FSCE 11+ Revision Checklists: Print and Use at Home
Why You Need a Revision Checklist for the FSCE 11+
The Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) exam is one of the fastest-growing 11+ assessments in the country, with FSCE's tests already used by twelve grammar schools and consortia nationally — and Gloucestershire's seven G7 schools joining from 2027 entry onwards. But FSCE is also one of the hardest to prepare for. Unlike some exam boards, FSCE does not publish official past papers. That means parents and children are left guessing: What exactly do we need to revise? Have we covered everything? Are there gaps we haven't spotted?
That uncertainty is stressful, and stress is the enemy of effective revision. Without a clear map of the territory, families either try to revise everything at once (exhausting and inefficient) or focus too narrowly on one area and leave critical topics untouched.
These checklists solve that problem. We have broken down every skill your child needs for the FSCE 11+ into six subject checklists, each with specific, measurable items. No vague goals like "get better at maths" — instead, concrete skills like "Can convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages" or "Can write a powerful opening sentence under timed conditions."
This page is the resource. Print it out, stick it on the fridge or the study wall, and work through the checklists with your child over the coming weeks and months. Every tick is a confidence boost. Every circled item is a clear direction for the next revision session. By exam day, your child will know — not hope, but know — that they have covered every angle.
The checklists cover six areas:
- English Comprehension — reading, understanding, and answering questions about texts
- Mathematics — number, algebra, geometry, statistics, and problem-solving
- Creative Writing — planning, crafting, and polishing original writing under pressure
- Vocabulary and Language — word knowledge, figurative language, grammar, and punctuation
- Critical Thinking — reasoning, evaluating evidence, and tackling unfamiliar problems
- Exam Day Readiness — practical preparation, time management, and confidence
Let's get started.
How to Use These Checklists
These checklists are designed to be simple and practical. Here is how to get the most from them:
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Print this page. Use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on Mac). The checkboxes will appear as empty squares you can tick by hand.
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Work through each checklist with your child. Don't rush. Go subject by subject over several sessions if needed.
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Tick items your child is confident with. If they can demonstrate the skill consistently — not just once on a good day — give it a tick.
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Circle items that need more practice. Be honest. It is far better to identify a weakness now than to discover it in the exam hall.
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Revisit circled items weekly. Each week, pick two or three circled items to focus on. When your child has improved, upgrade the circle to a tick.
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Use the gaps to guide your revision plan. If most of the circled items are in mathematics, that tells you where to spend more time. If creative writing is fully ticked, you can maintain it with lighter practice and redirect effort elsewhere.
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Celebrate progress. Every new tick is evidence of real learning. Point it out. Let your child see how far they have come.
These checklists are not a test. They are a tool. Use them with encouragement, not pressure. The goal is a child who walks into the exam feeling prepared and calm.
Checklist 1: English Comprehension
English comprehension is a core component of the FSCE 11+. Your child will need to read unfamiliar texts — both fiction and non-fiction — and answer a range of questions that test retrieval, inference, evaluation, and written expression. This checklist covers every skill they will need.
- Can identify the main idea of a fiction passage
- Can identify the main idea of a non-fiction passage
- Can make inferences about a character's feelings using evidence from the text
- Can explain what a word means using context clues
- Can identify the author's purpose (inform, persuade, entertain, argue)
- Can distinguish between fact and opinion in a passage
- Can summarise a paragraph in one clear sentence
- Can compare two texts, identifying similarities and differences
- Can identify figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification)
- Can explain the effect of a writer's word choice on the reader
- Can answer retrieval questions (finding information directly stated in the text)
- Can answer inference questions (reading between the lines)
- Can answer evaluation questions (giving and supporting a personal opinion)
- Can respond to poetry, identifying tone, imagery, and structure
- Can use the PEE structure (Point, Evidence, Explain) in short answers
- Can write a short answer that directly addresses the question asked
- Can support answers with relevant quotations from the text
- Understands command words: explain, describe, compare, evaluate, suggest
- Can read and understand texts from different time periods
- Can identify bias or persuasive techniques in non-fiction writing
- Can recognise how a writer creates tension or suspense
- Can identify the structure of a text (introduction, development, conclusion)
- Can comment on how layout features (headings, bullet points, images) affect meaning
- Can read a text quickly and identify key information under timed conditions
- Can re-read a question and check that the answer fully responds to it
Checklist 2: Mathematics
The FSCE mathematics section draws on the full Key Stage 2 curriculum and expects children to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar problems. Speed and accuracy both matter. This checklist covers the essential topics.
