Buckinghamshire (SET/GL)-Style Mixed Mock
The Buckinghamshire (SET/GL)-Style Mixed Mock is modelled on the Buckinghamshire 11+ test, which the county's grammar schools use to select pupils and which has, since 2019, used GL Assessment-style materials covering English, maths and verbal reasoning. This mock focuses on the English content of a Bucks-style mixed paper: comprehension and vocabulary questions alongside the grammar and punctuation (SPaG) questions GL-style English papers commonly include.
Method
- Read any comprehension extract all the way through once for overall meaning before looking at the questions, noting who or what it is about and its general tone.
- For vocabulary-in-context questions, reread the sentence the word appears in and use the surrounding words to work out the meaning, rather than relying only on a word's meaning in isolation.
- For SPaG questions, read the whole sentence (not just the gap or underlined section) since correct grammar or punctuation can depend on a word appearing earlier or later in the sentence.
- For 'find and copy' questions, lift the exact wording from the passage rather than paraphrasing, since paraphrased answers to this question type are usually marked wrong even if the meaning is right.
- Match the length and detail of your answer to the marks available: a 1-mark question needs one clear point, a 3 or 4-mark question needs more than one developed point.
- Keep an eye on the clock across the whole English section rather than per question, since comprehension questions can take longer than short SPaG questions and both need to be finished.
Worked example
Extract: 'The path grew steeper, and Ellie's legs burned with every step, but she refused to let the others see her struggle.' Question: What does the word 'refused' suggest about Ellie's character in this sentence?
- Identify the literal meaning of 'refused': it means she actively decided not to do something, in this case, not to let the others see her struggle.
- Consider what an active decision not to show weakness, despite her legs burning, suggests about her: it implies determination, pride, or a wish to appear strong in front of others.
- Link this to the wider sentence: the contrast between her physical pain ('legs burned') and her outward behaviour ('refused to let the others see') strengthens the sense that she is deliberately hiding how hard the climb is for her.
- Final answer: 'Refused' suggests Ellie is determined and proud, deliberately hiding her struggle from the others even though the climb is clearly painful for her.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1'The old bridge, rickety and moss-covered, had not been used in years.' What does 'rickety' tell you about the bridge?Show answer
Answer: That it is unstable, shaky or in poor structural condition.
Q2Choose the correctly spelled word: (a) 'seperate' (b) 'separate'.Show answer
Answer: (b) separate.
Q3'Neither Tom nor his sister ___ ready.' Which word correctly completes the sentence: (a) were (b) was?Show answer
Answer: (b) was (neither/nor takes a singular verb).
Q4'The crowd fell silent, awestruck by the sheer scale of the waterfall.' Give a synonym for 'awestruck'.Show answer
Answer: Amazed, astonished or overwhelmed (any accurate synonym conveying wonder).
Q5Identify the adverb in this sentence: 'She spoke quietly to avoid waking the baby.'Show answer
Answer: quietly.
Q6'The negotiations, delicate at the best of times, nearly collapsed over a single clause.' What does 'delicate' suggest about the negotiations?Show answer
Answer: That they were sensitive, easily disrupted or requiring careful handling.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'The old librarian, who had catalogued every book in the building by hand, watched with quiet unease as the new computer system was switched on for the first time.' Explain what this sentence suggests about the librarian's feelings towards the new computer system, using evidence from the text.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence and explain your choice: 'By the time we arrived, the film ___ already started.' (a) has (b) had (c) have.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 3 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the buckinghamshire (set/gl)-style mixed mock worksheet pack - 22 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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