Research links high-stakes testing with test anxiety in some children, and a handful of studies look at the 11+ directly. They report worry, pressure on whole families and effects on how children see themselves, whether or not a child is successful. No study we found follows children through a 10+, then an 11+, then independent school papers, so anything said about that full sequence is reasoned extension, not measured fact. This article separates the two as clearly as it can.

It covers England. Other UK nations run different systems, and findings from them should be read with that in mind.

What is test anxiety, and how is it different from ordinary nerves?

Most children feel nervous before an important test, and the NHS describes that as normal (NHS, 2023). Test anxiety is the stronger version. Researchers who study it usually describe worry about failing, physical tension and, in some children, a damaging belief that failure would be a disaster for their future.

Nerves can sharpen attention. Strong anxiety can interfere with thinking during the exam and with sleep, appetite and mood in the weeks around it. One UK study concluded that performance may only be harmed when a catastrophic response follows the anxiety, which suggests the way a child interprets their worry is as important as the worry itself (Putwain, 2009a).

Nothing in this article is a diagnosis or medical advice. If a child's distress is severe or lasts, the right step is a conversation with their GP or school. The NHS pages listed in the sources are a sensible starting point.

How common is test anxiety in English school students?

Putwain and Remedios (2014) surveyed 2,435 secondary school students from 11 schools in England. They found that 16.4 per cent reported being highly test anxious: 22.5 per cent among girls and 10.3 per cent among boys.

Two cautions apply. The sample was secondary school students, so it describes older children than those sitting a 10+ or 11+, and it measured anxiety about tests in general. It does not tell us what share of 10+ or 11+ candidates are highly anxious. We have not found a published figure for that group.

High test anxiety affects roughly one in six English secondary school students, which makes it a recognised pattern in a meaningful minority, not a rare event.

What do studies of the 11+ itself report?

There is a small body of work, and most of it is qualitative or based on limited samples.

Children's self-perception. Skipper (2018), a psychologist at Keele University, described questionnaire research that followed children at two points: after they decided whether to take the 11+ and after they received results. Children who intended to take the exam felt more positive about themselves and school, but tended to see intelligence as fixed. Children who failed, or who were not selected to sit, felt more negative about themselves and school. She also reported that being told you are likely to fail appeared to be as damaging to self-perceptions as actually failing. This is an article written for a general audience rather than the peer-reviewed paper, and it does not state the sample size, so it should be read as an informed summary of the research.

Pressure on the family. Hajar (2019) interviewed Year 6 pupils and teachers in south-east England about private tutoring for grammar school access. The pupils said they shared in the decision to be tutored, and the study found benefits including greater confidence, involvement and enthusiasm for learning. It also identified psychological and financial burdens on the whole family. The study is small and local, so it cannot be generalised, but it is one of the few that asks children directly.

Wider reviews. The campaign group Comprehensive Future, which opposes selective admissions, lists further studies on its website. One of them, by Jerrim and Sims (2018), is summarised there as finding that pupils in selective areas had lower self-esteem than similar peers in non-selective areas, with the suggestion that confidence is dented by being among other high achievers (Comprehensive Future, n.d.). We have only seen that summary, not the original paper, and the source has a clear position, so we flag it as a secondary account.

The 11+ can be a source of anxiety and family strain for some children, and both success and failure can affect how a child feels about themselves. These studies do not tell us how common that is, or how large the effects are.

What about parents and the rest of the family?

Research on parental anxiety linked to the 11+ is thin. Hajar (2019) reports a psychological and financial burden on the whole family, but does not measure parental anxiety as such.

Broader UK work on examination anxiety suggests that adults play a role. A symposium paper by Putwain (2009b) concluded that personal and interpersonal influences combine to shape exam anxiety in sixth-form students, with teachers and parents playing significant roles. That study concerns older students and a different exam, so it is a pointer and not a finding about the 11+.

We found no study of how an anxious parent affects a child's response to an entrance exam, and none on siblings. Article 2 in this series looks at effort and the time it displaces, and Article 3 looks at the money. Both can add to the pressure a household feels, but we cannot link those pressures to anxiety in any study.

Can anxiety compound when a child sits several exams?

Putwain (2009a) interviewed 34 highly test-anxious UK students and described the final two years of compulsory schooling as a significant developmental antecedent of test anxiety. That sample was older, and the exams were GCSEs. It does suggest that extended exposure to high-stakes testing can matter, not just a single event.

If that idea can be applied to younger children, then a route that includes a 10+, an 11+ and independent school papers could mean a longer run of high-stakes testing than a single sitting. Several features of that route may make anxiety more likely to build.

