Grammar Schools Guide: Admissions, 11+ Tests and Places
Grammar schools select some or all Year 7 pupils by academic ability, but the admissions process is not nationally uniform. Test providers, subjects, qualifying rules, catchments and oversubscription criteria vary substantially.
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How this admissions route works
This national flagship guide explains the complete process from school research and test registration to the common application form, results, offers and appeals.
Admissions information changes between entry years. Use this page to understand the system and prepare questions, then verify dates, test content, residence requirements, supplementary forms and oversubscription criteria on official websites.
Four essentials to understand
Selection is local
There is no single national 11+ examination. A local authority, consortium or individual school may organise the test.
Eligibility is not an offer
A qualifying score normally makes an application eligible for consideration. Places are then allocated under the school’s published oversubscription rules.
Two applications may be needed
Families often register for the selection test and later name the school on their home authority’s secondary-school application.
Policies change
Dates, priority areas, pupil-premium provisions and scoring arrangements must be checked for the relevant admissions year.
Step-by-step application process
| Stage | What parents should do |
|---|---|
| Research schools | Compare curriculum, travel, admissions policy, historical allocation information and whether the school is suitable for the child. |
| Check test arrangements | Identify the organiser, registration deadline, testing date, subjects, provider and access-arrangement process. |
| Prepare proportionately | Build English, maths and reasoning foundations, then introduce the correct question formats and realistic timed practice. |
| Apply correctly | Complete test registration and the local authority application. Follow the exact instructions for supplementary forms where required. |
| Interpret outcomes | Distinguish test qualification, rank, offer, waiting-list position, review and statutory appeal. |
Tests and assessment components
English
Comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and sometimes writing.
Mathematics
Curriculum knowledge, arithmetic and multi-step problem solving.
Verbal reasoning
Word, letter, code, sequence and relationship questions.
Non-verbal or spatial reasoning
Patterns, matrices, sequences, rotations and transformations.
Use official familiarisation resources first. Third-party materials should match the current test’s subjects, timing, response method and difficulty. Scores from unrelated publishers are not interchangeable and should not be treated as reliable predictions of admission.
School and admissions routes covered
- Fully selective grammar schools
- Partially selective schools
- Grammar schools within local consortia
- Schools with academic, music or other aptitude routes
Keep a separate school-specific SET page only when it provides substantial unique value: a detailed current admissions-policy explanation, travel and catchment analysis, distinctive test requirements, or an established ranking query. Thin school summaries should link into this flagship instead.
Preparation strategy
English
Develop fluent reading, vocabulary in context, inference, grammar and clear written expression. Ask children to justify answers using textual evidence.
Mathematics
Secure primary mathematics, mental fluency and multi-step problem solving before applying time pressure.
Reasoning
Where required, teach verbal and visual relationships systematically rather than relying on repeated exposure alone.
Test technique
Introduce timing after accuracy. Practise instructions, answer recording, skipping, returning and maintaining concentration.
Common application mistakes
- Assuming a pass mark guarantees admission.
- Registering for the test but omitting the school from the common application form.
- Using practice materials for the wrong provider or local format.
- Relying on a previous year’s deadline or allocation distance.
- Choosing a school solely because of league-table performance.
A historical lowest-offer score, allocation distance or pass threshold describes a past admissions round. It is useful context, not a promise about a future cohort.
Official information and further SET guidance
Official sources
Find a school and admissions informationSchool admissions guidance
School Entrance Tests guides
11+ practice tests11+ exam timelines11+ syllabus guide11+ papers and school linksAll 11+ guidance
Frequently asked questions
What is a grammar school?
A state-funded secondary school that uses academic selection for some or all Year 7 places.
Is there one national 11+ test?
No. The content and administration vary by area, consortium and school.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a grammar-school place?
No. Qualification and allocation are separate. The school applies its admissions and oversubscription criteria.
Can children apply outside their home county?
Often yes, but families must check registration, priority areas, distance rules and their home authority application process.
When should preparation begin?
