CEM-STYLE MIXED MOCK 3. This pack is a timed, three-section mock in the multiple-choice style used by CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University) 11+ papers, historically set for a number of UK grammar and independent school entrance tests. CEM papers are known for packing many short, fast-moving questions into tightly sub-timed sections, so pace and moving on quickly matter as much as accuracy. Total time allowed: 50 minutes across three sections, taken strictly in order - once a section's time is up, put your pencil down on that section and move on to the next; do not turn back. SECTION A: NUMERICAL REASONING (18 minutes, Questions 1-20) - fast-paced number, fraction, percentage, ratio, money, time and multi-step word problems. No calculator is allowed. SECTION B: VERBAL REASONING (20 minutes, Questions 21-45) - a cloze passage with 8 missing-word gaps, a comprehension passage with 10 questions, and 7 further verbal reasoning items covering synonyms, antonyms, an analogy, odd one out, a compound word, a hidden word and a multiple-meaning word. SECTION C: ENGLISH AND VOCABULARY (12 minutes, Questions 46-60) - 15 questions covering spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary and figurative language. Every question across all three sections is worth 1 mark, with exactly one correct option from A) to E). There is no negative marking, so attempt every question, and use any time left at the end of a section to check your answers before moving on. Total marks available: 60.
The Allotment Notebook
Original narrative written for Revision Library; no external source reproduced.
Aaliyah had never really understood why her grandmother spent every Saturday morning at the allotment, kneeling in the soil while the rest of the street was still asleep. It was only when her grandmother handed her a small, battered notebook that she began to see the plot differently. Inside were pages of neat handwriting: dates, weather notes, and sketches of seedlings pushing up through dark earth.
'Every row tells a story,' her grandmother said, tapping a page marked with the date from three years earlier. 'That's the year the carrots failed because I planted them too early. I never made that mistake again.'
Aaliyah turned the pages slowly, noticing how the handwriting changed over the years, growing smaller and more hurried as the seasons passed. Between the lines of instructions were small triumphs: the first strawberry of the summer, the tallest sunflower the allotment had ever grown, a robin that returned to the same fence post every April.
She realised the notebook was not simply a record of vegetables, but a quiet history of patience, mistakes and small victories. When her grandmother finally passed her a trowel and pointed to an empty row, Aaliyah understood, for the first time, that she was being handed something far more valuable than a gardening lesson.
1
SECTION A: NUMERICAL REASONING (18 minutes, no calculator allowed). Answer questions 1 to 20, each worth 1 mark. Work quickly and move on if you get stuck.
Question 1: A crate holds 9 boxes of oranges. Each box contains 8 oranges. How many oranges are there in the crate?
A) 72
B) 73
C) 80
D) 81
E) 90
(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)
2
Q2. Look at this number sequence: 3, 7, 11, 15, __. What number is missing?
A) 17
B) 19
C) 20
D) 21
E) 23
(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)
3
Q3. Zara buys a poster for £3.65 and a pencil case for £2.80. She pays with a £10 note. How much change does she receive?
A) £3.35
B) £3.45
C) £3.55
D) £3.65
E) £4.45
(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)
4
Q4. What is 2/3 of 54?
A) 18
B) 27
C) 34
D) 36
E) 72
(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)
5
Q5. A pair of trainers costs £70. In a sale they are reduced by 30%. What is the sale price?
A) £21
B) £40
C) £45
D) £47
E) £49
(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)
6
Q6. Meera and Josh share £96 in the ratio 5:3. How much does Josh receive?
A) £36
B) £40
C) £48
D) £60
E) £64
(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)
7
Q7. If 5x + 2 = 37, what is the value of x?
A) 6
B) 7
C) 8
D) 9
E) 35
(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)
8
Q8. A rectangular playground is 11 m long and 6 m wide. What is its area?
A) 17 m2
B) 51 m2
C) 66 m2
D) 70 m2
E) 110 m2
(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)
9
Q9. A photo measures 24 cm by 18 cm. It is mounted on card with a border 4 cm wide all around. What is the area of the card border only (the card area minus the photo area)?
