Should we still be doing mocks in the final month?

Yes, but only in the first two weeks. A full mock in week 4 and targeted timed sections in week 3 serve a useful purpose — they build familiarity with exam conditions and identify any remaining gaps. From week 2 onwards, mocks are counterproductive: they add pressure without providing enough time to act on what they reveal.

My child has a major gap in a topic. Should we try to fix it in the final month?

It depends on how significant the gap is. If it is a fundamental skill that will cost many marks, yes, dedicate week 3 to targeted work on it. If it is a minor technical issue, accept the gap and focus on consolidating strengths. Trying to learn too many new things in the final month is one of the most common mistakes — children arrive at the exam feeling shaky across many areas rather than confident across most.

How much should my child study in the final week?

Very little formal study. One or two short, familiar practice tasks per day — nothing they have not done before, nothing challenging. The final week is about maintaining sharpness and building confidence, not acquiring new knowledge. Rest, sleep, and emotional preparation are more valuable than additional study at this stage.

My child is very anxious in the final month. What helps?

Reduce study pressure, maintain familiar routines, keep physical activity going, and avoid dramatic conversations about the exam's importance. Remind your child — genuinely and repeatedly — that you are proud of the work they have put in regardless of the outcome. Children who feel emotionally safe tend to perform better under exam pressure than children who are carrying the weight of enormous parental expectation.

What should we do the evening before the exam?

A light, familiar meal. An early, relaxed evening — perhaps a film or a family game. No study. Prepare everything practical the night before: pencils sharpened, bag packed, journey planned. A consistent bedtime, and ideally a consistent morning routine. The goal is to make exam day feel as ordinary as possible.

The Final Month Before the 11+: A Day-by-Day Plan | Study Plans

The Purpose of the Final Month

The final month before the 11+ is not the time to acquire new skills. It is too late for that, and attempts to learn major new content at this stage almost always backfire — children arrive at the exam feeling shaky across many areas rather than confident across most of them. The goal of the final month is something different: confidence maintenance, gap consolidation, and readiness.

That means the plan for these 30 days looks very different from the plan that preceded it. In the first three weeks, there is still structured work to do — mocks, targeted revision, timed practice. But from week 2 onwards, the focus shifts decisively towards rest, emotional preparation, and the quiet consolidation of everything your child already knows.

This is harder for parents than it sounds. The instinct in the final weeks is often to push harder, add more papers, fit in one last round of vocabulary drills. Resist that instinct. A tired, over-drilled child does not perform better in the exam room. A rested, confident child very often does.

How to Count Backwards: This plan is structured as four weeks counting back from exam day. If your exam is on Saturday 19 October, week 1 is 13–19 October, week 2 is 6–12 October, week 3 is 29 September–5 October, and week 4 is 22–28 September. Adjust dates to your actual exam schedule.

Calendar and preparation materials on a desk for exam countdown

Week 4: Full Mocks and Targeted Review

Four weeks before the exam, your child should be completing their final full mock exams. The purpose now is not to discover new weaknesses — it is to practise exam conditions and build familiarity with the process of sitting a complete paper under time pressure.

Day-by-Day Schedule (Week 4)

Monday: Full creative writing timed practice (exam length) under exam conditions. Debrief together within 24 hours — read it aloud, identify two strengths and one improvement.
Tuesday: Review the creative writing practice from yesterday. Vocabulary review: revisit the vocabulary notebook, test recall on 20 words.
Wednesday: Full mock paper (whichever exam board your school uses). Rest afternoon — no further study.
Thursday: Review the mock from Wednesday. Categorise errors: spelling, vocabulary, structure, time management. Note the most significant category.
Friday: Light reading session. No formal preparation.
Saturday: If your child has a tutor, this session should focus on reviewing mock mistakes from the week, not introducing new content. Free afternoon.
Sunday: Rest. Family day. No preparation.

What to Do With Mock Results

Resist the temptation to panic over mock scores four weeks before the exam. Use them diagnostically: what types of error appear most consistently? Those are what week 3 should address. Everything else — individual questions answered wrong, one-off mistakes — can be noted and left.

Do Not Introduce New Content: Week 4 is the last week for any new content. If there is a major technique gap — say, your child has never practised writing a clear ending — address it this week. After this point, focus only on consolidating what already exists.

Week 3: Targeted Revision of Gaps

Three weeks before the exam, you have the diagnostic information from week 4's mocks. Use it. Identify the one or two areas where targeted practice will make the most difference, and spend this week working on those — not on everything, just the highest-impact gaps.

