11+ Verbal Reasoning Mock Tests
Verbal reasoning tests how well a child thinks with words, rather than how much English they have been taught. A paper mixes vocabulary work — synonyms, antonyms, odd one out — with logic: letter sequences, word codes, hidden words, number puzzles and short problems that have to be untangled from a handful of given facts.
It is the paper parents worry about most, and the one that responds best to practice. There are only a couple of dozen recurring question types, and each one has a method. A child who recognises the type and knows the method turns a baffling question into a routine one — which is precisely what these full-length papers are for.
An 11+ Verbal Reasoning mock test puts every type together in one timed paper, so your child practises the other half of the skill: pace. Verbal reasoning papers are deliberately tight on time, and knowing when to leave a question and come back is worth as many marks as knowing how to answer it.
The question types that come up again and again are:
- Word meanings — synonyms, antonyms, odd one out, and closest-in-meaning pairs. Vocabulary is the single biggest driver of a verbal reasoning score.
- Letter sequences and codes — continuing a letter series, cracking a substitution code, and working out a word from its coded form.
- Hidden and compound words — a word buried across two others, letters moved from one word to another, and pairs that join to make a new word.
- Number and letter analogies — "A is to B as C is to ?", number sequences, and missing terms in a pattern.
- Logic problems — deducing an order, a position or an owner from a few statements, where the answer is certain but never stated.
- Sentence and word manipulation — jumbled sentences, missing words, letters that complete two words at once, and spotting the redundant word.
Every mock test below is free to download, comes with an answer paper where available, and is designed to be ink-friendly so you can print it at home without using a whole cartridge.
Mock Tests
| Title | Level | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Mock Test Paper 1 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 2 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 3 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 4 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 5 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 6 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 7 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
| Mock Test Paper 8 | Mixed | Question Paper Answers |
Prefer to work on screen?
The same kind of paper can be sat online — timed, marked the moment your child finishes, and with a worked explanation for every question. Nothing to print, and no account needed to start.
How to get the most from a verbal reasoning mock test
- Recreate exam conditions. A quiet room, a clear desk, no dictionary and no help from an adult. Verbal reasoning is unforgiving of interruptions.
- Time it strictly. Set a timer before your child starts and stop them when it goes off. Roughly a minute a question is the pace most papers demand.
- Teach the skip. One stubborn code question can eat five minutes and cost five easier marks elsewhere. Move on, mark it, come back at the end — this is the habit mock tests exist to build.
- Mark it by question type, not just by score. Group the wrong answers. Six lost marks spread evenly means "keep practising"; six lost marks all on codes means one method needs teaching this week.
- Chase the vocabulary. Every unknown word in a synonym or antonym question goes on a list, and the list gets revisited every few days. Wide reading does the rest, and it does more for a verbal reasoning score than anything else.
- Leave a gap. Space mocks a week or two apart so there is time to fix the weak types in between. Back-to-back papers measure a problem without ever solving it.
Frequently asked questions
Are these 11+ Verbal Reasoning mock tests really free?
Yes. Every mock test and answer paper on myFreeSchool is completely free to download, print and share. There is no sign-up, no paywall and no limit on downloads.
What is verbal reasoning in the 11+?
Verbal reasoning tests how well a child thinks with words rather than how much English they have been taught. Papers mix vocabulary work such as synonyms, antonyms and odd-one-out with logic puzzles, letter and number sequences, word codes and short problems that have to be worked out from a few given facts.
How long should an 11+ Verbal Reasoning mock test take?
Verbal reasoning papers are deliberately tight on time - most sit somewhere around 50 questions in 50 minutes, which is roughly a minute a question. Time the paper strictly from the start, because pace is as much a part of the skill as the reasoning itself.
Do the mock tests come with answers?
Yes. Where an answer paper is available you will see an "Answers" button next to the question paper, so you can mark the test at home straight after your child finishes.
Which exam boards do these mock tests suit?
The papers cover the question types used by GL Assessment, which sets the most widely used verbal reasoning papers, and the vocabulary and comprehension-led style favoured by CEM and many independent schools. Practising the full range is the safest preparation whichever board your target school uses.
Is verbal reasoning something you can actually revise for?
Yes, more than most parents expect. There are only a couple of dozen recurring question types, and each one has a method. Once a child recognises the type and knows the method, the question becomes routine - which is exactly what a mock test is for.
When should my child start sitting verbal reasoning mock tests?
Learn the individual question types first, then start full mock tests around three to six months before the exam and space them a week or two apart, so there is time to work on the types that came out weakest.