CEM 11+ Guide
What CEM 11+ means today, how Cambridge Select Insight is used in selective admissions, what it measures and how parents should approach preparation.
What does “CEM 11+” mean today?
The term CEM 11+ is still widely used by parents, tutors and school-entry websites, but the current Cambridge entrance-testing offer is Cambridge Select Insight. Cambridge describes it as a computer-based entrance assessment for selective independent schools, grammar schools, partially selective state schools and schools using fair-banding admissions.
This matters because older CEM preparation advice can imply that there is one fixed national CEM paper. There is not. Schools and admissions authorities decide how they use the assessment and how results interact with their own admissions criteria.
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How Cambridge Select Insight works
Computer-based entrance testing
Cambridge Select Insight is delivered digitally and is designed specifically for selective admissions rather than ordinary classroom baseline assessment.
Selective-school use
It can be used by grammar schools, selective independent schools, partially selective state schools and schools using fair banding.
Entrance assessment, not baseline testing
Cambridge distinguishes Select Insight from its broader baseline Insight assessments. The purpose here is school entry rather than routine teaching diagnosis.
Not adaptive
Cambridge’s parent guidance states that its entrance assessments are not adaptive, even though many of its other Insight assessments are adaptive.
What skills does a CEM-style 11+ assess?
Cambridge positions Select Insight around academic potential and key verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills. Schools can then interpret or combine those results within their own admissions process.
Verbal skills
Vocabulary, language understanding and reasoning with verbal information matter because selective assessments often require children to infer relationships and process language efficiently.
Non-verbal reasoning
Visual pattern recognition, classification, transformation and abstract reasoning can provide evidence that is less dependent on curriculum knowledge alone.
Mathematical skills
Numerical fluency and mathematical reasoning remain central indicators of how efficiently a child can apply quantitative knowledge to unfamiliar problems.
Academic potential
The broader purpose is to sample skills linked to later academic performance rather than simply reward memorisation of a narrow question bank.
CEM 11+ scores and selective-school decisions
A score should not be interpreted in isolation. Selective schools may use standardised results, rank ordering, qualifying thresholds or banding rules, and can combine test evidence with interviews, school reports or other admissions information.
Parents should distinguish between test performance, academic eligibility and final school allocation. These are not always the same decision.
How should children prepare for CEM-style selection?
1. Check the school’s actual test
Confirm that the school currently uses Cambridge Select Insight or another CEM-related admissions assessment before choosing practice.
2. Build vocabulary and reading
Wide reading and vocabulary in context support verbal reasoning more effectively than memorising isolated word lists.
3. Strengthen maths fluency
Secure arithmetic, number relationships and multi-step problem solving before adding substantial time pressure.
4. Develop reasoning
Use verbal and non-verbal puzzles to teach systematic thinking, not merely recognition of rehearsed templates.
5. Familiarise with computer testing
Children should be comfortable reading from a screen, selecting responses and maintaining concentration in a digital assessment environment.
6. Avoid excessive drilling
Preparation should focus on transferable verbal, numerical and reasoning skills rather than trying to mimic a supposedly fixed CEM item bank.
CEM 11+ versus GL Assessment
| Feature | CEM / Cambridge Select Insight | GL Assessment 11+ |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Computer-based entrance assessment. | Commonly paper-based multiple choice, depending on the local admissions system. |
| Core emphasis | Verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills linked to academic potential. | Can include English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning in locally chosen combinations. |
| Local variation | Schools determine how results are used within admissions. | Authorities and schools determine subject mix, timings and local rules. |
| Preparation | Underlying verbal, numerical and reasoning development plus digital familiarity. | Underlying subject skills plus familiarity with the relevant GL question and answer-sheet format. |
See the RWA GL Assessment 11+ flagship guide for the corresponding GL route.
School Entrance Tests CEM and 11+ resources
For parent-facing preparation, regional guidance and exam information, these SET pages are useful companion resources:
Use these alongside this RWA guide
SET provides practical school-entry and preparation guidance. This RWA flagship focuses more heavily on assessment structure, score interpretation and the distinction between legacy CEM terminology and current Cambridge Select Insight.
11 plus selective-school guides by region
Regional admissions remain decisive
Even when a school uses a Cambridge entrance assessment, qualification thresholds, priority areas, oversubscription rules and other admissions decisions remain local.
Common CEM 11+ preparation mistakes
- Assuming “CEM 11+” still means one fixed national test format.
- Using old CEM practice without checking whether the school now uses Cambridge Select Insight.
- Confusing Cambridge Select Insight with Cambridge’s baseline Insight assessments.
- Assuming the entrance assessment is adaptive because many other Insight products are adaptive.
- Prioritising item drilling over vocabulary, maths and reasoning development.
- Treating a practice score as a guaranteed school-entry outcome.
- Ignoring school-specific interviews, reports or oversubscription criteria.
CEM 11+ FAQs
What is CEM 11+ now called?
The current Cambridge entrance-testing product is Cambridge Select Insight. Families may still encounter older references to CEM Select or CEM 11+ in school and preparation materials.
What is Cambridge Select Insight used for?
Cambridge describes it as a computer-based entrance assessment for selective independent schools, grammar schools, partially selective state schools and fair-banding admissions.
Is Cambridge Select Insight adaptive?
Cambridge’s parent guidance states that Insight entrance assessments are not adaptive, even though many of its baseline Insight assessments are adaptive.
What does the assessment measure?
Cambridge says its entrance assessment is designed to measure academic potential through key verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills. Schools determine how results feed into admissions.
Can parents buy Cambridge Select Insight practice tests?
Cambridge does not sell its Insight assessments to parents. Families should use school-specific guidance to decide what familiarisation is appropriate for an entrance test.
Is CEM 11+ the same everywhere?
No. Schools and admissions authorities can use Cambridge entrance assessment within different selection systems and can combine it with other evidence.
How should children prepare?
Prioritise vocabulary, reading, numerical fluency, reasoning and comfort with computer-based assessment rather than excessive drilling.
Does a high CEM or Cambridge Select score guarantee admission?
No. Selective schools can apply their own score requirements, oversubscription rules, interviews, reports or other admissions evidence.
Prepare for the current assessment, not an outdated CEM label
Check the school’s current admissions process first, then build the verbal, numerical and reasoning skills the assessment is designed to sample.