Day-by-Day Schedule (Week 3)

Monday: Targeted revision of the most significant gap identified from mocks (e.g., story endings, dialogue punctuation, paragraph structure). 30 minutes, focused.
Tuesday: Timed creative writing task, mid-length (15 minutes). Read aloud together. Focus only on whether the targeted area from Monday has improved.
Wednesday: Vocabulary review and reading. 20 minutes. Keep the session light and positive.
Thursday: Second targeted revision session — the same gap as Monday, or the second-highest priority area. 30 minutes.
Friday: Reread two or three of your child's strongest practice pieces from earlier in the year. Remind them of what they can do well. This is confidence work, not revision.
Saturday: Tutor session if applicable — reinforcing the week's targeted areas. Free afternoon.
Sunday: Rest. No preparation.

By the end of week 3, the targeted revision is done. What was going to improve has improved. What was not going to improve in two weeks of focused work was not going to improve regardless of how many more sessions you ran. Accepting this clearly — and moving to a different phase — is one of the most important strategic decisions of the final month.

Week 2: Light Mixed Practice

Two weeks before the exam, the work has been done. This week is about staying sharp without adding fatigue — light, familiar, confidence-building practice only.

Day-by-Day Schedule (Week 2)

Monday: Short timed writing (10 minutes) on a prompt the child chooses. No assessment — just practice.
Tuesday: Vocabulary game or quiz. 15 minutes. Keep it fun.
Wednesday: Read the opening paragraphs of two or three strong practice pieces from earlier in the preparation. Discuss what makes them work. Confidence reinforcement.
Thursday: One short timed section from a past paper — a familiar format, nothing new. 15 minutes maximum.
Friday: Free — no preparation. Family evening.
Saturday: If tutor session runs this week, cap it at 30 minutes of light reinforcement. Definitely no full mock.
Sunday: Rest. Leisure. No preparation.

Exam-Day Logistics: Use week 2 to finalise all the practical arrangements. Check the exact exam location, plan the journey, buy spare pencils, confirm what ID is required. Getting these details settled early means they do not pile up into the final 48 hours and create unnecessary last-minute stress.

Week 1: Rest and Readiness

The final week. The preparation is complete. Nothing significant will be learned this week that changes the outcome, and attempting to force new learning creates anxiety without benefit. This week is almost entirely about emotional preparation, physical readiness, and maintaining the sharp edge that comes from staying engaged without becoming exhausted.

Day-by-Day Schedule (Week 1)

Monday (6 days before exam): One short, familiar writing task — ten minutes maximum, a topic the child knows well. This is the last formal practice session.
Tuesday (5 days before): Normal school day. Evening: something enjoyable — a film, a game, anything unrelated to the exam.
Wednesday (4 days before): Normal school day. Evening: light reading, early bed. No discussion of the exam unless the child initiates it.
Thursday (3 days before): Prepare the exam bag together — pencils, rubber, water bottle, any required ID. Go through the journey plan. Make it practical and calm, not dramatic. Early bed.
Friday (2 days before): Completely normal day. Evening: a familiar, enjoyable activity. Avoid anything that disrupts sleep — screens off an hour before bed, consistent bedtime.
Saturday (day before): A pleasant, low-key day. A walk, a familiar meal, perhaps an early afternoon film. Pack the bag again to confirm everything is ready. Early, calm bedtime. No study of any kind.
Sunday (exam day): See the section below.

The Three Days Before the Exam

The final three days are qualitatively different from the rest of the month. The goal shifts entirely from academic preparation to physical and emotional readiness.

Sleep

Protect sleep above everything else in this period. A child who has slept well for the three nights before the exam will outperform their tired counterpart regardless of preparation quality. This means consistent bedtimes, no late-night conversations about the exam, screens off an hour before bed, and a bedroom environment that supports sleep — cool, dark, and quiet.

If your child struggles to sleep the night before the exam, this is normal. The body's stress response tends to create wakefulness even when the child is tired. Reassure them that lying still and resting is almost as valuable as sleep — the body recovers without the mind fully shutting down — and that this has happened to almost every child who has ever sat this exam.

Exam Morning

A substantial breakfast, eaten at least 90 minutes before the exam, is important. Complex carbohydrates — porridge, wholegrain toast — provide sustained energy better than sugar-heavy options. Familiar food only: exam morning is not the time to try a new breakfast. Water, not sugary drinks.

Arrive early. Not so early that you are waiting anxiously for a long time, but with enough margin that a small delay does not become a catastrophe. Use the journey to chat about something completely unrelated to the exam — your child's favourite film, a plan for the weekend, anything that keeps the conversation normal and warm.

What to Say at the Door

Keep it short, warm, and unconditional. "I'm proud of you. Do your best. I'll be here when you come out." Nothing about scoring, nothing about which questions to prioritise, nothing about the specific techniques you have practised. Your child knows what they know. Trust the preparation.

Key Takeaway: The final month is not about new learning — it is about consolidating what already exists, maintaining confidence, and arriving at the exam room rested and ready. Week 4: mocks and review. Week 3: targeted revision of gaps. Week 2: light, familiar practice. Week 1: minimal study, maximum rest. The three days before: sleep, familiar food, and warmth. Trust the preparation you have done.

The Final Month Before the 11+: A Day-by-Day Plan