A) 200 cm2
B) 320 cm2
C) 392 cm2
D) 400 cm2
E) 832 cm2
(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)
10
Q10. A film starts at 14:20 and finishes at 16:05. How long is the film?
A) 1 hour 25 minutes
B) 1 hour 30 minutes
C) 1 hour 35 minutes
D) 1 hour 40 minutes
E) 1 hour 45 minutes
(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)
11
Q11. Six pupils have the following numbers of house points: 8, 5, 9, 7, 6, 7. What is the mean number of house points?
A) 7
B) 7.5
C) 8
D) 9
E) 42
(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)
12
Q12. A jogger runs 15 km in 1 hour 15 minutes at a constant pace. What is her speed in km/h?
A) 10 km/h
B) 12 km/h
C) 13 km/h
D) 15 km/h
E) 20 km/h
(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)
13
Q13. What is 5,274 rounded to the nearest hundred?
A) 5,000
B) 5,200
C) 5,300
D) 5,350
E) 5,400
(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)
14
Q14. What is the lowest common multiple of 4 and 6?
A) 2
B) 6
C) 10
D) 12
E) 24
(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)
15
Q15. In 2025, 180 pupils entered the school's maths challenge. In 2026 the number increased by 20%. How many pupils entered in 2026?
A) 36
B) 180
C) 200
D) 210
E) 216
(Total for Question 15 is 1 mark)
16
Q16. Look at this number sequence: 4, 12, 36, 108, __. What is the next number, given that each term is found by multiplying the previous term by 3?
A) 324
B) 330
C) 336
D) 432
E) 972
(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)
17
Q17 (harder). A recipe for 6 people needs 2/3 of a cup of oil. How much oil is needed for 15 people, if the amount of oil is directly proportional to the number of people?
A) 1 1/2 cups
B) 1 2/3 cups
C) 1 3/4 cups
D) 2 cups
E) 2 1/4 cups
(Total for Question 17 is 1 mark)
18
Q18 (harder). A car travels at an average speed of 56 km/h for 2 hours 15 minutes. How far does it travel?
A) 112 km
B) 120 km
C) 126 km
D) 130 km
E) 140 km
(Total for Question 18 is 1 mark)
19
Q19 (harder). In a school of 300 pupils, 2/5 are in Year 6 and the rest are in Year 5. 40% of the Year 5 pupils cycle to school. How many Year 5 pupils cycle to school?
A) 48
B) 60
C) 64
D) 72
E) 90
(Total for Question 19 is 1 mark)
20
Q20 (hardest, final question). A shop sells notebooks in two multipacks: Pack X has 8 notebooks for £6.40, and Pack Y has 12 notebooks for £8.40. Which pack offers better value per notebook, and what is the price per notebook for that pack?
A) Pack X, £0.80
B) Pack X, £0.70
C) Pack Y, £0.80
D) Pack Y, £0.75
E) Pack Y, £0.70
(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)
21
SECTION B: VERBAL REASONING (20 minutes). This section has three parts: a cloze passage (questions 21-28), a comprehension passage (questions 29-38), and further verbal reasoning items (questions 39-45). Read the cloze passage below once, then choose the best word to fill gap (21) from the options given. Each gap has a different correct word, and only one option makes complete sense in its gap when you read the passage carefully.
CLOZE PASSAGE: The Greenfield Bake Sale
Every autumn, Greenfield Primary School holds a bake sale to (21)_______ money for new library books. This year, the event was organised by Mrs Okafor, who (22)_______ the pupils to bring in cakes, biscuits and other treats from home. On the morning of the sale, the hall was (23)_______ with tables covered in colourful cloths, and the smell of fresh baking (24)_______ through the corridors. Parents and grandparents arrived early, eager to (25)_______ the best treats before they sold out. By midday, almost everything had been bought, and the small team of volunteers began to (26)_______ the money they had collected. To everyone's delight, the sale had (27)_______ more than three hundred pounds, comfortably beating the target Mrs Okafor had (28)_______ at the start of term.
