BOFA is built entirely around exam day. Its Planet BOFA platform works through a three-step cycle of test, teach and retest, with the algorithm factoring in time to the exam and adjusting the pace of preparation accordingly. For families focused purely on the 11+ window, it is a targeted and efficient tool.

Atom Learning is built for the whole journey. It covers all five subject areas including science, builds on everyday curriculum learning, and adapts to exactly where your child is every single session. Whether your child is in Year 3 or Year 6, the platform grows with them, building knowledge and confidence all the way to exam day.

BOFA is designed with one goal in mind: getting children ready for a specific exam. That focus is its strength. Every question, every explanation, every retest is pointed at exam day. For families who want intensive drilling in the final weeks before the exam, BOFA's focused approach works well.

Atom Learning is designed around the child. Yes, it prepares them for the 11+, but it also builds the knowledge, confidence and learning habits that carry them through secondary school and beyond. Rather than relying on rote memorisation in the final stretch, Atom builds genuine understanding over time, so children arrive at exam day feeling prepared rather than pressured. The exam is the destination, not the whole journey.

"It helped my daughter to be really independent and proactive in her learning. She didn't have any other tutoring, but loved the ability to practise problem areas on Atom. I really rate it." — Parent, Bournemouth School for Girls

BOFA offers flexible, commitment-free pricing. A monthly subscription is £9.50, or you can pay upfront: £25 for three months, £40 for six months and £70 for twelve months. Mock tests for ISEB, the London 11+ Consortium and specific schools are purchased separately on top.

Atom Learning starts from £39.99 per month. Exam Prep is £59.99 per month. Exam Prep Plus is £69.99 per month and includes unlimited mock tests and downloadable practice papers. Annual plans save 20%, bringing Exam Prep Plus down to £55.99 per month.

BOFA's subscription covers English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Science, SATs, year-round curriculum support and GCSE are not included. Mock tests are a separate purchase.

With Atom Learning, everything is included in one subscription. The EMS plan covers English, maths and science. Exam Prep adds verbal and non-verbal reasoning with a structured path to exam day. Exam Prep Plus adds unlimited mock tests and downloadable practice papers, with no additional purchases needed.

BOFA identifies gaps through its initial test and builds bespoke practice and retesting around them. It is an effective approach for targeted exam preparation.

Atom Learning's adaptive platform works from day one across all five subject areas, building a detailed picture of your child's understanding and pointing every session towards a specific exam date and target school. The more your child uses it, the more precisely it reflects where they are and what they need next.

With BOFA, incorrect answers trigger tailored explanations and practice on that topic, followed by a retest to confirm understanding has improved.

With Atom Learning, support is built into every single question. Instant help sheets and explanation videos are available the moment your child finds something tricky. The platform automatically tracks harder topics and revisits them in future sessions.

"The adaptive learning approach adjusted the difficulty based on performance, helping our child focus on areas that needed improvement while still reinforcing strengths." — Parent, Highworth Grammar School

BOFA mock tests for ISEB, the London Consortium and specific school entrance exams are purchased separately. Downloadable practice papers are not included in the standard subscription.

Atom Learning's Exam Prep Plus plan includes unlimited downloadable practice papers tailored to your child's specific target school, matching the same question types, topics, format and timing as the real exam.

BOFA sends parents a summary email report at the end of each test, teach and retest cycle, typically completed over the course of a week. The report covers scores, time spent and topics still needing work, with links to the full report available to view online. Progress is updated after each completed cycle rather than in real time.

Atom Learning parents have a live dashboard showing performance across all subjects and individual topics in real time. For families using Atom's practice papers, simply photograph your child's completed answer sheet, upload it to Atom, and results are automatically marked and added to the dashboard, every score tracked in one place and factored into the ongoing exam plan.

BOFA tracks scores across test and retest cycles but does not provide standardised age scores or benchmarking against other children applying to the same schools.

With Atom Learning, progress is tracked in real time across every subject and topic. After every practice test, your child receives a standardised age score showing exactly how they compare to thousands of others applying to the same schools, so you always know where they stand and where to focus next.

BOFA is a well-regarded option for families who want a focused, exam-specific preparation tool with a clear and effective approach to closing gaps.

For families who want a platform that works year-round, Atom Learning goes further. Science, SATs preparation, year-round curriculum support, a live parent dashboard, unlimited mock tests and automatically marked practice papers are all included depending on the plan. Where BOFA is built entirely around exam day, Atom builds the knowledge, confidence and habits that serve children well beyond it.

Atom covers 11+ preparation, ISEB, SATs and independent school entrance exams, all in one place, from Year 3 through to exam day.