11+

Overview

The 11+ (eleven-plus) is the name used across England for the academic selection tests that some children sit in Year 6, the final year of primary school, to compete for places at grammar schools and other academically selective secondary schools. There is no single national 11+ exam: each area that still selects at 11 runs its own test, through its local authority (for example Kent County Council), a consortium of grammar schools (for example the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex, CSSE), or the individual school. Independent (private) schools that select at 11+ set their own separate entrance exams, often built on a common syllabus published by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). A result from one area's or school's test is not automatically recognised by another.

Who can apply

Children normally sit the 11+ in the autumn term of Year 6, when they are 10 or 11 years old, for entry to secondary school (Year 7) the following September. For a local-authority or consortium test, children already attending a primary school in that area are often registered automatically, while families living outside the area, those at an independent primary school, or those who are home-educated usually have to register separately with the authority or consortium that sets the test. For an independent school's own 11+, parents register and pay directly with the school the child is applying to. Sitting a test is separate from applying for a school place: every family must still submit the ordinary secondary school application to their home local authority, whether or not a selective school is on the list.

Exam pattern

The subjects tested, the number of papers, and whether questions are multiple-choice or require written answers all vary by area and test provider, so the pattern below is indicative, not fixed.

Subjects commonly tested, though not every area uses all of them:

• English (comprehension, and often technical English: grammar, punctuation, spelling)

• Mathematics (based on the primary Key Stage 2 curriculum)

• Verbal reasoning (using logic to work through problems set out in words)

• Non-verbal reasoning (using logic to work through problems set out as shapes and patterns)

For example, the CSSE test in Essex covers only English and mathematics, as two separate 60-minute written papers, with no verbal or non-verbal reasoning. Buckinghamshire's Secondary Transfer Test instead combines all four skills across two multiple-choice papers of around an hour each, weighted roughly 50% verbal ability, 25% non-verbal ability and 25% numerical ability. Most areas that still run a local-authority or consortium 11+ now use GL Assessment to write and mark their papers; CEM (the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring), an earlier provider used by some areas, has largely stopped setting standard 11+ papers, and areas that used it have mostly moved to GL Assessment or their own school-set papers. Independent schools' own 11+ exams typically test English and mathematics, often with a science paper, and sometimes an interview, with the exact combination set by each school.

Syllabus

English and mathematics questions are generally pitched at the content taught in Years 5 and 6 of the national primary curriculum (Key Stage 2), not at content beyond primary school. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, where an area includes them, are reasoning-skill papers rather than subjects taught as part of the primary curriculum, which is why most children need some separate familiarisation with these question types before sitting them. The precise topics and question styles for any given test are set by that area's local authority, consortium, or test provider, so families should check the format published for the specific test their child is sitting rather than assume it matches a neighbouring area.

Marking and results

Results are reported against a qualifying or standardised score set by the local authority or consortium for that year, not as a percentage or school grade. Reaching the qualifying score makes a child eligible to be considered for the selective schools using that test, but does not guarantee a place: oversubscribed schools then rank children using their own published criteria, such as distance from the school, siblings already attending, or, at the most selective schools, the test score itself. Some areas also set a minimum mark in each individual paper, on top of the combined qualifying score. Results are usually sent to families in October, in time for parents to decide on their secondary school preferences before the application deadline.

Important dates

The shape of the calendar is broadly similar across areas, though exact dates differ by local authority. Registration for a local-authority or consortium test usually opens in spring and closes by early summer, with the test itself sat in September of Year 6, for entry to Year 7 the following September. For example, in the 2026 testing round (for September 2027 entry), Kent opened registration for the Kent Test on 1 June 2026, closing 1 July 2026, with the test on 10 September 2026 and results on 15 October 2026; Trafford's consortium test followed a similar pattern, with registration from late April to mid-June 2026, the test on 14 September 2026, and results in mid-October 2026. Separately from any 11+ test, every family applying for a secondary school place must submit the standard application to their home local authority by the national deadline of 31 October in Year 6, and local authorities issue secondary school offers on National Offer Day, 1 March the following year (or the next working day, if 1 March falls on a weekend). Independent schools set their own 11+ dates and registration deadlines, which can fall earlier or later in the school year, so families should confirm these with each school directly.

Fees

Local-authority and consortium 11+ tests are generally free to register for and sit, since they lead to places at state (tax-funded) grammar schools, which charge no tuition fees. Independent school 11+ exams are set and charged by the individual school: as of 2026, registration or examination fees commonly range from roughly £50 to £250 per school, and a family applying to several independent schools pays a separate fee to each one. Some consortiums, working with partner organisations, offer free 11+ familiarisation support to children eligible for Pupil Premium (those who have been eligible for free school meals), on application through the child's primary school.

How to apply

For a local-authority or consortium 11+: register online through that authority's or consortium's own portal within the window it publishes, giving the child's details and current primary school; some areas register their own primary pupils automatically and only need action from families applying from outside the area. Separately, submit the ordinary secondary school application to the family's home local authority by 31 October, listing preferred schools in order, whether or not any of them are selective — registering for or sitting an 11+ test does not itself apply for a school place. For an independent school's own 11+: contact the school's admissions office directly, usually the year before entry, to register, pay the school's fee, and book an exam date; some independent schools also ask for a reference from the child's current school and/or hold an interview alongside the written papers.

Preparation tips

Because the subjects tested, the paper format, and the qualifying mark all vary by area and school, confirm the exact test provider and format for every school or local authority a child is applying to before starting preparation, rather than assuming one area's pattern applies elsewhere. Where verbal or non-verbal reasoning is tested, build in dedicated practice with that question style, since it falls outside the normal primary curriculum. Where English and mathematics are tested, solid coverage of the Key Stage 2 curriculum, combined with practice working accurately within a fixed time limit, covers most of what is assessed.