Question 21: which word best completes gap (21)?
A) lose
B) waste
C) raise
D) borrow
E) spend
(Total for Question 21 is 1 mark)
22
Question 22: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (22)?
A) forbade
B) forgot
C) blamed
D) encouraged
E) ignored
(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)
23
Question 23: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (23)?
A) filled
B) locked
C) cleaned
D) painted
E) emptied
(Total for Question 23 is 1 mark)
24
Question 24: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (24)?
A) collapsed
B) froze
C) vanished
D) stopped
E) drifted
(Total for Question 24 is 1 mark)
25
Question 25: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (25)?
A) hide
B) choose
C) sell
D) avoid
E) criticise
(Total for Question 25 is 1 mark)
26
Question 26: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (26)?
A) forget
B) hide
C) count
D) spend
E) multiply
(Total for Question 26 is 1 mark)
27
Question 27: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (27)?
A) lost
B) wasted
C) halved
D) raised
E) borrowed
(Total for Question 27 is 1 mark)
28
Question 28: using the same cloze passage above ('The Greenfield Bake Sale'), which word best completes gap (28)?
A) doubled
B) set
C) missed
D) copied
E) ignored
(Total for Question 28 is 1 mark)
29
Read the source text above ('The Allotment Notebook') once carefully, then answer questions 29 to 38, each worth 1 mark.
Question 29: What is this passage mainly about?
A) A girl who dislikes gardening
B) A grandmother who grows prize-winning sunflowers
C) A school project about vegetables
D) A girl coming to understand the meaning behind her grandmother's allotment notebook
E) A robin that visits an allotment every spring
(Total for Question 29 is 1 mark)
30
Question 30: According to the passage, when did Aaliyah's grandmother usually visit the allotment?
A) Every evening
B) Every Saturday morning
C) Every Sunday afternoon
D) Only in summer
E) Once a month
(Total for Question 30 is 1 mark)
31
Question 31 (vocabulary in context): In the passage, the word 'battered' used to describe the notebook most nearly means
A) brand new
B) brightly coloured
C) worn from age and use
D) locked shut
E) written in pencil
(Total for Question 31 is 1 mark)
32
Question 32: According to the passage, why did the carrots fail three years earlier?
A) They were planted too early
B) There was no rain that year
C) A robin ate the seeds
D) The soil was too dark
E) They were never watered
(Total for Question 32 is 1 mark)
33
Question 33 (inference): Why did Aaliyah's understanding of the allotment change?
A) Because she was told to work there every Saturday
B) Because her grandmother gave her a trowel
C) Because she wanted to grow her own sunflowers
D) Because the carrots had failed three years earlier
E) Because reading the notebook showed her the meaning behind her grandmother's visits
(Total for Question 33 is 1 mark)
34
Question 34 (vocabulary in context): What does the phrase 'a quiet history of patience, mistakes and small victories' suggest about the notebook?
A) It records only the successes of the allotment
B) It proves the grandmother was a trained scientist
C) It lists the weather every single day
D) It shows the notebook contains a mixture of failures and achievements over time
E) It explains why the carrots failed
(Total for Question 34 is 1 mark)
35
Question 35 (inference): What can be inferred about how long the grandmother has kept the notebook?
A) Only a few weeks
B) Several years, since the handwriting has changed over time
C) A single season
D) Since Aaliyah was born
E) It is a brand new notebook
(Total for Question 35 is 1 mark)
36
Question 36: What did the grandmother do immediately before Aaliyah felt she was being handed something valuable?
A) She read aloud from the notebook
B) She planted a row of carrots
C) She passed Aaliyah a trowel and pointed to an empty row
D) She told Aaliyah to go home
E) She gave Aaliyah a strawberry
(Total for Question 36 is 1 mark)
37
Question 37 (inference): What can be inferred about the grandmother's character from the passage?
