King's College School: 11 Plus paper
Official 11+ and 13+ pre-test specimen paper
It’s been a while since I last posted an 11 Plus paper but now that my GCSE English Language series has come to an end, I plan to post more model answers to entrance papers.
Today, I’m kicking things off with King’s College School 11 and 13 Plus, pre-test specimen paper.
King’s College School in Wimbledon is one of the top schools in the capital and the country, so, as you can probably imagine, it’s a challenging paper.
But in this article I provide full mark answers to all of the comprehension questions and advise you on how you can secure full marks for each question.
It is achievable with a systematic approach!
Here’s the paper so you can attempt it yourself.
Answers
Q1.
In the first paragraph, what three things about the house’s appearance from the outside make it seem uninhabited?
Many of its windows are glassless or covered in cobwebs.
A quarter of its tiled roof is missing.
The front door is open and swinging in the breeze.
Guidance
Although not explicitly stated, I would recommend you paraphrase (put the descriptions at least somewhat) in your own words. Remember comprehension is all about demonstrating understanding and summarising in your own words is a way to show more understanding. You may well secure full marks for simply quoting relevant details as this is a retrieval question but I think it’s also more efficient to paraphrase.
Marking rubric
3 distinct descriptions for all 3 marks.
Q2.
In your own words, explain how Elvira feels as she opens the front door in paragraph 2.
Elvira is perhaps both nervous and excited. She has a dry mouth which suggests that she's a little frightened entering the derelict house by herself which makes sense because it has a creepy atmosphere, but her heart is beating fast like it does at Christmas so maybe there's something she hopes to find in this old house.
Guidance
This is definitely a question you have to put in your own words. However, it’s not simply an in your own words question and you have to really consider what the descriptions in this line ‘With a dry mouth and a drumming heart that she normally associated with birthdays or Christmas morning’ suggests about how Elvira is feeling.
Marking rubric
2 points with 2 clear explanations should safely secure you the 3 marks available.
Q3.
Explain the meaning of the following words as they are used in the passage:
a) insatiable (line 9)
b) colourful (line 10)
c) reckless (line 10)
a) Insatiable means cannot be satisfied. Elvira is an 'insatiable bookworm' so she loves reading and never gets bored of reading.
b) 'Colourful' in this context means descriptive and dramatic. 'Colourful reports' suggest the stories have been sensationally reported.
c) 'Reckless' is an adjective meaning to act carelessly and impulsively, especially in dangerous situations. The children in the stories Elvira reads act carelessly.
Guidance
These are definition questions and to ensure you secure full marks, split your response into two parts:
Provide a general definition of the word as it’s used in the passage. Remember words sometimes have multiple definitions. For example, here ‘colourful’ doesn’t mean full of colour as it often does. It has more of a figurative meaning in this context as I explain.
Link the word to the passage and explain how the word is being used.
Marking rubric
1 marks for the general definition and 1 mark for the link to the passage.
Q4.
In paragraphs 3 & 4, what does Elvira do to make sure that she doesn’t have an accident as she climbs the stairs, and what unexpected thing happens when she does this?
Elvira bangs hard on each step with her foot to ensure the steps are capable of holding her weight so she doesn't fall through. To her surprise, her heel does smash through the 'pulpy wood at several points' which tells us she was right to be cautious. Her banging on the floorboards also has the 'startling effect' of waking and stirring a number of animals around the house. There are 'patterings', 'scufflings' and 'squeaks' and these sound descriptions suggests that she has startled a number of small creatures which have made the house their home.
Guidance
It’s less obvious what you have to do here to secure full marks. You can break the question down into two parts: the first part requires you to explain what Elvira does to stop herself from having an accident, and the second part requires you to explain what unexpected thing happens when she does this. You want to provide a detailed and accurate summary and quote to support your inferences.
Marking rubric
1 mark for explaining what Elvira does and 1 mark for why. And then 1 mark for an appropriate textural reference.
1 mark for explaining the affect Elvira’s actions have in stirring creatures around the house and 1 mark for another appropriate supporting textural reference.
Finally award 1 mark if the whole answer is well structured and clear.
Q5
Having read the whole passage, think of THREE words or phrases that describe Elvira’s character.
For each, provide a line or detail from the passage that supports your opinion, and explain how it supports your point.
1. Elvira is bookish. She is an 'insatiable bookworm' which is a metaphor suggesting that she is always figuratively hungry to read more books.
2.Elvira is daring because she has ventured into the 'heart of the wood' alone and into a creepy derelict house. Despite her mouth being 'dry' and her heart 'drumming', sensor imagery which implies that she is anxious and afraid, she still boldly enters the house.
3. Elvira is empathetic because when she senses she has stirred and frightened the creatures living in the house upstairs, she calls out to them 'reassuringly', saying 'it's only me' which suggests she is a kind and caring girl and wants to comfort the animals.
Guidance
For these questions make sure you use words which are related to character or personality like the ones in my model answers. Then provide an appropriate textual reference, identify a literary device (writing technique) or word or phrase, and then comment on its effect. See the parts in bold to understand how each answer is structured.
Marking rubric
1 marks for an appropriate word or phase to describe Elvira.
1 marks for an appropriate supporting textual reference.
1 mark for identifying a key word or phrase, or a literary device.
1 mark for an appropriate comment on its effect.
Apply this same rubric to all 3 parts.
Look out for a model continuation next week 👀
Did you know that I’m an 11 Plus English tutor based in London and have helped students secure offers to the best schools in the capital like KCS and St Paul’s?
I’m available for 1-2-1 tuition and can prepare students for their entrance exams. Simply reply to this email if you would like further support.
Best,
Morgan