  • Repeated judgement. Each exam produces a result that a child may read as a verdict on their ability. Skipper (2018) suggests that how children interpret results shapes how they feel about themselves.
  • Little recovery time. Article 1 in this series shows that the three stages can sit close together, so a child may be preparing for the next test while still absorbing the last result.
  • Shifting stakes. Placing a result as a step towards the next exam can make each one feel heavier.
  • Cumulative effort and cost. A family that has invested time and money in earlier stages may feel the stakes of later ones more strongly. This is our reasoning, not a research finding.

These points are hypotheses. They are consistent with the research above, but nobody has tested them for this sequence of exams. If you quote them, say they are possibilities.

What signs of exam stress should adults look for?

The NHS (2023) lists signs that a child may be struggling with exam stress. A child might:

  • worry a lot or feel tense
  • have headaches and stomach pains
  • not sleep well
  • be irritable
  • lose interest in food, or eat more than normal
  • stop enjoying activities they used to enjoy
  • be negative, with a low mood
  • feel hopeless about the future

Any one of these can have other causes, and none of them proves a child is highly anxious. A cluster that continues for some time is worth raising with the school or a GP.

What does official advice say helps?

The NHS (2023) advice for parents is practical and applies to any exam. It suggests encouraging children to talk to school staff or a trusted adult, keeping up a balanced diet, protecting sleep, staying flexible about household expectations during revision, and making space for exercise. It recommends being reassuring and positive, avoiding criticism, treating nervousness as normal, and planning a reward for when the exams are over.

NHS England in the North West (2026) makes a similar point during Mental Health Awareness Week. It encourages parents, carers and teachers to check in with young people, recognise signs of stress and anxiety, and help them reach support.

The NHS page we used was last reviewed in March 2023, and its next review date has passed, so check the NHS website for the latest version. Neither source is specific to entrance exams.

What should education professionals bear in mind?

Teachers and advisers often meet children in the middle of this process. A few points follow from the evidence.

  • Children may feel anxious whichever outcome they expect, since Skipper (2018) reports negative effects for children who failed and for those who were told they were likely to fail.
  • A child who agreed to be tutored may still feel strain, because Hajar (2019) found both enthusiasm and family burden in the same study.
  • Parents may need support too. The research on this is thin, so the case rests on common sense and on the NHS guidance to check in with the people around a child.
  • Be clear about what is known. Many statements in public debate about the 11+ are stronger than the studies behind them.

Check the evidence before you repeat it

The studies above differ in age group, country, size and method, and several are summaries rather than the original papers. We have said where that applies. If you are quoting any of it, go to the original source and keep its caveats.

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Sources

Comprehensive Future (n.d.) Research about the 11 plus and pupil mental health and wellbeing. Available at: https://comprehensivefuture.org.uk/research-about-the-11-plus-and-pupil-mental-health-and-wellbeing/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

Hajar, A. (2019) 'The association between private tutoring and access to grammar schools: voices of Year 6 pupils and teachers in south-east England', British Educational Research Journal. Published 5 May 2019. Available at: https://research.nu.edu.kz/en/publications/the-association-between-private-tutoring-and-access-to-grammar-sc/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

NHS (2023) Coping with exam stress. Page last reviewed 8 March 2023. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-exam-stress/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

NHS England North West (2026) NHS urges simple actions to support young people's mental health during exam season. Published 11 May 2026. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/north-west/2026/05/11/nhs-urges-simple-actions-to-support-young-peoples-mental-health-during-exam-season/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

Putwain, D. (2009a) 'Situated and contextual features of test anxiety in UK adolescent students', School Psychology International. Available at: https://research.edgehill.ac.uk/en/publications/situated-and-contextual-features-of-test-anxiety-in-uk-adolsecent-2/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

Putwain, D. (2009b) 'Examination anxiety in primary, secondary and 6th form students', paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Conference, University of Manchester. Available at: https://research.edgehill.ac.uk/en/publications/examination-anxiety-in-primary-secondary-and-6th-form-students-2/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

Putwain, D. and Remedios, R. (2014) 'Test anxiety prevalence and gender differences in a sample of English secondary school students', Educational Studies. Available at: https://research.edgehill.ac.uk/en/publications/test-anxiety-prevalence-and-gender-differences-in-a-sample-of-eng-2/ (Accessed: 6 October 2026).

Skipper, Y. (2018) 'The psychological impact of the grammar school test: new research', The Conversation UK, 13 June. Available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/news/2018/june/psychological-impact/grammar-school-test.php (Accessed: 6 October 2026).