What is the 11+?A guide for parents.

What the 11+ usually means

The 11+ (eleven plus) assesses children for selective secondary school entry. In England, grammar schools are state schools that select pupils by academic ability. Some other schools offer a limited number of selective places.

There is no single national 11+ paper. A school may use a shared local test, commission an assessment from a provider such as GL Assessment, or set its own papers. “The Kent Test”, “Sutton SET” and “Secondary Transfer Test” are names you may encounter.

This guide covers the usual Year 7 admissions process in England. Independent-school entry and Northern Ireland’s transfer arrangements have their own requirements. For the school type itself, see what is a grammar school?.

What subjects are in the 11+?

These are the four common subject areas. Your child’s test may use only some of them, combine subjects in one paper, or include an additional writing task. The school or test organiser’s specification tells you which apply.

Our own simplified examples, to explain the skills. They are not official exam questions or a guide to the difficulty of a particular test.

When do children take the 11+?

Children usually sit the main test near the start of Year 6, aged 10 or 11, for a Year 7 place the following September. Registration often closes while they are still in Year 5. The name “11+” does not mean you should wait until their eleventh birthday.

1. Year 5

   Research and registration

   Identify the schools, read their entry-year policies and confirm registration. Ask about access arrangements early if your child needs support.

2. Autumn · Year 6

   Tests and results

   Attend the assessment and any required second stage. Read the outcome alongside the school’s selection and admissions rules.

3. 31 October

   School application deadline

   Submit your secondary school preferences through your home council. Test registration does not replace this application.

4. 1 March · Year 6

   National Offer Day

   Receive the school-place outcome, on the next working day if 1 March falls on a weekend or bank holiday. Year 7 starts in September.

These are the usual stages, not a local test timetable. Check the test dates for your area and the full 11+ timeline. If your child is outside the published birth-date range, contact the admission authority before registering.

What changes between 11+ routes

Check the named school, not just the exam provider. Two schools using GL Assessment can still have different subjects, timings, scoring and registration rules.

For example, the Kent Test includes English and maths, reasoning, and a writing task that may inform the headteacher assessment. The Sutton SET uses English and maths multiple-choice papers; for September 2027 entry, the five participating grammar schools also require a second stage. Greenshaw’s selective places use a different process.

For each school, establish:

• Which assessment counts: one shared test, a school-specific exam, or more than one stage.
• What the papers contain: subjects, answer format, time limits and any writing task.
• What the result means: a qualifying score, ranking, assessment decision or invitation to another stage.
• How places are allocated: the school’s priority groups, score rules, catchment or distance criteria.

Details to settle before registration

There are two separate jobs: arranging the assessment and applying for a school place. Keep a record of both confirmations.

Automatic registration is a local exception. For example, children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered for its test automatically; this does not include Milton Keynes. Buckinghamshire’s registration guidance explains who must register and how to withdraw.

Before the deadline, check these details:

1. The correct entry year

   Use the policy for the September your child would start Year 7, which is usually the year after the test.

2. Address and priority evidence

   Read any catchment boundary, residence deadline and documentary requirements. Being allowed to sit a test does not establish priority for a place.

3. Access arrangements

   Speak to the primary school’s SENCO and the test organiser about evidence and deadlines. A request for extra time or other support has its own approval process.

4. The journey and school day

   Consider a normal morning journey, after-school clubs and the return trip before registering for a distant school.

How to prepare for the 11+

Start with the organiser’s own familiarisation material. It helps you see the question styles, instructions and answer sheet before deciding what further practice your child needs.

• Look at the format together. Practise how to mark an answer, change it and move between sections.
• Understand mistakes. Work out whether a difficulty comes from the underlying skill, unfamiliar wording or time pressure.
• Introduce timing thoughtfully. Understanding a question comes before trying to answer it faster.
• Keep preparation manageable. Agree a routine that leaves space for reading, schoolwork, interests and rest. Discuss persistent difficulties with your child’s teacher.

GL Assessment offers free familiarisation materials, but the timings and subject mix may differ from your local test. A school-written assessment may require different material. Neither a practice score nor paid preparation guarantees admission.

What happens after the test

Results can look quite different: a standardised score, a rank, a qualifying decision or an invitation to another assessment. Use the score guide for your test before comparing numbers or making school preferences.

AssessmentThe result

Shows performance or the assessment outcome under that test’s rules.

EligibilityQualification

May allow the child to be considered for a place, or to sit a second stage.

AdmissionsThe offer

Depends on available places, the school’s admissions criteria and your preferences.

For the CAF, put schools in your true order of preference. If more than one can offer, the council offers the highest preference available. Include suitable non-selective options; see how CAF preference order works.

If your child does not qualify, read the local guidance before assuming there is a resit or review. After a school refuses a place, appeal rights and deadlines become relevant. Our appeals hub distinguishes these processes, and the offer-day guide explains waiting lists.

Mistakes that make the 11+ feel harder than it is

“We can register in September.”

Many test registrations close during Year 5. Find the actual deadline before the summer holiday.

“One GL score works everywhere.”

Sharing a provider does not mean sharing an admissions system. Confirm which schools accept the result and any score-sharing requirements.

“Passing settles the place.”

Qualification and allocation are different. Read the oversubscription rules as well as the score information.

Where to research next

Choose a school or area, then identify the assessment it uses. Keep its current admissions policy, registration confirmation and published dates together. If two schools use different tests, record their deadlines separately.

Find your 11+ testExplore test organisers, participating schools and official resources.

For individual school policies, use the school directory. If you are still considering whether selective education would suit your child, start with how to choose grammar schools.