GCSE rank #71 In-site school
Alcester Grammar School
Alcester, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Mixed
Consortium guide
Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus
Understand how the West Midlands selective routes works, which schools share it, what the assessment usually looks like, and the practical checks to make before building a shortlist.
18 schools GL Assessment 7 key dates
Last checked 29 Mar 2026
Applies To
The Torbay 11 Plus is used by all grammar schools in the Shropshire/Wolverhampton/Walsall, Birmingham and Warwickshire Grammar Schools…
Test Format
The test provider is GL Assessment, and includes the content in the areas of: maths; English; verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Eligibility
Any child in Year 6 can sit the Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus Test.
Places Available
Planned Admission Numbers (PANs) can vary by year for each school in the West Midlands Grammar Schools Consortium.
Applications
Grammar schools in the West Midlands area are over-subscribed.
01 / Route overview
What this route covers
The Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus is an entrance exam set by GL Assessment.
In this section
- What the route covers
- Which schools use it
- What to compare next
Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus is a shared route used by 18 schools, so it helps to get clear on the test, timeline, and school list before narrowing further.
Once the West Midlands route itself is clear, the shortlist usually improves when you compare travel, admissions rules, and school fit instead of treating every school on the route as interchangeable.
Schools using this route
These are the schools currently linked to the West Midlands route.
GCSE rank #40 In-site school
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #93 In-site school
Haberdashers' Adams
Newport, Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: Good Mixed
GCSE rank #97 In-site school
King Edward VI Aston School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #51 In-site school
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #15 In-site school
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
GCSE rank #44 In-site school
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Mixed
GCSE rank #91 In-site school
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Boys only
GCSE rank #63 In-site school
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
GCSE rank #8 In-site school
King Edward VI School
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #57 In-site school
Lawrence Sheriff School
Rugby, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #55 In-site school
Newport Girls' High School Academy
Newport, Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
GCSE rank #65 In-site school
Queen Mary's Grammar School
Walsall
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
GCSE rank #79 In-site school
Queen Mary's High School
Walsall
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
GCSE rank #59 In-site school
Rugby High School
Rugby, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Good Girls only
GCSE rank #17 In-site school
Stratford Girls' Grammar School
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
GCSE rank #29 In-site school
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Girls only
GCSE rank #53 In-site school
Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
What to compare next
- Travel time and how realistic the school day looks from home
- Oversubscription and admissions rules applied after the test result
- School type, setting, and whether the environment suits your child
- Any route-specific deadlines, forms, or extra steps to keep alongside the shared test
02 / Selection test
Exam format and structure
The Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus includes multiple choice papers in English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning, along with a separate creative writing task. They are designed to assess your child’s academic ability and reasoning skills, and compare their results against their cohort of applicants.
In this section
- Paper structure
- Subjects covered
- Stages or provider
Paper structure
Papers 1 & 2 (GL Assessment)
See the papers and topics below.
What the test covers
English Comprehension
Verbal Reasoning
Mathematics
Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning
Paper 1 and 2 are sat on the same day and both last around 50-60 minutes. Each paper is divided into smaller individually timed sections that test:
03 / Scoring
Pass mark and score guidance
The weightings for the test results are 50% for English/verbal reasoning, 25% for non-verbal reasoning and 25% for mathematics. The scores are then age-standardised to avoid any unfair age advantages. Admission to one of the grammar schools in the Birmingham and Warwickshire Grammar Schools Consortium is competitive, with places typically awarded to the highest-scoring applicants. While the exact proportion can vary each year, historically, approximately 10-20% of applicants tend to secure a place at one of the participating schools, depending on the overall performance and the specific school’s intake capacity.
In this section
- Score mix
- Threshold notes
- How marks are described
04 / Applications
Key dates and how to apply
To register your child for the Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus, complete the online application on the council website. This is required whether you live locally or are applying from outside the area.
In this section
- Registration timing
- Test day
- Application steps
Key dates
Registration opens
6th May 2025
Reasonable adjustments deadline
13th June 2025
Registration closes
27th June 2025
Entrance test
13th September 2025
Results day
17th October 2025
Secondary school application deadline
Friday 31st October 2025
National offer day
Monday 2nd March 2026
Application steps
Register online with West Midlands Grammar Schools
– Visit the West Midlands Grammar Schools website during the registration window and complete the application form. You’ll need to provide your child’s details and the primary school they attend.
Test centre for non-West Midlands schools
You will be assigned a test centre where your child can sit the Birmingham 11 Plus in September if they do not attend a local primary school.
Keep your confirmation email
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email which you should keep to refer to it later.
07 / Shortlisting
Admissions points to compare school by school
Once the route itself is clear, treat the linked schools as separate choices. This is usually where travel, oversubscription rules, and school fit start to matter most.
In this section
- Travel and realism
- Oversubscription rules
- School-by-school fit
The shared route keeps the testing process simpler, but the final shortlist usually depends on how each linked school applies its admissions rules and how practical each option still looks once travel is taken seriously.
Check these before you rank schools
- Travel time and how realistic the school day looks from home
- Oversubscription and admissions rules applied after the test result
- School type, setting, and whether the environment suits your child
- Any route-specific deadlines, forms, or extra steps to keep alongside the shared test
08 / Preparation
How to prepare for this route
Supporting your child’s preparation for the Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus makes a huge difference. Here are some practical steps you can take to help them succeed:
In this section
- What to practise
- How to plan
- How to stay grounded
Start Early
Begin preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5 to give them ample time to confidently build the skills they need.
Use Practice Papers
Work through Birmingham and Warwickshire 11 Plus style test papers in simulated test conditions. This helps your child get accustomed to the format and practices exam technique.
Focus on Weak Areas
Track your child’s progress to identify the areas and topics they find the most difficult to succeed in.
Encourage Daily Reading
Reading regularly strengthens their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, which help out with the the English and reasoning papers.
Try Online Tools
Use online platforms that offer Warwickshire and Birmingham 11 plus test papers specific practice questions and personal feedback to help make revision more engaging and effective.
Keeping preparation consistent, structured, and positive can help your child feel confident and ready for the test on the day.
09 / FAQs
Questions families often ask
Use these answers as a planning guide, then confirm the live admissions details for your application year.
In this section
- Common questions
- Decision checks
- Application-year details
Does one West Midlands selective routes result cover every school on this page? +
Not always. This page groups together the local routes parents commonly compare, but some schools may sit inside slightly different arrangements. Use the school and route details on this page as an orientation step, then confirm the live admissions pages for the schools you are seriously considering.
Does a qualifying score guarantee a place? +
No. A strong or qualifying result may keep a school in play, but final offers still depend on the admissions policy, oversubscription rules, and how competitive that year is.
What should parents compare once the route itself is clear? +
Parents usually make better decisions when they compare whether you are really comparing schools under one identical shared paper, or whether you are looking at several nearby selective routes that only become comparable after school-by-school checking. That turns a broad route into a realistic shortlist instead of a wish list.
Who usually manages registration or applications for West Midlands? +
The live process usually sits with a mix of consortia, local authorities, and individual schools depending on the route. This page helps you understand the route, but the final registration and admissions instructions should always be checked on the live official pages for the relevant year.