West Midlands scores:
one test, different rules.

Why the shared test is only the start

The West Midlands entrance test assesses English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal/spatial reasoning. Scores are adjusted for age before the published weighting is applied.

50%25%25%

English & verbal reasoning

50%

Non-verbal reasoning

25%

Mathematics

25%

Shared testing reduces duplication, but it does not create one allocation rule. Use the partnership’s school list to identify the school, then read its own 2027 policy. Birmingham thresholds should not be carried over to Warwickshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton or Shropshire without checking the relevant arrangements.

Qualifying, priority and last-offered scores

205 · qualifying

The published Birmingham qualifying score for 2027 entry. It is the minimum for consideration under those arrangements, not an offer prediction for every applicant.

224 · priority

The published King Edward VI priority score for 2027 entry. Read the school’s admissions category alongside it, including the relevant catchment or other eligibility conditions.

Last-offered score

A historical allocation outcome for a named school and category. The Foundation distinguishes offer-day figures from later offers shown in brackets.

Those figures come from the Foundation’s results and offers page. A comparison is only useful when the school, category and offer year match. Keep the category wording beside any historical number you copy into your notes.

Example

These Birmingham examples show why the labels matter. They do not apply a Birmingham rule to every school using the shared test.

Worked examples

Three ways a score can be used

3 situations

Qualifying scorePriority scoreHistoric cut-off

Birmingham · 2027 entry205Eligibility threshold

Consideration is possible; allocation is unresolved

Reaching the qualifying score does not identify the child’s priority category or the last score that will receive an offer at a particular school.

Read the school-policy checks

Illustrative situations using published Birmingham thresholds. No offer probability is calculated.

What parents should check

1. The school and entry-year policy

   Start with Birmingham or Warwickshire as appropriate, rather than treating the whole partnership as a single admissions area.

2. The category your child falls into

   Read any catchment boundary, residence date, pupil premium definition or sibling provision. Note the evidence required and how children within the category are ranked.

3. The right historical comparison

   Use the same school and category. Keep offer-day and later waiting-list figures separate; do not average them into a supposed pass mark.

4. The CAF order

   Name preferred schools in the order you want them. A higher preference that cannot offer does not reduce consideration for a lower one; see how equal preference works.

The Foundation’s published results date applies to its Birmingham guidance. For other partnership schools, use the results communication and timetable provided by the relevant admissions body. If a result is below a school’s requirement, follow that school’s published advice rather than borrowing a review process from another area.