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EXAM AREA / SEPTEMBER 2027 ENTRY

Wirral 11+

The council assessment for Wirral’s four non-Catholic grammar schools.

Quest AssessmentsYear 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

With Wirral Council

2027 entry registrationClosed 1 June 2026, noon
Registration & access arrangements

The council’s live assessment page records the closing time as noon on 1 June. Earlier timetable documents show 31 May; use the council for queries about an individual registration.

Declare access needs during registration. The council assessment does not register your child for the separate Catholic-school tests.

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

Two papers of maths & reasoning

Quest Assessments · Verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics

SKILLS TESTED

Words & numbers

Verbal reasoning
Maths
What skills are tested?
Verbal reasoning
Recognise relationships between words, letters and information.
Maths
Number fluency, calculations and applying maths to unfamiliar problems.
SKILLS TESTED

Shapes & patterns

Non-verbal reasoning
What skills are tested?
Non-verbal reasoning
Identify patterns, shapes and spatial relationships.

These subjects are assessed across two papers. Use the council’s invitation and Quest guidance for the sequence and session instructions.

GRAMMAR ASSESSMENT

Qualification is followed by allocation

  • Grammar standardThe assessment result establishes whether the child meets the required academic standard.
  • School prioritiesThe named school’s policy determines how qualified applicants are prioritised.
  • Separate testsSt Anselm’s College and Upton Hall School have their own assessment arrangements.
Understand your result

Official guidance: Council assessment guidance.

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. Registration closed

    This is the closing time recorded on the council’s live assessment page.

  2. Council grammar assessment

    Attend the allocated session. If your child is ill, contact the test organiser before attendance rather than relying on a resit.

  3. Assessment outcome

    Use the council result when considering the four non-Catholic grammar 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: Wirral Council assessment dates. Check the school’s instructions for late, exceptional or additional testing.

THE PRACTICE LIBRARY

Get to know the questions

Official question examples for the council’s three assessment areas.

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

These are familiarisation examples rather than past Wirral papers. Catholic-school applicants should use the materials specified by their own test organiser.

SCHOOLS & ADMISSIONS

The four council-test schools

Calday Grange, West Kirby, Wirral Grammar for Boys and Wirral Grammar for Girls use this assessment. St Anselm’s and Upton Hall run separate tests.

Year 7 intake

4 of 4 schools

Year 7 intake shown · sixth forms may differ

Compare up to 4 schools side by side.

Other local schools · separate tests

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Three school-specific checks

  1. Choose the correct registration

    Council testing covers the four non-Catholic grammar schools. Register separately for any other assessment your chosen school requires.

  2. Check school priority rules

    Read how residence, siblings and other categories apply to qualified children at the particular school.

  3. Keep illness and access records

    Raise a test-day problem with the organiser promptly and keep the correspondence. The council does not provide a routine resit.

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

Is the Wirral test GL or Quest?

The council’s current 2027 entry assessment uses Quest. Use the current council guidance when choosing familiarisation material.

Does the council test cover Upton Hall and St Anselm’s?

No. Those schools have separate testing arrangements.

Can a child resit to improve the score?

No. The council does not offer a routine resit. Contact the organiser about illness before the allocated assessment.

Does meeting the grammar standard guarantee my first-choice school?

No. The school must be named on the CAF and its oversubscription priorities still apply.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

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