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EXAM AREA / SEPTEMBER 2027 ENTRY

Dorset 11+

One shared test for the four Bournemouth and Poole grammar schools.

GL AssessmentYear 6 test → Year 7 entry

Official sources checked 28 Sept 2026

HOW TO APPLY

Test registration & school applications

Test registration and your school application are two separate steps.

01 · TEST REGISTRATION

Register for the test

Through a participating grammar school

2027 entry registrationClosed 4 September 2026, noon
Registration & access arrangements

Registration opened on 13 April. Use one participating school’s registration process for the shared test; the testing venue is not a school preference.

Declare any need for access arrangements during registration and supply the evidence requested by the test school.

Official registration details
02 · SCHOOL APPLICATION

Choose your schools

On your home council’s CAF

School application deadline31 October 2026
How do I apply for a place?

Use the Common Application Form (CAF) for the council where you live, including when applying across council boundaries. List schools in your genuine preference order.

Check each school’s admissions policy and any supplementary form. Taking the test does not secure a place.

How to order your schools

TEST FORMAT

English, maths & verbal reasoning

Three GL Assessment multiple-choice papers

SUBJECT 1

English

English
What skills are tested?
English
Read closely, understand vocabulary and use the information in a passage.
SUBJECT 2

Mathematics

Maths
What skills are tested?
Maths
Number fluency, calculations and applying maths to unfamiliar problems.
SUBJECT 3

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning
What skills are tested?
Verbal reasoning
Recognise relationships between words, letters and information.

Use the invitation for paper timings and arrival instructions. The shared test does not make the four schools’ admissions rules identical.

ELIGIBILITY & OFFERS

Read the result for each school

  • Shared assessmentChildren take the common Bournemouth and Poole test once.
  • School standardUse the eligibility criteria in each school’s 2027 policy; do not transfer a quoted threshold from another school.
  • AllocationWhere qualified applicants outnumber places, the school’s priority categories determine offers.

Official guidance: Official shared-test information.

SEPTEMBER 2027 ENTRY

Dates to keep track of

Tests take place in 2026, for children starting Year 7 in September 2027. Follow your invitation for your child’s session.

  1. Test registration

    Registration closed at noon on 4 September.

  2. Shared entrance test

    Follow your allocated venue’s instructions.

  3. Results before school preferences close

    Check the test school’s message for the release arrangements and the outcome relevant to your chosen schools.

  4. Submit your school application

    Name your preferred schools on your home council’s CAF. Send any school supplementary forms separately by their published deadlines.

  5. National Offer Day

    Your home council confirms the school place offered. Read the acceptance and waiting-list instructions in the offer.

Official timetable: Parkstone admissions timetable. Check the school’s instructions for late, exceptional or additional testing.

THE PRACTICE LIBRARY

Get to know the questions

The three subject areas used by the Bournemouth and Poole test.

Start with the official guidanceLocal instructions, sample questions & answer sheets

Practise one subject at a time before combining papers. Non-verbal reasoning packs are not included here because they are not among these three test subjects.

SCHOOLS & ADMISSIONS

Find your school

Bournemouth School, Bournemouth School for Girls, Parkstone Grammar and Poole Grammar share testing arrangements.

Year 7 intake

4 of 4 schools

Year 7 intake shown · sixth forms may differ

Compare up to 4 schools side by side.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Three school-specific checks

  1. Read all relevant school policies

    Boys’ and girls’ schools have their own entry criteria. A common test does not create a single combined offer list.

  2. Check the priority geography

    Read any catchment or distance rules using your actual address, rather than assuming a Bournemouth or Poole postcode is sufficient.

  3. Name each school on the CAF

    Registering at a test centre is not an application to that school. Put all desired schools on your home council’s form.

KEEP READING

Help with your next decision

Understanding your result

Read scores alongside eligibility, school priorities and the allocation of places.

Read the guide If your preferred school has no place

Understand the difference between a test result, a waiting list and an admission appeal.

Read the guide

GOOD TO KNOW

A few common questions

Does Dorset have one 11+ test?

The four Bournemouth and Poole grammar schools share testing arrangements. Other admissions routes must be checked separately.

Is non-verbal reasoning tested?

The published shared test covers English, mathematics and verbal reasoning. Use the current participating-school guidance.

Does the test venue affect my preference order?

No. School preferences are submitted separately on your home council’s CAF.

Are GL familiarisation packs past Dorset papers?

No. They introduce the provider’s question and answer styles. The local school instructions set the actual test arrangements.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

Checked 28 Sept 2026. Follow the current school policy and your child’s test invitation for individual arrangements.