Tiffin School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Tiffin School uses a two-stage entrance process. Stage 1 uses Quest Entrance Assessment and currently tests English and Maths. Candidates who progress are invited to Stage 2, where the assessment focuses on written English and Mathematics. This guide explains the current test structure, what it means for preparation, and how Learning Street’s courses and dedicated Tiffin mock papers can help your child prepare effectively.
Tiffin School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Tiffin School |
| Area | Kingston upon Thames, London |
| Entrance process | Two stages |
| Stage 1 provider | Quest Entrance Assessment |
| Stage 1 Paper 1 | English |
| Stage 1 Paper 2 | Mathematics |
| Stage 2 | Written English and Mathematics assessment |
| Our mocks | Dedicated Tiffin Stage 1 and Stage 2 Mock Exams – Packs 1–4 |
Information and Mock Exam review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Tiffin mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about the Tiffin School entrance test.
Learning Street provides separate Stage 1 and Stage 2 mock series so children can prepare for the different question and response styles used at each stage.
Quick Contents
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Tiffin School 11 Plus Exam Format
Tiffin School uses a two-stage entrance process, with Stage 1 consisting of separate English and Mathematics papers, followed by a Stage 2 assessment focusing on written English and Mathematics for candidates who progress.
Stage 1 – Paper 1: English
The Stage 1 English paper includes questions testing areas such as comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Answers are recorded using an exam-style answer sheet, so children need both secure English knowledge and experience recording answers carefully under test conditions.
Stage 1 – Paper 2: Mathematics
The Stage 1 Mathematics paper tests mathematical knowledge, calculation and problem-solving skills.
Maths answers may involve selecting an option or recording a numerical answer, so children need to be comfortable with more than one response format.
Stage 2 – English and Mathematics
Stage 2 places greater emphasis on producing written answers rather than relying only on multiple-choice responses.
The Mathematics assessment requires children to work out and record their own answers, including appropriate working.
The English assessment requires written responses, including longer answers. Extended written responses therefore form part of the English demands at Stage 2.
What Does the Tiffin School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
Preparation should initially build the English and Maths skills required for Stage 1 while gradually developing the deeper written-response skills that become increasingly important at Stage 2.
For English, children need strong comprehension, vocabulary and technical English skills. They should also become comfortable explaining ideas fully in writing rather than relying only on multiple-choice answers.
For Maths, secure KS2 knowledge and calculation skills should be combined with increasingly demanding problem solving. Children should practise both selecting answers accurately and producing their own numerical answers and workings.
Extended writing also needs development because Stage 2 English includes longer written-response demands.
A sensible progression is literacy and numeracy foundations → English and Maths skills → accuracy → flexible application → written-response development → revision → timed work → Stage 1 mocks → Stage 2 preparation.
Tiffin School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
At Learning Street, we research the known Tiffin format, question styles and administration when producing our mocks. Separate Stage 1 and Stage 2 mock series are available so children can practise the different demands of each stage.
Stage 1 Tiffin Mock Exams
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48.
View the Stage 1 Tiffin 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
All four Stage 1 mock exams contain different questions, allowing families to space fresh tests throughout preparation and use later mocks to measure improvement.
Stage 2 Tiffin Mock Exams
For children who progress beyond Stage 1, Learning Street also provides a separate Stage 2 series focused on written English and Maths preparation.
Please note: our Stage 2 mocks separate English preparation into a dedicated Comprehension paper and a Creative Writing task to provide focused practice in both areas.
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48.
View the Stage 2 Tiffin 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
All four Stage 2 mock exams contain different questions, allowing families to use fresh tests throughout second-stage preparation.
Tiffin School 11 Plus Pass Marks
We do not provide one fixed raw practice-paper percentage that should be treated as a permanent Tiffin School 11 Plus pass mark.
Results from our Tiffin mocks are best used to measure progress and identify weaker areas in English, Maths, written responses, accuracy, timing and exam technique rather than as a direct prediction of an official entrance-test result.
