Definition

1. Noun:
   • (historical, UK education): A selective examination formerly administered in England and Wales to children aged 10-11 (in their final year of primary school) to determine their academic suitability for admission to a grammar school, which provided a traditional academic education. Passing the exam was a prerequisite for entry.

Usage

• The "11-plus" was a key component of the tripartite system of secondary education in England and Wales from the 1940s until its widespread decline from the 1970s.
• It is used as a proper noun, often hyphenated and sometimes written with quotation marks ("eleven-plus").

Examples

• Noun:
  • My grandfather passed his 11-plus and went to the local grammar school.
  • The pressure of preparing for the 11-plus was significant for many families.
  • Debate continues over whether the 11-plus was a fair method of selection.

Advanced Usage

• "to sit the 11-plus": To take the examination.
  • Almost all children in the area sat the 11-plus.
• "11-plus pass/failure": Refers to the result of the examination.
  • An 11-plus pass could determine a child's future educational path.

Variants and Related Words

• Eleven-plus: An alternative spelling.
• Grammar school entrance exam: A descriptive term for the test's purpose.
• Selection test/examination: A more general term.

Synonyms

• Grammar school exam (context-specific)
• Transfer test (used in some regions, e.g., Northern Ireland)

Notes

• The "11-plus" is a culturally and historically specific term. It is not a general term for any test taken by 11-year-olds outside this specific UK context.
• While largely abolished in most of England and Wales, similar selective testing (often still called the 11-plus) continues in some counties and in Northern Ireland.

Noun

1. (formerly in Britain) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school