What Maths Topics Come Up in the 11+ Exam? A Complete Breakdown

One of the most common questions parents ask when starting 11+ preparation is: what maths actually comes up in the exam? The answer depends partly on which exam format your child will sit, but the core topic areas are consistent across GL Assessment, CEM, and CSSE. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown so you know exactly what to prepare.

Core Topic Areas in 11+ Maths

Number and Place Value

A strong understanding of number is the foundation of everything in 11+ Maths. Students must be fluent with integers, decimals, negative numbers, ordering numbers, rounding, and estimation. Place value questions test whether students understand what each digit in a number represents — a skill that underpins calculation accuracy across every other topic.

The Four Operations

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division — including with decimals and larger numbers. Mental calculation speed matters significantly in timed 11+ papers, and students who are not fluent with the four operations will lose time on every question. Times table mastery to 12×12 is a minimum requirement.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Conversion between fractions, decimals, and percentages; operations with fractions; percentage of an amount; percentage increase and decrease; and finding the original amount from a percentage. These topics appear in almost every 11+ paper and are reliably tested in multi-step problem-solving contexts.

Ratio and Proportion

Simplifying ratios, dividing in a given ratio, direct and inverse proportion, and scaling. Ratio problems frequently appear as worded questions, which is why the bar modelling technique used in Singapore Maths is particularly effective — it transforms complex ratio relationships into clear visual representations.

Algebra Basics

While the 11+ doesn’t test GCSE-level algebra, students are expected to understand basic algebraic thinking: number sequences, pattern recognition, finding missing values in equations, and simple substitution. Function machines (input-output relationships) are a common question type.

Geometry and Measurement

Properties of 2D and 3D shapes, angles (on a line, in triangles, and in quadrilaterals), area and perimeter of common shapes, volume, and symmetry. Coordinate geometry (plotting points and reading coordinates) also appears. Angle problems in particular require logical reasoning, not just formula recall.

Data Handling and Statistics

Reading and interpreting charts, tables, pictograms, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs. Mean, median, mode, and range. Probability basics. These questions test a student’s ability to extract and use information accurately under time pressure.

How GL Assessment and CEM Differ

Both GL Assessment and CEM cover the same broad topic areas, but their approaches differ in ways that matter for preparation:

  • GL Assessment — typically uses a standardised multiple-choice format with clear, discrete questions. Students who are well-drilled on topics and fast at calculation perform well. The questions are generally more formulaic in structure.
  • CEM — questions are more integrated and less predictable in format. CEM tests verbal and numerical reasoning together, and the maths tends to require more flexible thinking. Students who rely solely on procedural knowledge can be caught off guard.

The Importance of Problem-Solving Over Rote Calculation

Both exam formats reward students who can think, not just calculate. The 11+ consistently includes multi-step problems — questions where students must decide which operations to use, in which order, before they begin calculating. This is where many well-prepared students lose marks: they know their times tables and their fraction rules, but they hesitate when a question requires them to combine two or three methods.

In our teaching sessions, the topics that most often catch students out aren’t the ones they don’t know — they’re the ones where the question is presented in an unfamiliar way. Ratio questions disguised as sharing problems, percentage questions embedded in real-world scenarios, or area questions that require students to decompose an irregular shape. Training specifically for these question types is essential, and it’s a core part of how we prepare students at Singapore Maths Academy.

If you’d like to find out more about our 11+ Maths tuition, we’d love to hear from you.