- Place value to millions (reading, writing, ordering, comparing)
- All four operations with whole numbers, including long multiplication and long division
- BODMAS / order of operations applied correctly in multi-step calculations
- Fractions: adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and simplifying
- Converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages
- Finding percentages of amounts (including percentage increase and decrease)
- Ratio and proportion (understanding and applying to problems)
- Sharing an amount in a given ratio
- Algebra: solving simple one-step and two-step equations
- Algebra: finding terms in a number sequence and describing the rule
- Algebra: using simple formulae
- Properties of 2D shapes (triangles, quadrilaterals, regular polygons)
- Angle rules: angles in a triangle, on a straight line, around a point, vertically opposite
- Calculating missing angles using known rules
- Area of rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms
- Perimeter of simple and compound shapes
- Volume of cuboids
- Mean, median, mode, and range from a set of data
- Reading and interpreting charts, tables, pie charts, and line graphs
- Metric unit conversions (length, mass, capacity)
- Time calculations: durations, timetables, converting between 12-hour and 24-hour clock
- Coordinates in all four quadrants
- Reflection, rotation, and translation of shapes
- Multi-step word problems requiring selection of the correct operations
- Explaining mathematical reasoning clearly in writing
- Checking answers using estimation or inverse operations
Checklist 3: Creative Writing
Creative writing is where many children either gain a significant advantage or lose crucial marks. The FSCE exam typically requires a complete piece of writing produced under timed conditions. This checklist covers the skills that distinguish strong responses from average ones.
- Can plan a story in 2-3 minutes using a story mountain or similar framework
- Knows at least 5 types of opening (action, dialogue, description, question, in medias res)
- Can write a powerful opening sentence that hooks the reader immediately
- Uses paragraphs correctly to organise ideas and signal shifts in time, place, or focus
- Shows not tells: describes feelings through actions, body language, and senses rather than labels
- Uses varied sentence openers (not every sentence starts with "I" or "The")
- Uses short sentences for impact and longer sentences for detail and description
- Includes dialogue with correct punctuation (speech marks, new line for each speaker)
- Uses ambitious vocabulary that sounds natural, not forced
- Uses similes and metaphors effectively and sparingly
- Creates atmosphere using the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
- Can write a satisfying ending (resolution, twist, circular, reflective)
- Can write descriptive passages with vivid, specific detail
- Can write persuasively using AFOREST techniques (Anecdote, Fact, Opinion, Rhetorical question, Emotive language, Statistic, Three — rule of three)
- Can adapt writing style for different purposes (narrative, descriptive, persuasive, discursive)
- Uses a range of punctuation for effect (ellipsis, dash, exclamation mark, colon)
- Proofreads for spelling, punctuation, and grammar before finishing
- Can complete a full piece of writing in 20-25 minutes
- Avoids common mistakes: no ending, too much dialogue, boring opening, going off topic
- Can respond creatively to an unseen prompt without panic or freezing
Checklist 4: Vocabulary and Language
A strong vocabulary is an advantage in every section of the FSCE 11+ — it helps with comprehension, lifts creative writing, and supports precise expression in all written answers. This checklist covers word knowledge, figurative language, grammar, and punctuation.
- Knows 10+ common Latin and Greek word roots (e.g. bene = good, graph = write, port = carry)
- Can use prefixes and suffixes to decode the meaning of unfamiliar words
- Knows synonyms for 20+ common words (said, nice, big, small, went, happy, sad, good, bad, etc.)
- Understands shades of meaning (e.g. happy, content, delighted, ecstatic, elated)
- Can identify simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and hyperbole
- Can explain the effect of figurative language on the reader
- Knows the difference between formal and informal register and when to use each
- Can spell the 50 most commonly misspelled words at KS2 level
- Knows sentence types: simple, compound, and complex
- Uses commas correctly (in lists, after fronted adverbials, to separate clauses)
- Uses semicolons to join closely related sentences
- Uses colons to introduce lists or explanations
- Uses dashes and brackets for parenthetical information
- Can use speech marks and other dialogue punctuation correctly
- Understands active and passive voice and can identify each in a sentence
- Knows the difference between homophones (there/their/they're, affect/effect, practice/practise)
- Can use apostrophes correctly for possession and contraction
- Can identify and use noun phrases, adverbial phrases, and relative clauses
- Understands the terms: synonym, antonym, homophone, prefix, suffix, root word
- Can use a thesaurus effectively without choosing words that sound unnatural
Checklist 5: Critical Thinking
Critical thinking questions appear throughout the FSCE 11+ and can catch children off guard if they have not practised them. These questions test the ability to reason, evaluate, and solve unfamiliar problems — skills that go beyond simple recall. This checklist prepares your child for that challenge.