A) She is patient, reflective and learns from her mistakes
B) She is impatient and easily frustrated
C) She dislikes sharing her knowledge with others
D) She is careless about how she plants her crops
E) She prefers flowers to vegetables
(Total for Question 37 is 1 mark)
38
Question 38: What is the writer's main purpose in this passage?
A) To explain how to grow carrots successfully
B) To warn readers about the dangers of gardening
C) To list the birds that visit allotments
D) To criticise Aaliyah for not helping sooner
E) To show how a shared notebook reveals the value of patience and quiet, ongoing effort
(Total for Question 38 is 1 mark)
39
Question 39 (further verbal reasoning, synonym). Which word is closest in meaning to CANDID?
A) secretive
B) angry
C) honest
D) confused
E) cheerful
(Total for Question 39 is 1 mark)
40
Question 40 (antonym). Which word means the opposite of ABUNDANT?
A) plentiful
B) huge
C) generous
D) scarce
E) constant
(Total for Question 40 is 1 mark)
41
Question 41 (analogy). TEACHER is to CLASSROOM as SURGEON is to ____?
A) hospital
B) patient
C) scalpel
D) nurse
E) operating theatre
(Total for Question 41 is 1 mark)
42
Question 42 (odd one out). Which word does not belong with the others?
A) trudge
B) glisten
C) sparkle
D) shimmer
E) gleam
(Total for Question 42 is 1 mark)
43
Question 43 (compound word). Which of these words cannot be joined with BOOK to make a real English word?
A) mark
B) cloud
C) worm
D) case
E) shelf
(Total for Question 43 is 1 mark)
44
Question 44 (hidden word). A word is hidden across the join between two words in the sentence below. Find the hidden word. 'The librarian will always eat lunch at noon.'
A) noon
B) lunch
C) sea
D) librarian
E) always
(Total for Question 44 is 1 mark)
45
Question 45 (multiple-meaning word, hardest, final question of this section). Which meaning of the word 'file' is used in this sentence: 'She kept every receipt in a labelled file.'?
A) a tool for smoothing surfaces
B) to walk in a line
C) a queue of people
D) a folder for storing documents
E) to submit a document officially
(Total for Question 45 is 1 mark)
46
SECTION C: ENGLISH AND VOCABULARY (12 minutes). Answer questions 46 to 60, each worth 1 mark.
Question 46 (synonym). Which word is closest in meaning to ENORMOUS?
A) tiny
B) narrow
C) quiet
D) huge
E) ancient
(Total for Question 46 is 1 mark)
47
Question 47 (antonym). Which word means the opposite of TRANSPARENT?
A) opaque
B) clear
C) fragile
D) shiny
E) flexible
(Total for Question 47 is 1 mark)
48
Question 48 (spelling). Which word is spelled correctly?
A) definately
B) seperate
C) accomodate
D) recieve
E) necessary
(Total for Question 48 is 1 mark)
49
Question 49 (definition). What does the word FRUGAL mean?
A) wasteful with money
B) careful not to waste money or resources
C) extremely wealthy
D) generous to a fault
E) disorganised
(Total for Question 49 is 1 mark)
50
Question 50 (homophones). Choose the word that correctly completes this sentence: 'The pupils left ____ bags in the cloakroom.'
A) there
B) who's
C) their
D) they're
E) its
(Total for Question 50 is 1 mark)
51
Question 51 (grammar). Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A) Me and him went to the shop.
B) Him and me went to the shop.
C) I and he went to the shop.
D) He and I went to the shop.
E) Us went to the shop.
(Total for Question 51 is 1 mark)
52
Question 52 (figurative language). Which sentence contains a simile?
A) Her smile was as bright as sunshine.
B) The wind howled through the trees.
C) The old house creaked and groaned.
D) Time is a thief.
E) The classroom was silent.
(Total for Question 52 is 1 mark)
53
Question 53 (collective nouns). What is the correct collective noun for a group of geese in flight?