Foundational reading and maths should develop throughout primary school. More structured format-specific work often begins in Year 4 or Year 5.
What happens if a child is not offered a place?
Options may include a waiting list, local review process where one exists, or a statutory admission appeal.
Plan from the admissions policy, not from assumptions
Confirm the current test and application rules, build the underlying skills, use practice diagnostically and keep school fit central to the decision.
Last editorial framework update: August 2026. Always verify the admissions cycle directly with the relevant authority, consortium and school.
Explore 11+ grammar schools
11+ Grammar School Guides by Region
Grammar-school admissions vary considerably across England.
Select your area below for guidance on local 11+ tests,
grammar schools, admissions policies, preparation, qualifying
scores and school applications.
Birmingham & West Midlands
Explore Birmingham and West Midlands grammar schools,
entrance testing and regional admissions.
Warwickshire
Understand Warwickshire grammar schools, priority areas
and the regional 11+ admissions process.
Liverpool & Wirral
Compare Wirral grammar schools, the local assessment
process and selective routes around Liverpool.
Manchester & Trafford
Explore Trafford grammar schools and the different
selective admissions routes around Manchester.
Gloucestershire
Find guidance on Gloucestershire grammar schools,
entrance testing, qualifying ranks and applications.
Lincolnshire
Explore Lincolnshire grammar schools, 11+ testing
and school-specific admissions arrangements.
Devon
Compare selective routes around Plymouth, Torbay
and Colyton rather than assuming one Devon-wide test.
Bournemouth & Poole
Explore the grammar-school admissions routes serving
Bournemouth and Poole.
Yorkshire & North Yorkshire
Find North Yorkshire grammar schools and other
school-specific selective routes across Yorkshire.
Medway
Understand the Medway Test and Medway grammar-school
admissions separately from the Kent Test.
Bexley
Explore the Bexley Selection Test and admissions
to Bexley’s four grammar schools.
Sutton
Understand Sutton’s Selective Eligibility Test,
grammar-school second stages and admissions.
Buckinghamshire
Explore Buckinghamshire grammar schools and the
Secondary Transfer Test admissions system.
Kent
Understand the Kent Test, grammar assessment and
individual Kent grammar-school admissions criteria.
Essex
Explore CSSE testing and grammar-school admissions
across Essex and Southend.
Berkshire
Compare the Slough Consortium, Reading School and
Kendrick School selective admissions routes.
Hertfordshire
Explore South West Herts and other selective-school
testing arrangements across Hertfordshire.
Start with the admissions policy of the schools you are
considering. There is no single national 11+ examination,
and neighbouring areas can use different tests and
admissions rules.
England grammar schools • 2027 entry
Grammar Schools in England:
Complete 11+ Admissions Guide 2026–27
England’s state grammar schools are concentrated in a relatively small
number of selective areas. The difficult part for parents is that there
is no single national 11 plus: registration, test
content, score interpretation and school-allocation rules vary between
counties, boroughs, consortia and individual schools.
This national guide explains how the different systems fit together and
links directly to our detailed regional grammar-school guides.
Start here
What this grammar-school guide will help you understand
state grammar schools traditionally counted across England
Buckinghamshire grammar schools
Gloucestershire grammar schools
national secondary application deadline
On this page:
Key principle
Test formats
Area table
Regional guides
London
Scores
Timeline
Preparation
FAQs
Most important principle
Registering for the 11+ is not the same as applying for a grammar-school place
Grammar-school admissions usually involve several separate stages.
Confusing them is one of the easiest ways to make an avoidable
application mistake.
Identify the selective route
First identify the exact grammar school, consortium or local
authority system. Neighbouring schools can use different tests.
Register for the entrance test
Many selective systems require a separate test registration during
Year 5. The deadline may be months before the September examination.
Sit the assessment
The child completes the regional, consortium or school-specific
selection assessment.
Interpret the result correctly
A qualifying score, rank, selective status and school-allocation
score can mean different things.
Apply for the school
Families must still name their preferred schools on the relevant
secondary-school application through their home local authority.
Do not assume every region accepts late registration.
