If your child is just beginning the 11+ journey, the sheer number of apps, subscriptions and“essential” resources can be overwhelming. The good news: you do not need all of them, and you certainly do not need to spend a fortune to start well. Here are six of the best 11+ apps and online tools to get going in 2026, from trusted classics to the free app that makes practice stick.
Key takeaways
You do not need to spend a fortune to start the 11+ well.
Bond Online and CGP are trusted, low-cost places to begin.
Pip is free, covers all four subjects, and solves the hardest early problem: getting your child to practise willingly.
Add a premium tool like Atom only as the exam draws nearer.
At a glance: the 6 apps compared
| App | Best for | Platform | Price |
| Bond Online | A trusted starting point | Web | £7.50/mo or £65/yr |
| Pip | Free daily habit-building | iOS, Android | Free (Pro £7.99/mo) |
| Atom Learning | Serious all-in-one prep | Web, tablet | From £32/mo |
| CGP 11+ | Best value practice papers | Web, books | Low-cost (check site) |
| 11 Plus Lifeline | Home teaching with worked solutions | Web | From £9/mo |
| Education Quizzes | Low-pressure early practice | Web | Free or £14.50/mo |
1. Bond Online
Best for: a trusted starting point.
For a first step, it is hard to go wrong with Bond. The Oxford University Press range has guided 11+ families for decades, and Bond Online brings that pedigree to a low-cost web subscription, £7.50 a month or £65 a year, with structured practice and mock-style tests aligned to GL exams. It is calm, methodical and a reassuring place to begin.
Where it shines
- Trusted, traditional 11+ brand, especially for GL-style practice.
- Structured topic practice plus timed mock-style tests.
Limitations
- Interface is quite plain and not very gamified.
- Best for GL-style exams; you may need extras for other formats.
2. Pip 11+
Best for: building the daily habit, free.
Before you spend anything, download Pip 11+. It is a free app for iOS and Android offering unlimited daily practice across all four 11+ subjects, maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and it solves the hardest problem in early prep: getting a nine-year-old to practise willingly. Bite-sized rounds, XP, coins, leagues, streaks and a cheery mascot make it feel like a game, while an adaptive score and endless fresh questions keep it genuinely effective underneath.
With no ads, no sign-up and nothing collected from your child, plus full offline use, it is the easiest yes on this list. Should you want exam-style mocks and detailed reports later, an optional Pip Pro plan (£7.99 a month or £59 a year) adds them, but for laying down a daily routine from day one, the free app is all you need.
Where it shines
- Strong on habit‑building: short, game‑like rounds with streaks, XP and leagues make “a bit every day” feel like a game, not a chore.
- Free app covers maths, English, verbal and non‑verbal reasoning, and the parent zone shows usage, accuracy, mastery by subject and a clear “focus next” view, plus printable reports.
Limitations
- Full exam‑style mocks and more detailed reports live in the optional Pip Pro upgrade rather than the free tier; if you want full mock exams inside one app, you may eventually choose to add Pro or pair it with another tool.
- By design it focuses on bite‑sized daily practice rather than long, full‑length paper simulations, so you will still want some dedicated mock papers closer to the exam.
3. Atom Learning
Best for: all‑round variety beyond just the 11+.
As exams approach and you want a single, comprehensive programme, Atom is the natural step up. Its adaptive platform covers the whole 11+ syllabus plus reasoning and science, marks everything instantly, and on its top tier provides unlimited mock tests. It is a premium online platform at roughly £32 to £70 a month, so most families adopt it once they are committed, but it is the most complete tool of its kind.
Where it shines
- All‑in‑one platform: teaching content, adaptive questions and (on appropriate plans) unlimited 11+ style mocks, so you can run most of prep in one place.
- Detailed topic‑level data and dashboards suit parents and tutors who want to plan very targeted practice from analytics.
Limitations
- Higher monthly cost than book‑led or lighter‑weight tools, so for many families it’s something to adopt once they’re committed rather than at the very start.
- The volume of content and options can feel like “a lot” without a simple weekly plan; families looking for a very lightweight, dip‑in experience may prefer starting elsewhere.
4. CGP 11+
Best for: value practice papers.
CGP is the budget hero of 11+ prep: clear, affordable books that thousands of families swear by, now backed by CGP 11+ Online for unlimited question practice and mocks at a modest subscription. Many of its printed books also include a free online edition. If you want the most practice for the least money, start here. (Check the current online subscription price on CGP’s site.)
Where it shines
- Very strong value: inexpensive books plus online questions and mocks give a lot of structured practice for relatively low spend.
- Clear, friendly explanations in the guides help parents refresh their own understanding and support children without a tutor.
Limitations
- The online side is more straightforward than deeply adaptive or gamified; families specifically wanting heavy personalisation or game‑style features may prefer to pair CGP with another app.
- You do need to choose the right series for your exam board/region to get the closest match, which adds a small bit of homework for parents.
5. 11 Plus Lifeline
Best for: parents who teach at home.
If you plan to guide the prep yourself, RSL Educational’s 11 Plus Lifeline, from £9 a month, delivers fresh papers every week with exceptionally detailed worked solutions, so when your child gets something wrong, you can actually show them why. It is a favourite among hands-on parents for exactly that reason.
Where it shines
- Weekly practice papers plus very detailed worked solutions make it easier for parents to explain why answers are right or wrong.
- The steady flow of new papers helps build exam stamina and routine without parents having to plan everything themselves.
Limitations
- Works best when a parent can spend time going through scripts and solutions; if you want a fully independent, child‑only tool, this isn’t designed for that.
- Focuses on classic paper‑and‑solutions rather than gamified or highly interactive formats, which some children may find less immediately appealing.
6. Education Quizzes
Best for: low-pressure early practice.
Finally, Education Quizzes is a friendly way to keep things ticking over: short, teacher-written 11+ quizzes with one free quiz a day, or unlimited access from £14.50 a month and two child logins. It is ideal for early, no-stress exposure to the question types before the serious practice begins.
Where it shines
- Short, low‑pressure quizzes are a gentle way to introduce 11+ style questions, especially early on.
- Flexible access options (including simple daily free quizzes) make it easy to layer in a bit of extra exposure without committing to a full programme.
Limitations
- On its own it does not offer enough depth or exam‑board specificity for the final stages of 11+ prep; you’ll need fuller practice papers and mocks as the exam nears.
- It’s a broad quiz platform rather than a tightly targeted GL/CEM preparation environment, so you may need to combine it with more focused resources.
The bottom line
Start simple. A trusted programme like Bond or CGP for structure, plus a free app like Pip to build the daily habit, will take a beginner a remarkably long way, and you can add the heavier tools like Atom as the exam draws nearer.
ENGRNEWSWIRE