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

What examiners actually ask

Shapes appears in 92 of our 338 ready papers (258 tagged questions). It averages 2.8 questions a paper worth about 2 marks each. The typical question allows around 1 min. It appears in 2 CSSE papers we hold.

Shape questions test vocabulary and properties together: parallel sides, right angles, faces, edges and vertices. Papers ask children to name shapes, spot a property, or count faces on a net or solid. Not-to-scale diagrams tempt guessing; the fix is to trust stated marks and known facts, not the picture. Practise common 2D names (triangle types, quadrilaterals) and simple 3D solids (cube, cuboid, cylinder, pyramid). Link this hub to angles and area when a question moves from naming a shape into calculating with it. Under exam pressure, jot the property you are using (“opposite sides equal”) beside the working so the reason stays clear if the arithmetic needs a second look.

Common mistakes

• Naming a shape from how it looks on a not-to-scale diagram.
• Mixing up faces, edges and vertices on 3D solids.
• Forgetting that a square is a special rectangle when properties are listed.
• Miscounting sides on a compound or irregular polygon.

Papers with the most Shapes questions

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

Related topics

• Angles
• Area and Perimeter
• Symmetry
• Logical Problems
• Sequences
• Fractions