Frequently Asked Questions

FSCE stands for Future Stories Community Enterprise. It is an independent organisation that runs the entrance test used by Colchester County High School (CCHS) and other grammar schools. The test is designed to be accessible to all children regardless of background, primary school, or any disability.

The FSCE test consists of four named papers: the Adventure Paper (multiple choice questions across all KS2 subjects), the Beacon Paper (short written answers across all KS2 subjects), the Compass Paper (a second multiple choice paper), and the Discovery Paper (a creative or continuous writing task). Papers can be sat in any order on test day.

The FSCE tests the full KS2 curriculum — not just Maths and English. Any of the following subjects may appear: Art & Design, Computing, Design & Technology, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Music, Physical Education, and Science. Content is based on what children have been taught up to the end of Year 5.

No. FSCE is specifically designed so that children cannot gain an advantage through memorising facts or following tutoring tips. It tests how children apply their learning in new and unfamiliar situations. Our practice papers help children become familiar with the format, timing, and style of questions — which is the most valuable preparation you can do.

The FSCE test is typically sat in September of Year 6, with results issued shortly after. We recommend starting practice in Year 5 or early Year 6. Check your target school's admissions page for exact dates each year.

CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex) is a separate entrance test used by a group of Essex grammar schools including Southend High School for Girls, Southend High School for Boys, and others. Our CSSE practice packs are currently in development — register your interest on the website and we will notify you as soon as they are available.

Foundation is best for children who are new to the FSCE format or who need to build confidence — questions are accessible and encourage steady progress. Challenger is the mid-level pack, ideal for children who have some familiarity with the test and are ready to be stretched. Advanced is for children aiming for the highest scores, with the most demanding questions across the broadest range of subjects.

Every pack contains 5 practice papers. Each paper covers the Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery paper styles. Full answer sheets and detailed mark schemes are included for every paper.

The Combo Pack contains 5 papers that draw questions from Foundation, Challenger and Advanced difficulty levels. It is ideal as a first purchase — it helps you understand where your child currently sits before committing to a full level pack.

All papers are digital PDF files. You download them after purchase and print them at home on standard A4 paper. We recommend printing single-sided so children have space to work through questions.

Each pack contains 5 practice papers, each with a full answer sheet and mark scheme — so 15 documents in total per pack.

All payments are handled securely by Stripe, one of the world's leading payment processors. We accept all major credit and debit cards. Your card details are processed entirely by Stripe — we never see or store them.

Yes. A VAT invoice is issued automatically by Stripe as soon as payment is confirmed. It will be emailed to the address you provide at checkout.

Yes. Payments are processed by Stripe, which uses bank-grade encryption and is PCI DSS compliant. Look for the padlock in your browser address bar during checkout.

At the moment each pack is purchased separately. If you want to buy multiple packs, simply repeat the process for each one.

As soon as payment is confirmed, a download button appears on screen. Click it to save your PDF to your device. We recommend saving it immediately as download links expire after 24 hours.

Your PDF is password-protected. The password is the email address you entered at checkout — type it exactly, including the same upper or lower case letters.

Email us at essex11plushub@gmail.com with your order number (shown on your Stripe invoice) and we will re-issue your download link, usually within a few hours.

Any modern PDF reader will work. Adobe Acrobat Reader (free at adobe.com) is the most reliable. On Mac, Preview works. On iPhone or iPad, the built-in Files app or Adobe Acrobat handles password-protected PDFs.

All papers carry a faint Essex11Plus Hub watermark in the background to protect our copyright. It does not affect the questions or answers and is barely noticeable when printed.

No. Each purchase is a personal, non-transferable licence for your own child's private study. Sharing the PDF or its password is a breach of our Terms of Sale.

A mini paper is a bespoke practice paper built specifically to your requirements. You choose any two KS2 subject areas (from Art & Design, Computing, D&T, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Music, PE, or Science) and a difficulty level (Foundation, Challenger or Advanced). We build the paper to match the FSCE style and deliver it as a password-protected PDF.

Mini papers are delivered by email within 24 hours of payment, and usually much sooner during working hours.

By email to the address you provided at Stripe checkout, as a password-protected PDF. Your password is your email address.

Yes — simply place a new order each time. Each order covers two topics at one difficulty level.

Each order covers two topics. If you need three, place two separate orders with different topic combinations.

It is a scored marking service for your child's creative or continuous writing. You submit a piece of writing and we return a score, detailed written feedback, and specific improvement areas — all benchmarked against the FSCE Discovery Paper and CSSE marking criteria.

Standard includes 2 assessments per week for 4 weeks (8 total) for £18 — ideal for steady, regular practice. Premium includes 5 assessments per week for 4 weeks (20 total) for £40 — best for intensive preparation in the weeks before the test.

You can submit via email to essex11plushub@gmail.com or via WhatsApp. We accept a photograph of handwritten work, a typed document, or a PDF. Our submission details are sent to you by email within 24 hours of payment.

In most cases within a few hours of submission during working hours. We aim to return all assessments on the same day they are received.

Each assessment includes: an overall score, feedback on creativity and imagination, structure and organisation, vocabulary and language choices, opening and ending effectiveness, and a list of specific areas to improve before the next submission.

We mark against the FSCE Discovery Paper criteria and the CSSE continuous writing mark scheme — the actual criteria used on test day — so feedback is directly relevant to how your child will be assessed.

Please do not include your child's full name, school name, or date of birth in submissions. This protects their privacy. Refer to your child by first name only if needed.

Your bundle expires after 4 weeks from the confirmed start date. Any unused assessments lapse. If you wish to continue, simply purchase a new bundle.

No — once a PDF has been downloaded, we are unable to offer a refund. This is in line with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which exclude digital content once download has begun. You confirm this at the point of purchase. Please read the product description carefully before buying.

If the fault is ours — a corrupt file, wrong paper, or an expired link — we will always re-issue your download or offer a full refund. Email essex11plushub@gmail.com with your order number and we will resolve it within one working day.

If no assessments have been delivered yet, you may request a full refund within 7 days of purchase. Once assessments have started, we cannot refund the portion already used, but may offer a partial refund for unused assessments in exceptional circumstances. Contact us to discuss.

Your name and email are collected by Stripe at checkout and used only to fulfil your order — including using your email address as the PDF password. We do not use your data for marketing. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

No. Card details are handled entirely by Stripe and never seen or stored by us.

We do not collect personal data directly from children. If you submit writing for assessment, please avoid including your child's full name, school, or date of birth. See our Privacy Policy for more.