Bexley, for example, explicitly states that late Selection Test
registrations are not accepted. Other areas can have different late-test
arrangements. Treat the published deadline for each target system as a
hard planning date.
Assessment architecture
There is no single GL, CEM or national 11+ format
One of the most persistent 11+ misconceptions is that knowing the test
provider automatically tells you exactly what the child will sit.
It does not. Schools and admission authorities can select different
components, weight them differently and combine the assessment with
local admissions rules.
GL Assessment
GL Assessment is a major supplier of selective admissions
assessments. A GL-based 11+ can draw on:
- English;
- mathematics;
- verbal reasoning; and
- non-verbal or spatial reasoning.
The exact combination varies locally.
CEM / Cambridge selective assessment
Older parent guidance frequently talks about a single
CEM 11+. That terminology now needs care.
Cambridge’s current selective assessment offer includes
Cambridge Select Insight, and schools determine how such assessment
evidence is used.
Do not assume that a school still uses an historic CEM format simply
because an older website says that it does.
CSSE Essex
The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex administers a distinctive
shared examination for its member schools.
For 2027 entry the examination is on
Saturday 19 September 2026. Candidates sit separate
English and mathematics tests.
School-specific and multi-stage tests
Highly competitive schools and London selective systems can use their
own papers, locally commissioned assessments or multiple selection
stages.
That is why a generic statement such as “this borough uses GL” can
conceal important school-level differences.
Psychometrician’s principle:
prepare for the construct and the actual assessment, not merely for the
logo on the test paper. Provider, content, timing, response format,
weighting and admissions use all matter.
Core 11+ skills
The four main assessment domains
English
Comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and accurate interpretation of
written information.
Mathematics
Primary mathematics, numerical fluency, problem solving and accurate
reasoning under time pressure.
Verbal reasoning
Vocabulary, classifications, analogies, sequences, codes and verbal
relationships.
Non-verbal reasoning
Pattern detection, transformations, classifications, matrices and
visual relationships.
England selective areas
Grammar-school areas at a glance
This table is designed as a routing guide rather than a substitute for
each school’s current admissions policy.
| Area | Main selective route | 2027-entry point to know | RWA guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | Kent Test |
Kent-primary pupils test 10 September 2026; other pupils 12–13 September. |
Kent guide |
| Medway | Medway Test | Separate registration and assessment from the Kent Test. |
Medway guide |
| Buckinghamshire | Secondary Transfer Test |
Practice Test 8 September; Transfer Test 10 September 2026. Qualifying score 121. |
Buckinghamshire guide |
| Lincolnshire | Grammar-school 11+ testing |
Test and school application are separate; individual policies remain important. |
Lincolnshire guide |
| Essex / Southend | CSSE shared examination |
English and maths examination: 19 September 2026. |
Essex CSSE guide |
| Bexley | Bexley Selection Test |
2027-entry registration closed 31 March 2026; testing 2–10 September depending on centre. |
Bexley guide |
| Sutton | Selective Eligibility Test + later stages |
Shared first-stage testing followed by school-specific second-stage arrangements. |
Sutton guide |
| Birmingham & West Midlands | West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test |
2027-entry registration closed 4pm, 26 June 2026. |
Birmingham & West Midlands |
| Warwickshire | West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test |
Shared assessment, but school priority areas and admissions policies still matter. |
Warwickshire guide |
| Gloucestershire | Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test |
Registration ran 18 May–26 June 2026; test planned for 12 September. |
Gloucestershire guide |
| Manchester & Trafford | Several school / consortium routes |
No single Greater Manchester 11+ applies to every selective school. |
Manchester & Trafford |
| Liverpool & Wirral | Local school / consortium routes |
Check the precise test and registration route for each target school. |
Liverpool & Wirral |
| Devon | Several selective systems |
Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton should not be treated as one county-wide test. |
Devon guide |
| Berkshire / Slough / Reading | Multiple selective routes |
Slough Consortium, Reading School and Kendrick School need separate policy checks. |
Berkshire guide |
| Hertfordshire | Partially selective / school-specific routes |
Hertfordshire does not operate one county-wide grammar-school selection system. |
Hertfordshire guide |
| Yorkshire & North Yorkshire | School / local selective routes |
Tests and admissions policies differ between Calderdale, Kirklees and North Yorkshire. |
Yorkshire guide |
Why the table does not give one “pass mark” per region:
qualification thresholds, ranks, component minima and effective
allocation scores are different concepts. Historical numbers should not
be presented as guaranteed future admission cut-offs.
