Algebra in the 11+ — Questions, Worked Answers and Practice Papers

What examiners actually ask

Algebra appears in 242 of our 571 ready papers (1126 tagged questions). It averages 4.7 questions a paper worth about 1.97 marks each. The typical question allows around 1.1 min. It appears in 2 CSSE papers we hold.

Algebra in the 11+ is rarely abstract for its own sake. Papers ask children to form an expression from a sentence, solve a one- or two-step equation, or find an unknown on a diagram. Independent schools push this harder; grammar-style papers often hide algebra inside word problems. The children who struggle usually understand “find x” in a neat equation but freeze when the unknown is described in words. Good practice pairs clean equation drills with “write an expression for…” questions so the method transfers under time pressure. Teach them to underline the unknown, translate each phrase into symbols, then balance both sides carefully. A quick substitution check at the end catches most arithmetic slips before they cost the mark.

Common mistakes

• Writing the expression in the wrong order from a worded sentence (e.g. “3 less than n” as 3 − n).
• Doing the same operation to only one side of an equation.
• Forgetting to check the solution in the original equation when marks are tight.
• Treating algebra as “guess and check” instead of balancing both sides.

Papers with the most Algebra questions

Ranked from our tagged catalogue — open a paper to practise the questions that actually test this topic.

Related topics

• Word Problems
• Sequences
• Fractions
• Logical Problems
• Decimals
• Percentages