Do I need to register for the 11+ and complete the CAF?

What each form actually does

A third form may also be needed: a supplementary information form (SIF) for a particular school. This supplies information required by that school’s policy. A SIF does not replace the CAF.

Which deadline comes first?

Entrance-test registration often closes during Year 5, months before the autumn Year 6 school application deadline. The timetable varies substantially by area: waiting for the CAF portal to open can mean missing a test registration window.

For a shared test, confirm whether one registration covers all the schools you want and whether you must select schools for score sharing. For separate tests, keep a separate confirmation for each route.

The 11+ timeline shows the sequence. Use the organiser’s current dates for your child’s entry year, rather than copying another area’s calendar.

A Bexley example

Registering for the Bexley Selection Test enters your child for its shared assessment. After the result, a family seeking a Bexley grammar place still names the individual school or schools on its secondary application. Bexley’s official guidance explicitly separates those steps.

If you live outside Bexley, the school preferences go to your home council, even though the test registration went to Bexley.

Keep a confirmation for every required step

1. Test entry: save the reference number and confirmation email. Check your child’s name and date of birth.
2. Access arrangements: obtain confirmation of any agreed support; an application for support is not necessarily test registration.
3. School forms: note where any SIF or priority evidence was sent and its deadline.
4. CAF submission: save the final submitted preferences and confirmation, including after any edits.

A draft form, a saved account or a payment receipt for preparation materials is not evidence that a school application has been submitted. If a confirmation is missing, contact the organisation responsible for that form while its office is open.