RWA regional flagships
Grammar-school guides by region
These RWA guides explain the local selection architecture, scoring,
admissions stages and how test evidence should be interpreted.
Kent
Kent Test, grammar assessment, scores and school-specific admissions.
SET Kent 11+ flagship
Buckinghamshire
Secondary Transfer Test, score 121 and Buckinghamshire grammar-school
admissions.
SET Buckinghamshire 11+
Birmingham & West Midlands
Shared entrance testing across the wider West Midlands selective
system.
SET Birmingham 11+
Essex / CSSE
CSSE English and mathematics testing across member grammar schools.
SET Essex CSSE flagship
Medway
Medway Test admissions, separate from the neighbouring Kent Test.
SET Medway practice
Lincolnshire
Grammar-school selection across Lincolnshire and school-specific
admissions.
SET Lincolnshire 11+
Gloucestershire
Seven grammar schools, shared testing and score-sharing arrangements.
SET Gloucestershire 11+
Manchester & Trafford
Compare Trafford grammar schools and other Greater Manchester
selective routes.
Warwickshire
Shared West Midlands testing plus Warwickshire priority-area rules.
Sutton
Shared Selective Eligibility Test followed by grammar-school
second-stage testing.
SET Sutton 11+
Hertfordshire
Partially selective schools and the different Hertfordshire testing
routes.
SET Hertfordshire 11+
Yorkshire & North Yorkshire
School-specific selective routes across North and West Yorkshire.
SET Yorkshire 11+
Major selective area
Kent: the Kent Test
Kent has England’s largest concentration of grammar-school provision.
The Kent Test establishes whether a child receives a grammar-school
assessment, but that assessment does not itself guarantee admission to
a particular grammar school.
| Kent 2027 entry | Current information |
|---|---|
| Registration | 1 June–1 July 2026 |
| Kent-primary test | 10 September 2026 |
| Other pupils | 12–13 September 2026 |
| Results | 15 October 2026 |
| Reported areas | English, mathematics and reasoning |
For the 2025 Kent Test the published grammar threshold
was 332 in aggregate with no individual score below 108. This should not
be presented as a guaranteed threshold for the September 2026 test.
Full RWA Kent Test and admissions guide →
Kent 11+ practice and parent preparation on School Entrance Tests →
Fully selective system
Buckinghamshire: Secondary Transfer Test
Buckinghamshire has 13 grammar schools. They work together through
The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools to manage transfer testing.
Pupils attending a state-funded Buckinghamshire primary school are
automatically registered for the test. Other eligible pupils generally
need to register separately.
8 September
Practice Test for 2027 entry.
10 September
Secondary Transfer Test.
121
Current grammar-school qualifying score.
Qualification and allocation remain separate. A score of 121 means that
a child is grammar-qualified; it does not guarantee a place at the
preferred grammar school.
Distinctive consortium
Essex: CSSE English and mathematics testing
Essex is an important example of why parents should not assume that every
grammar-school test follows a four-domain GL template.
For 2027 entry the CSSE examination is on
Saturday 19 September 2026.
English
60-minute paper plus 10 minutes of additional reading time.
Mathematics
60-minute mathematics examination.
CSSE also states that Applied Reasoning was removed from the English
paper from the September 2024 examination onwards.
Shared regional assessment
Birmingham, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands
Older 11+ guides often describe Birmingham as a CEM region. That is now
obsolete.
Participating selective schools across Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall,
Wolverhampton and Warwickshire use the
West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test.