A) a pride
B) a flock
C) a herd
D) a shoal
E) a skein
(Total for Question 53 is 1 mark)
54
Question 54 (word structure). Which word means 'not honest'?
A) honestly
B) dishonest
C) honesty
D) honester
E) overhonest
(Total for Question 54 is 1 mark)
55
Question 55 (word class). In the sentence 'The cautious driver slowly reversed the car,' which word is an adverb?
A) cautious
B) driver
C) slowly
D) reversed
E) car
(Total for Question 55 is 1 mark)
56
Question 56 (idiom). What does the idiom 'to break the ice' mean?
A) to cause an argument
B) to end a friendship
C) to arrive early
D) to ease tension in an awkward or new situation
E) to cancel an event
(Total for Question 56 is 1 mark)
57
Question 57 (punctuation). Which version is punctuated correctly?
A) It's a lovely day, isn't it?
B) Its a lovely day isnt it
C) Its' a lovely day, isnt' it?
D) It's a lovely day isnt it.
E) Its a lovely day, isn't it.
(Total for Question 57 is 1 mark)
58
Question 58 (vocabulary in context). Which word is closest in meaning to ARTICULATE in the sentence: 'The lawyer gave an articulate closing speech.'?
A) confusing
B) lengthy
C) quiet
D) rehearsed
E) well-expressed
(Total for Question 58 is 1 mark)
59
Question 59 (antonym in context). Which word means the opposite of PERMIT in the sentence: 'The head teacher would not permit pupils to leave early.'?
A) allow
B) forbid
C) encourage
D) suggest
E) ignore
(Total for Question 59 is 1 mark)
60
Question 60 (word structure, hardest, final question). The Latin root 'aqua' relates most closely to which of the following?
A) fire
B) light
C) water
D) earth
E) air
(Total for Question 60 is 1 mark)
Mark scheme · EP.T41 CEM-Style Mixed Mock 3
Question 1
B1 A) 72 - 9 x 8 = 72
Answer: A) 72
Question 2
B1 B) 19 - the sequence increases by 4 each time, so the missing term is 15 + 4 = 19
Answer: B) 19
Question 3
B1 C) £3.55 - total spent = 3.65 + 2.80 = 6.45, change = 10.00 - 6.45 = 3.55
B1 C) 126 km - 2 hours 15 minutes = 2.25 hours, distance = speed x time = 56 x 2.25 = 126 km
Answer: C) 126 km
Question 19
B1 D) 72 - Year 6 = 300 x 2/5 = 120, Year 5 = 300 - 120 = 180, 40% of 180 = 72
Answer: D) 72
Question 20
B1 E) Pack Y, £0.70 - Pack X costs 6.40/8 = £0.80 per notebook, Pack Y costs 8.40/12 = £0.70 per notebook, so Pack Y is better value
Answer: E) Pack Y, £0.70
Question 21
B1 C) raise - to 'raise money' means to collect funds for a purpose, matching a bake sale organised to fund new library books
Answer: C
Question 22
B1 D) encouraged - Mrs Okafor asking pupils to bring in treats matches a verb meaning to persuade or support
Answer: D
Question 23
B1 A) filled - a hall set up with tables for an event is described as 'filled' with those tables
Answer: A
Question 24
B1 E) drifted - a smell spreading gently through corridors is described as 'drifting'
Answer: E
Question 25
B1 B) choose - parents arriving eagerly to select the best treats matches a verb meaning to pick
Answer: B
Question 26
B1 C) count - volunteers dealing with money collected matches a verb meaning to total it up
Answer: C
Question 27
B1 D) raised - a successful fundraiser 'raising' more than three hundred pounds matches the sentence's positive outcome
Answer: D
Question 28
B1 B) set - a target decided at the start of term matches a verb meaning to establish or fix a goal
Answer: B
Question 29
B1 D) A girl coming to understand the meaning behind her grandmother's allotment notebook - the whole passage follows Aaliyah discovering what the notebook represents
Answer: D
Question 30
B1 B) Every Saturday morning - the text states her grandmother 'spent every Saturday morning at the allotment'
Answer: B
Question 31
B1 C) worn from age and use - a 'battered' notebook is one that shows the wear of being used repeatedly over time
Answer: C
Question 32
