11+ Comprehension Online Tests
Comprehension is the largest single component of the 11+ English paper. A child reads a passage - fiction, non-fiction or occasionally poetry - and answers questions testing what they have understood, what they can infer, and how they read the writer's choices.
Questions fall into three broad kinds. Retrieval questions ask for information stated directly in the text. Inference questions ask for what the text implies but never says outright, and these carry the most marks. Vocabulary questions ask for the meaning of a word as it is used in that particular passage, which is not always its most common meaning.
15 free Comprehension tests
Timed and marked instantly, with an explanation for every question. No sign-up needed.
- English Comprehension: Easy Test 1 Easy 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Easy Test 2 Easy 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Easy Test 3 Easy 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Easy Test 4 Easy 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Medium Test 1 Medium 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Medium Test 2 Medium 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Medium Test 3 Medium 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Medium Test 4 Medium 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Medium Test 5 Medium 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 1 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 2 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 3 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 4 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 5 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
- English Comprehension: Hard Test 6 Hard 20 questions · 25 min
What these Comprehension tests cover
- Retrieving facts and details stated in the passage
- Inference and deduction: working out what is implied
- Vocabulary in context and shades of meaning
- The writer's purpose, viewpoint and intended audience
- Language techniques: simile, metaphor, personification and alliteration
- Summarising and identifying the main idea
- Comparing how two parts of a text differ in tone or content
Comprehension: tips that earn marks
- Read the whole passage before looking at the questions, then go back to find each answer. Skimming for keywords alone misses the inference questions entirely.
- Use evidence from the text in your answer. 'He was nervous because his hands were shaking' earns marks that 'he was nervous' does not.
- Check the marks available. A three-mark question wants three distinct points, not one point expressed at length.
- For a vocabulary question, reread the sentence around the word and substitute your suggested meaning to see whether it still makes sense.
Questions parents ask about Comprehension
What kinds of passage appear in the 11+?
A mixture of modern and classic fiction, non-fiction such as articles and biography, and sometimes poetry. Older texts are common, so exposure to slightly archaic language is valuable preparation.
What is an inference question?
One that asks for something the writer implies rather than states. Being asked how a character feels when the passage never names the feeling is the classic example - the evidence is in their actions.
How can a child improve at comprehension quickly?
There is no fast route, but wide reading is the most effective single thing. Beyond that, practising the habit of pointing to the exact words that justify an answer builds the skill the paper actually rewards.