — which is what the streaks and rewards quietly encourage.
My child's exam is GL. Is this right for them?
Yes. Four-option multiple choice — closest in meaning, most opposite, odd one out — is the heart of our quiz engine, alongside the homograph questions GL favours.
Our region uses CEM-style tests. Does it cover those?
Yes. Cloze sentences and partial-word puzzles are built in. Many regions have moved from the original CEM to GL or bespoke papers, but cloze-style vocabulary testing remains common — and it’s covered either way.
Can my child use it without me?
That's how it's designed: children log in with their name and a PIN, and every screen is built for a 7-11 year old to navigate alone. You check progress whenever you like from your own dashboard.
What happens if we cancel?
Nothing is deleted, ever. Your child’s progress, points and avatar wait for you, and everything reopens the moment you return. Cancel whenever you like.
We're starting late. Is there any point?
Yes — see fast-track mode. A focused child starting 10–12 weeks out can cover a substantial share of the word bank; our late-starter guide shows exactly how to triage.
Give your child the words the 11+ expects.
Start free today — no card, no catch, and the first lesson takes 15 minutes.
Start free — no card needed