11+ Strategy

Overall strategies and approaches to maximise your 11+ exam performance.

4articles

How to Plan a Story in 5 Minutes for the 11+ Exam

A quick, effective story planning method using the BOSS framework that helps 11+ students organise their creative writing under exam conditions.

9 min readBeginner

How to Choose the Right Story Prompt in the 11+ Exam

A practical guide to selecting the best story prompt when the 11+ exam paper gives you a choice. Includes a 60-second decision checklist, real exam-style prompts, and the three questions that reveal which prompt suits your strengths.

8 min readIntermediate

How to Structure a Short Story in 25 Minutes

A concrete, minute-by-minute plan for writing a short story under 11+ exam conditions. Covers the mountain story structure, pacing across paragraphs, and the most common time traps to avoid.

9 min readIntermediate

What to Do When You Can't Think of Ideas in the 11+ Exam

Five emergency strategies for the moment your mind goes blank in the 11+ exam. Covers the 'what if' technique, the 'borrow and twist' method, the senses trigger, the character-first approach, and the emotion map.

9 min readIntermediate

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