- Can identify the difference between a fact and an opinion
- Can identify the main argument or claim in a passage
- Can spot hidden assumptions behind a statement or argument
- Can evaluate whether evidence supports a given conclusion
- Can identify bias in a piece of writing and explain how it is shown
- Can draw conclusions from a table, chart, or set of data
- Can solve unfamiliar problems by breaking them into smaller steps
- Can explain reasoning clearly and logically in writing
- Can consider more than one point of view on an issue
- Can identify a flaw or weakness in an argument
- Can recognise when information is missing or incomplete
- Can make predictions based on given evidence
- Can apply a learned rule or method to a new, unfamiliar context
- Can prioritise information, deciding what is relevant and what is not
- Stays calm and thinks methodically when faced with an unfamiliar question type
Checklist 6: Exam Day Readiness
Preparation is not just about knowledge — it is about being practically and emotionally ready for the day itself. A well-prepared child who panics on exam day will not perform to their potential. This checklist covers the practical side of exam readiness.
- Knows what the FSCE exam format involves (number of papers, timing, question types)
- Has practised writing under timed conditions at least 5 times
- Knows how to manage time across sections (how long to spend on each question)
- Has a strategy for unfamiliar questions: read carefully, identify what you know, try, check
- Knows how to check work in the final minutes (re-read answers, check calculations)
- Has practised reading questions carefully and underlining key words before answering
- Feels confident about creative writing under pressure
- Has a relaxation strategy for exam nerves (deep breathing, positive self-talk, visualisation)
- Knows what to bring on exam day (pencils, eraser, ruler, water bottle)
- Has had a practice run of the exam-day routine (travel, arrival time, settling in)
What to Do With Your Completed Checklists
Once you have worked through all six checklists, step back and look at the bigger picture.
Mostly ticked? Your child is in a strong position. Focus remaining revision time on maintaining skills and building exam-day confidence. Practice full timed papers to keep everything sharp.
Clusters of circles in one subject? That subject needs dedicated attention. Build a mini revision plan around those specific items. Even 15-20 minutes a day on a weak area can produce significant improvement over a few weeks.
Circles scattered across subjects? Pick the highest-impact items first — the skills that appear most frequently in exams, such as inference in comprehension, multi-step problems in mathematics, and strong openings in creative writing. Nail those, then work outward.
Revisit this checklist every two weeks. Upgrade circles to ticks as your child improves. Watching the ticks accumulate is one of the most motivating things a child can experience during revision. It turns an abstract goal ("do well in the exam") into a visible, concrete journey.
A Note for Parents
Preparing a child for the 11+ is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be good days and frustrating days. There will be topics your child grasps instantly and others that take repeated practice before they click.
That is completely normal.
The most important thing you can do is stay calm, stay encouraging, and stay consistent. A child who revises a little every day with a supportive parent beside them will outperform a child who crams in a panic the week before the exam.
Use these checklists as your guide, but remember that your child is more than a list of ticked boxes. Confidence, resilience, and a willingness to try are just as important as any individual skill. Build those qualities alongside the academic preparation, and your child will walk into that exam hall ready for whatever the paper throws at them.
A Note for Children
If you are reading this yourself — well done. The fact that you are thinking about your revision already shows that you are taking this seriously, and that matters.
Here is something important: you do not need to tick every single box to do well. Nobody gets 100% in the 11+. The children who succeed are not the ones who know everything — they are the ones who stay calm, try their best, and use what they know.
If you come across a topic on this list that you find hard, that is okay. Hard does not mean impossible. It just means you have not practised it enough yet. Ask for help, have another go, and you will get there.
You have got this.
Free FSCE 11+ Resources on LearningBro
These checklists tell you what to revise. LearningBro can help you practise every single item on the list with structured courses, lessons, and quiz questions — all completely free.
Start with our complete guide:
- FSCE 11+ Complete Guide — Everything you need to know about the FSCE exam: format, scoring, preparation timeline, and strategy.
FSCE 11+ Courses on LearningBro:
- FSCE 11+ English Comprehension — 12 lessons covering retrieval, inference, evaluation, poetry, and exam technique.
- FSCE 11+ Mathematics — 12 lessons covering number, algebra, geometry, statistics, and multi-step problem-solving.
- FSCE 11+ Creative Writing — 12 lessons on planning, openings, description, dialogue, and writing under timed conditions.
- FSCE 11+ Vocabulary and Language — 12 lessons on word roots, synonyms, figurative language, grammar, and punctuation.
- FSCE 11+ Critical Thinking — 12 lessons on reasoning, evidence evaluation, bias, and tackling unfamiliar problems.
- FSCE 11+ Exam Strategy — 12 lessons on time management, approaching unfamiliar questions, and exam-day technique.
More FSCE 11+ blog posts:
- FSCE 11+ Creative Writing Model Answers — Annotated model answers showing exactly what examiners are looking for.
Every course includes quiz questions so your child can test their understanding as they go. Use these checklists to identify what to focus on, then head to the relevant course to practise.
Good luck — and remember, preparation is the best cure for exam nerves.