Registration for September 2027 entry closed at
4pm on 26 June 2026.
Birmingham & West Midlands
Understand the shared test and the school-specific admissions stage.
Warwickshire
Priority areas and individual school admissions remain important even
with shared testing.
Seven grammar schools
Gloucestershire: one test, separate school decisions
Gloucestershire County Council lists seven grammar schools across
Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.
For September 2027 entry, registration for the Grammar Schools’
Entrance Test ran from noon on 18 May 2026 to noon on
26 June 2026. The schools plan to test on
12 September 2026.
The grammar schools administer the test themselves. Parents choose the
schools with which the child’s score should be shared.
Achieving a qualifying rank does not itself produce a place. The target
grammar school must still be named on the secondary-school application.
London selection
London grammar schools cannot be treated as one 11+ region
London’s selective schools are spread across several boroughs and use
different selection systems.
Some operate borough-wide selection tests, some share first-stage
assessments, while others set school-specific or multi-stage tests.
Bexley
Four grammar schools share the Bexley Selection Test.
For 2027 entry, registration ran from
1–31 March 2026.
Sutton
Sutton’s grammar-school route involves a shared first-stage Selective
Eligibility Test plus school-specific second-stage testing.
Barnet and other London schools
Queen Elizabeth’s School, Henrietta Barnett, Latymer and other
selective London schools require school-specific admissions checking.
Do not search for a generic “London 11+ pass mark”. There is no single
London test, score scale or allocation threshold.
Psychometric interpretation
Pass mark, standardised score and offer score are not the same thing
Grammar-school websites use several score concepts that are easily
confused.
Raw score
The number or weighted number of items answered correctly before
score transformation.
Standardised score
A transformed score used to place performance on a common scale.
Selective assessments may also adjust for age.
Qualifying threshold
The minimum result required to be treated as academically eligible
within that selection system.
Effective offer level
The score, rank, distance or priority combination that actually
produced offers in a particular admissions round.
A child can therefore pass the 11+ and still not obtain
the preferred grammar-school place. Selection and allocation are
separate decisions.
See also:
11+ results day
and
11+ examination dates
.
Admissions planning
A safer national 11+ timeline
There is no universal timetable, but this sequence is a useful planning
framework.
| Period | Parent action |
|---|---|
| Year 4 |
Research local selective routes and develop reading, vocabulary, maths and reasoning foundations without intensive testing. |
| Autumn–spring, Year 5 |
Finalise likely target schools. Record the exact test, registration process, catchment or priority area and admissions policy for each. |
| March–July, Year 5 |
Watch registration deadlines closely. Some systems open or close substantially earlier than parents expect. |
| Summer, Year 5 |
Complete targeted preparation, official familiarisation and progressively timed practice. |
| September, Year 6 | Most major grammar-school selection tests take place. |
| October, Year 6 |
Review results and admissions implications. Some multi-stage systems continue testing. |
| 31 October |
National deadline for the secondary-school common application through the home local authority. |
| March, Year 6 | National secondary-school offers are normally released. |
Preparation by age
Match preparation to the child’s school year
Year 4
Introduce structured question types without making timed tests the
dominant activity.
Year 5
Main preparation year: diagnose gaps, teach methods and begin timed
mixed practice.
Year 6
Consolidation, realistic rehearsal, test-week planning and result
interpretation.
Evidence-led preparation
The RWA approach to grammar-school test preparation
The objective is not to maximise the number of papers completed.
It is to identify what the test requires, diagnose why marks are being
lost and strengthen the underlying capability.
Identify
Confirm the exact target assessment and admissions route.
Diagnose
Sample the required skills and classify errors rather than recording
only an overall percentage.
Teach
Repair vocabulary, curriculum and reasoning gaps explicitly.
Practise
Use focused short sets first, then mixed questions that require the
child to identify the correct method independently.
Time
Add realistic time pressure only after methods and accuracy are
reasonably secure.
Rehearse
Use realistic papers for stamina, pacing, answer recording and final
familiarisation.
