Free 11+ English practice paper with answers
                     Pip · 11+ Practice English Practice Paper 1
11+ English
Multiple choice · 15 questions · about 25 minutes
Pupilʼs name School
Date Age (years / months)
Please mark each box with a thin horizontal line like this 
Section 1 Comprehension · The Keeper of Beacon Rock · Q1–6
1 2 3 4 5 6
A A A A A A
B B B B B B
C C C C C C
D D D D D D
E E E E E E
Section 2 Punctuation · The Letter · Q7–11 (mark N for no mistake)
7 8 9 10 11
A A A A A
B B B B B
C C C C C
D D D D D
N N N N N
Section 3 Sentence completion · The Audition · Q12–15
12 13 14 15
A A A A
B B B B
C C C C
D D D D
E E E E
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Pip · 11+ English Section 1 · Comprehension
Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions. Choose the best answer and mark its letter on your
answer sheet. You may look back at the passage.
The Keeper of Beacon Rock
For forty years, Old Tom had climbed the one hundred and twelve steps to the top of Beacon Rock lighthouse
every single night. The lamp, he always said, was a promise: as long as it burned, no ship would break itself upon
the jagged teeth of rock that lurked beneath the waves.
The villagers rarely thought about Tom. On calm evenings they slept soundly, never guessing that one old man
stood watch while they dreamed. But on the wild nights, when the wind screamed and the sea hurled itself at the
cliffs, they would glance from their windows, see the steady sweep of light, and feel safe.
Tom had no family now, and few visitors made the long walk along the causeway. Some whispered that he was
lonely; others said he was simply odd. Tom never complained. The gulls were company enough, he would mutter,
and the lamp needed him.
Then the letter came. The new electric beacon, it explained, would switch itself on at midnight on Sunday, and
would need no keeper at all. Tom read the words three times, folded the paper neatly, and looked out at the grey
horizon for a very long while.
That Sunday, for the first time in forty years, the great lamp was lit by no human hand.
1 The main point of the first paragraph is that:
A the lighthouse was extremely tall
B Tom was growing tired of the climb
C Tom believed the lamp kept ships safe
D ships crashed at Beacon Rock every night
E Tom enjoyed counting the steps
2 How did the villagers generally treat Tom?
A They mostly took him for granted
B They were frightened of him
C They visited him often
D They openly admired him
E They wanted him to leave
3 The word ‘lurkedʼ (paragraph 1) suggests the rocks were:
A obvious and easy to see
B small and harmless
C constantly moving
D hidden and dangerous
E brightly coloured
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Pip · 11+ English Section 1 · Comprehension (cont.)
Keep answering the questions on The Keeper of Beacon Rock. Look back at the passage on the previous page
if you need to.
4 Why does the writer say ‘the wind screamed and the sea hurled itselfʼ?
A to describe a calm night
B to make the storm seem violent and alive
C to explain how lighthouses work
D to show the village was asleep
E to prove Tom was brave
5 At the end, Tom looking out ‘for a very long whileʼ suggests he felt:
A delighted
B relieved
C amused
D uninterested
E quietly sad
6 The final line, ‘lit by no human hand ,̓ mainly emphasises that:
A the lamp had broken
B the villagers were angry
C Tomʼs role had come to an end
D the electricity failed
E ships had stopped coming
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Pip · 11+ English Section 2 · Punctuation
In this exercise there are some mistakes in the use of capital letters and punctuation. On each numbered line
there is either one mistake or no mistake. Find the group of words with the mistake and mark its letter on your
answer sheet. If there is no mistake, mark N.
The Letter
A surprise was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
7 On saturday morning, A Priya raced downstairs, B clutching the crumpled letter C
that had arrived that week. D
8 Her grandmother, A who lived in france, B had finally invited her C
to stay for the summer. D
9 Priya could hardly believe it. A She had never B been on an aeroplane C
or left the country before. D
10 Her father called from the hall, A ‘Have you packed B your toothbrush and C
your sun hatʼ D
11 Priya grabbed her bag, A hugged her mum and B shouted goodbye to her brother dev C
as she ran for the taxi. D
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Pip · 11+ English Section 3 · Sentence completion
In this exercise you must choose the best word, or group of words, to complete each numbered line so the
passage makes sense and is written in correct English. Choose the best answer and mark its letter on your
answer sheet.
The Audition
Sophie had practised her song a hundred times, but now that the moment had finally come, her hands
would not stop shaking.
12 were are was being be
Neither of the judges A B C D E looking up as she walked on.
13 more fast faster more faster fastest most fast
Her heart was beating A B C D E than it ever
had.
14 forgot forgetted forget forgotten forgetting
By the second verse she had A B C D E all about
her nerves.
15 should of could of might of ought to of should have
Afterwards she knew she A B C D E
trusted herself all along.
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Pip · 11+ English Answers & explanations
Mark one point per correct answer (15 total). A score of 11+ is a strong result for this paper.
Q1 · C The main point of the first Q2 · A How did the villagers Q3 · D The word ‘lurkedʼ
paragraph is that: generally treat Tom? (paragraph 1) suggests
the rocks were:
Q4 · B Why does the writer say Q5 · E At the end, Tom looking Q6 · C The final line, ‘lit by no
‘the wind screamed and out ‘for a very long whileʼ human hand ,̓ mainly
the sea hurled itselfʼ? suggests he felt: emphasises that:
Q7 · A ‘saturdayʼ needs a capital Q8 · B ‘franceʼ is a country and Q9 · N There is no mistake on
S: Saturday. needs a capital F: France. this line.
Q10 · D The question needs a Q11 · C ‘devʼ is a name and needs Q12 · C ‘Neitherʼ is singular, so it
question mark: …sun a capital D: Dev. takes ‘was .̓
hat?ʼ
Q13 · B The comparative of ‘fastʼ Q14 · D After ‘had ,̓ use the past Q15 · E ‘should haveʼ is correct;
is ‘faster ,̓ not ‘more fast .̓ participle ‘forgotten .̓ ‘should ofʼ is never right.
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