B1 A) They were planted too early - the grandmother directly says 'the carrots failed because I planted them too early'
Answer: A
Question 33
B1 E) Because reading the notebook showed her the meaning behind her grandmother's visits - the passage explains Aaliyah 'began to see the plot differently' once she read the notebook
Answer: E
Question 34
B1 D) It shows the notebook contains a mixture of failures and achievements over time - the phrase lists both mistakes and victories together
Answer: D
Question 35
B1 B) Several years, since the handwriting has changed over time - the passage notes the handwriting 'changed over the years, growing smaller and more hurried'
Answer: B
Question 36
B1 C) She passed Aaliyah a trowel and pointed to an empty row - the text states this happens directly before Aaliyah's realisation
Answer: C
Question 37
B1 A) She is patient, reflective and learns from her mistakes - her careful record-keeping and comment about never repeating a mistake both show this
Answer: A
Question 38
B1 E) To show how a shared notebook reveals the value of patience and quiet, ongoing effort - the passage builds towards Aaliyah's realisation about what the notebook truly represents
Answer: E
Question 39
B1 C) honest - 'candid' describes being open, frank and truthful
Answer: C
Question 40
B1 D) scarce - 'scarce' means in short supply, the opposite of 'abundant', which means plentiful
Answer: D
Question 41
B1 E) operating theatre - a classroom is the specific room where a teacher works, and an operating theatre is the equivalent specific room where a surgeon works
Answer: E
Question 42
B1 A) trudge - trudge describes walking heavily, while the other four words all describe shining or glinting light
Answer: A
Question 43
B1 B) cloud - 'bookcloud' is not a standard English word, unlike bookmark, bookworm, bookcase and bookshelf
Answer: B
Question 44
B1 C) sea - the letters 's', 'e' and 'a' appear in order across the join of 'always' and 'eat' (alway-SEA-t)
Answer: C
Question 45
B1 D) a folder for storing documents - in this sentence, 'a labelled file' refers to a folder used to keep papers organised
Answer: D
Question 46
B1 D) huge - 'enormous' means extremely large in size, matching 'huge'
Answer: D
Question 47
B1 A) opaque - 'opaque' means not able to be seen through, the opposite of 'transparent'
Answer: A
Question 48
B1 E) necessary - this is the correct spelling, with one 'c' and two 's' letters
Answer: E
Question 49
B1 B) careful not to waste money or resources - 'frugal' describes being thrifty and avoiding waste
Answer: B
Question 50
B1 C) their - the sentence needs the possessive form showing the bags belong to the pupils
Answer: C
Question 51
B1 D) He and I went to the shop. - 'He' and 'I' are correctly used as subject pronouns performing the action
Answer: D
Question 52
B1 A) Her smile was as bright as sunshine. - this compares two things using 'as... as', which is the structure of a simile
Answer: A
Question 53
B1 E) a skein - 'a skein of geese' is the traditional English collective noun for geese flying in formation
Answer: E
Question 54
B1 B) dishonest - the prefix 'dis-' reverses the meaning of 'honest' to mean 'not honest'
Answer: B
Question 55
B1 C) slowly - 'slowly' modifies the verb 'reversed', describing how the action was done
Answer: C
Question 56
B1 D) to ease tension in an awkward or new situation - this is the standard meaning of the idiom in English
Answer: D
Question 57
B1 A) It's a lovely day, isn't it? - both contractions use apostrophes correctly, and the sentence ends with a question mark
Answer: A
Question 58
B1 E) well-expressed - 'articulate' describes speech that is clear and fluently expressed
Answer: E
Question 59
B1 B) forbid - 'forbid' means to refuse to allow, the opposite of 'permit'
Answer: B
Question 60
B1 C) water - the Latin root 'aqua' means water, as seen in words such as aquarium and aquatic