RWA + School Entrance Tests
Use RWA to understand the assessment — then SET for detailed practice
Rob Williams Assessment
Use RWA for:
- test structure;
- psychometric interpretation;
- standardised scores;
- regional admissions architecture;
- provider differences;
- what each assessment is intended to measure.
School Entrance Tests
Use SET for:
- practice questions;
- regional preparation;
- school-specific papers;
- parent preparation plans;
- subject practice;
- replica test resources.
Practice resources
11+ practice after you identify the correct regional test
Free RWA 11+ tests
Use free English, maths and reasoning practice for initial diagnosis.
School-specific papers
Search for practice matching the target school or entrance system.
Understand test type first
Compare exam-board and assessment formats before selecting materials.
Assessment distinction
Is the 11+ the same as CAT4?
No.
An 11+ assessment is used within a selective admissions decision.
CAT4 is primarily a cognitive abilities assessment designed to profile
reasoning performance across verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial
batteries.
Some underlying reasoning skills overlap, and individual schools can use
cognitive assessments within admissions, but the purposes and score
interpretations are different.
CAT4 explained
Understand what CAT4 measures and how its reasoning batteries are
interpreted.
Explore RWA CAT4 guidance →
11+ selective testing
Start with the actual regional or school admissions system rather than
assuming CAT4 practice automatically matches the entrance test.
Expert interpretation
Frequently asked questions
Grammar schools and the 11+ — FAQs
How many grammar schools are there in England?
England is commonly described as having around 163 state grammar
schools. They are concentrated in a relatively small number of local
authorities and selective areas rather than distributed evenly across
the country.
Is there one national 11 plus exam?
No. Different local authorities, school consortia and individual
schools use different assessments, subjects, timings, score scales and
admissions rules.
Do most grammar schools use GL Assessment?
GL Assessment is a major supplier of 11+ assessments, but it is
misleading to assume that every GL-based test is identical. Schools and
admission authorities can use different combinations of English,
mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
Does Birmingham still use CEM?
Older guidance describing Birmingham as a CEM system is out of date.
Participating Birmingham and wider West Midlands grammar schools now
use the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a grammar-school place?
Usually not. A qualifying result establishes academic eligibility.
Schools can then apply distance, priority areas, ranks, looked-after
child criteria, pupil premium priorities or other published
oversubscription rules.
Can parents register late for the 11+?
Rules vary. Some systems explicitly reject late registration while
others can provide limited late-testing arrangements. Parents should
therefore treat the published registration date for every target school
or consortium as a critical deadline.
What is a standardised 11+ score?
It is a transformed score rather than simply the percentage of questions
answered correctly. Some systems also adjust for the child’s age.
Standardisation allows scores to be interpreted on a common scale.
What is the best way to prepare?
Identify the actual target assessment first. Diagnose weaknesses,
explicitly teach missing knowledge or reasoning methods, use targeted
short practice, introduce mixed work and add realistic timing only when
accuracy is reasonably secure.
How long should 11+ preparation take?
There is no psychometrically meaningful universal preparation period.
It depends on the child’s baseline, the demands of the target assessment
and the amount of genuine curriculum or reasoning development required.
Preparation should be proportionate rather than based on an arbitrary
number of months.
Is the 11+ the same as CAT4?
No. The 11+ is used for selective admissions. CAT4 is primarily a
cognitive abilities profile. Some underlying reasoning skills overlap,
but their purpose, structure and interpretation differ.
Where should I check the final admissions rules?
Always use the current admissions policy of the target school,
consortium and relevant local authority. RWA regional guides explain
the structure, but official admissions documents determine the actual
application.
Find the correct 11+ first
Start with your region — not a generic practice paper
Identify the grammar schools you are realistically considering, open the
relevant RWA regional guide, confirm the current admissions requirements,
then move to School Entrance Tests for matching regional and
school-specific preparation.
Editorial update: August 2026 for the 2026–27 admissions cycle and
September 2027 entry. Grammar-school testing, registration dates,
test providers and admissions criteria can change. Verify the current
policy with the relevant school, consortium and local authority.