How to Prepare for Tiffin School 11 Plus
Effective preparation should build strong English and Maths foundations before children rely heavily on complete timed mock papers.
Once individual skills are secure, preparation should become progressively more mixed and timed so children learn to identify the correct approach independently while maintaining accuracy.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Children should become comfortable reading unfamiliar material carefully, identifying relevant evidence, understanding vocabulary in context and distinguishing between closely matched answer options.
Regular reading and deliberate vocabulary development should continue throughout preparation.
Maths Preparation
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 foundations. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become accurate and reliable before substantial time pressure is introduced.
Children should then progress towards mixed mathematical work where they need to decide independently which method is required.
Because Stage 1 can require both selected and numerical answers, children should become comfortable recording answers accurately in different formats.
Written Maths Preparation
Stage 2 places greater emphasis on children producing their own mathematical answers and showing appropriate working.
Preparation should therefore move beyond multiple-choice practice and include questions where children need to choose a method, work through the problem clearly and record an answer independently.
English Comprehension Preparation
Stage 2 English requires written responses, so children should be comfortable explaining answers rather than simply identifying the correct option.
They should practise reading demanding passages carefully, identifying evidence, interpreting meaning and constructing complete written responses.
Extended Writing Preparation
Longer written responses form part of the Stage 2 English demands.
Children should therefore develop the ability to organise ideas clearly, write with varied vocabulary and sentence structures, and maintain accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar across sustained pieces of writing.
Our Stage 2 mocks include a separate Creative Writing task to provide focused practice of these extended-writing skills.
Which Tiffin School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street does not currently offer a dedicated Quest Entrance Assessment course, so our broader GL programmes can be used to develop many of the underlying English and Maths skills required for Tiffin preparation.
The full GL programmes cover Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The current Tiffin Stage 1 assessment focuses on English and Maths, so the GL course syllabus should not be interpreted as the exact Tiffin test structure.
The most suitable programme mainly depends on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Learning Street course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive general 11 Plus preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured preparation programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Our Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is our most comprehensive general GL preparation route.
It contains 40 structured parts covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, alongside more than 60 timed papers and tests.
For Tiffin School, its English and Maths work develops important underlying Stage 1 skills, but the complete course syllabus is broader than the actual Tiffin assessment.
The Complete GL 11 Plus Programme
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Our Enhance GL programme provides a shorter 20-part preparation route covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
It includes more than 35 timed papers and tests alongside structured learning and detailed answers.
Its overall syllabus is broader than the current Tiffin Stage 1 assessment, but the English and Maths work can support the core skills required.
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Our Boost GL programme is the shortest full GL preparation route.
It contains 10 intensive parts covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning and includes more than 25 timed papers and tests.
Boost can provide structured English and Maths preparation when less time remains, although its complete syllabus is broader than the Tiffin Stage 1 assessment.
Creative Writing Preparation
Stage 2 English places emphasis on longer written responses, so families preparing beyond Stage 1 may also want to develop extended-writing skills separately.
Our 11 Plus Creative Writing Course develops planning, vocabulary, description, sentence construction and wider creative-writing skills.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still developing the literacy and numeracy foundations needed before dedicated Tiffin preparation begins, our primary-school course chooser can help you select an appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Our 11 Plus Revision Course – GL is suitable for children who have already completed substantial preparation through books, tutoring or another programme but now want a short structured period of revision.
It is an intensive four-part course normally completed over approximately 4–6 weeks.
It should not normally be completed after one of our Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because there is some crossover in the material.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in subjects or formats beyond the Tiffin School entrance process.
The courses below are separate supplementary options and should not be interpreted as additional confirmed elements of the Tiffin assessment.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Tiffin School Admissions Information
Admissions arrangements and entrance-test details can change from year to year. For general guidance on 11 Plus preparation and our courses, use our FAQs below.
