CSSE-Style English Mock (Essex)
The CSSE-Style English Mock (Essex) follows the format used by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex for its English entrance paper: a single source text followed by four timed sections, reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling/punctuation/grammar (SPaG) and a continuous writing task, sat in one hour. The comprehension and vocabulary sections test close reading of the source text, while the SPaG section covers short technical-accuracy questions and the writing task is a free-response piece marked on content, structure and technical accuracy.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Read the source text carefully before looking at any questions, since the comprehension and vocabulary sections both depend on understanding it, not on remembering the writing task separately.
- Answer the comprehension questions in order, going back to the exact paragraph named rather than relying on your first read-through.
- In the vocabulary section, use the context of the sentence the word appears in to work out its meaning, even for words you do not immediately recognise.
- Move briskly through the SPaG section: these are short, closed questions (correct the punctuation, choose the right word) that should not take more than a minute or two each.
- Before starting the continuous writing task, spend one or two minutes planning: a clear beginning, middle and end (or a clear argument if it is a discursive prompt) scores more highly than an unplanned piece of the same length.
- In the writing task, aim for the stated word count and leave two or three minutes at the end to check spelling, punctuation and that every sentence makes sense.
- Watch the clock across all four sections: running over on comprehension is the most common way pupils lose writing time on this format.
Worked example
Source sentence: 'The lighthouse keeper's hands, roughened by forty years of salt and wind, moved over the great brass lens with the gentleness of someone handling something alive.' Comprehension-style question: What does this sentence suggest about the lighthouse keeper's feelings towards the lens? Support your answer with evidence from the sentence.
- Identify the key contrast in the sentence: rough, weathered hands ('roughened by forty years of salt and wind') against a gentle action ('the gentleness of someone handling something alive').
- Note that comparing the lens to 'something alive' suggests the keeper treats it with unusual care and respect, not just as a piece of equipment.
- Connect this to feeling: the contrast between rough hands and a gentle touch suggests deep affection or reverence for the lens, built up over many years of work.
- Support the point with the exact evidence: the phrase 'the gentleness of someone handling something alive' is the clearest piece of textual evidence for this feeling.
- Final answer: the sentence suggests the keeper feels great affection and respect for the lens, shown by the contrast between his rough, work-worn hands and the gentle, careful way he touches it, 'as though handling something alive'.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1'The tide had scoured the beach smooth, erasing every footprint from the day before.' What does 'scoured' suggest about how thoroughly the tide had cleaned the beach?Show answer
Answer: It suggests the tide cleaned the beach very thoroughly and forcefully, scrubbing it completely clean, not just lightly.
Q2Give one word from this list that is a synonym for 'ancient': modern, elderly, recent, current.Show answer
Answer: elderly
Q3Correct the punctuation in this sentence: 'the keepers logbook lay open on the desk its pages damp with sea spray'Show answer
Answer: The keeper's logbook lay open on the desk, its pages damp with sea spray.
Q4Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The captain, along with the entire crew, ___ prepared for the storm.'? (was / were)Show answer
Answer: was (the subject of the sentence is 'the captain'; 'along with the entire crew' is an added phrase, not a second subject, so the verb stays singular to agree with 'the captain')
Q5What is the plural of 'lighthouse'?Show answer
Answer: lighthouses
Q6Identify the main clause in this sentence: 'Although the storm had passed, the sea remained rough.'Show answer
Answer: the sea remained rough
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Source sentence: 'Every evening, without fail, the old keeper climbed the one hundred and eight steps to light the lamp, though his knees ached and his breath came short.' Explain what this sentence suggests about the keeper's character, using evidence from the text. (4 marks)
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Continuous writing task: 'Write about a time when you had to keep a promise even though it became difficult to do so.' Write a continuous piece of about 300 to 400 words. (15 marks)
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the csse-style english mock (essex) worksheet pack - 10 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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