What is the 11 Plus? Complete Parent Guide 2026

Everything parents need to know about the 11 plus exam — what it tests, how it works, which areas have grammar schools, and how results are used. Updated for 2026.

What Is the 11 Plus? A Complete Parent's Guide

The 11 plus is a selective entrance examination taken by children in Year 6, typically at age 10 or 11, to determine eligibility for grammar school entry at Year 7. It is called the 11 plus because it was originally sat at age eleven-plus — the age at which children in the old selective system transitioned from primary to secondary education. Today the exam is used by grammar schools in approximately 36 local authority areas across England to select pupils, and by some independent schools as part of their own admissions process.

Key Takeaways

What the 11 Plus Tests

The 11 plus assesses four main areas, though the specific subjects and their weighting vary by exam board and local authority. Verbal reasoning tests the child's ability to understand and manipulate language — identifying word relationships, completing analogies, spotting patterns in letter sequences. Non-verbal reasoning tests spatial and visual thinking — identifying patterns in shapes, rotating figures, completing sequences. Mathematics covers the Year 6 primary curriculum with some extension. English comprehension tests reading and understanding of unseen passages.

Not all 11 plus exams test all four areas. GL Assessment typically covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, and English in separate timed papers. CEM (administered by Durham University) uses a blended format where different question types are mixed within the same paper, testing vocabulary, comprehension, numerical reasoning, and spatial reasoning in a less predictable order. Some areas — notably Essex — use their own school-specific tests rather than GL or CEM.

GL Assessment vs CEM: The Two Main Exam Boards

GL Assessment (formerly Granada Learning) produces the most widely used 11 plus papers. Their format uses discrete, clearly labelled question types — verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, English — each in separate timed sections with multiple choice answers. GL papers are highly 'drillable': the question types are consistent from year to year, and targeted practice can yield significant score improvements.

CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University) produces papers for a smaller but growing number of areas, including Bexley, parts of Birmingham, Warwickshire, and others. CEM papers are deliberately designed to be harder to 'drill' — the blended format, mixed question types, and focus on vocabulary and reading fluency make narrow practice-paper cramming less effective. CEM rewards broad academic preparation: wide reading, strong vocabulary, and genuine mathematical fluency.

Which Areas Have Grammar Schools

Grammar schools are not evenly distributed across England. Fully selective areas — where the majority of secondary schools are selective — include Buckinghamshire, Kent, Medway, and Lincolnshire. Partially selective areas have some grammar schools alongside comprehensive and other non-selective schools — these include Birmingham, Essex, Hertfordshire, Trafford, and many London boroughs. A few grammar schools exist as isolated selective schools within otherwise comprehensive local authority areas.

The areas with the highest concentration of grammar schools and the most competitive admissions include Kent (approximately 34 grammar schools), Buckinghamshire (approximately 13), Birmingham (8 in the West Midlands consortium), and parts of London. Competition is intense in these areas, with qualifying being necessary but not always sufficient for a place at the most oversubscribed schools.

The Standardised Score System

11 plus results are reported as standardised scores, not raw marks. Standardisation adjusts for the child's exact age on test day — a child who is 10 years and 2 months old when they sit the test will have their raw marks adjusted differently from a child who is 11 years and 3 months old, to account for the expected developmental difference. This makes scores comparable across children of different ages in the same year group.

The standardised score scale is centred on 100, with 100 representing an average performance for the child's exact age. The qualifying threshold — the score above which children are designated as suitable for grammar school — varies by area and exam board but is often set around 121. This means a child scoring 121 is performing approximately 1.4 standard deviations above average for their age — a genuinely high performance standard that reflects the top 10-15% of the cohort.

Registration and Test Dates

Registration for the 11 plus opens in the spring of Year 5 — typically between February and April — and closes by June. This is one of the most commonly missed aspects of the process: the registration deadline falls more than a year before the child actually sits the test, when many Year 5 families have not yet begun to think seriously about secondary school. Missing the registration deadline means the child cannot sit the test that year.

The test itself is sat in September of Year 6 — the first month of the child's final primary school year. Results are published in October. Secondary school applications (the Common Application Form) must be submitted by 31 October. School offers are made on National Offer Day, 1 March of Year 7.

Is the 11 Plus Right for Your Child?

The 11 plus is designed to identify children performing in the top 10-20% of the academic range — broadly, children who can comfortably access a curriculum taught at a significantly accelerated pace. Whether it is right for any individual child depends on their academic ability, their temperament under exam conditions, the specific grammar schools available in their area, and what alternative secondary schools are available.

The most important thing to establish early is a realistic picture of your child's current academic level. Children who are genuinely in the top 10-15% of their year group in terms of reasoning ability, reading, and mathematics are the natural cohort for grammar school. Children who are solid but not outstanding academically may qualify with preparation, but may find the grammar school environment challenging — and a strong comprehensive school may serve them better in the long run.

At what age do children sit the 11 plus?
Children typically sit the 11 plus in September of Year 6, when most are either 10 or just turned 11. The standardised scoring system adjusts for the child's exact age on test day.
Can children sit the 11 plus in more than one area?
Yes — families can register for and sit 11 plus tests in multiple areas in the same year, provided registration deadlines for each area are met separately. The tests in different areas typically fall on different dates in September.
What happens if a child misses the registration deadline?
Children who miss the registration deadline cannot sit the test in that academic year. There is generally no late registration process. This is why checking registration deadlines in Year 4 or early Year 5 is essential.

Sources: GOV.UK grammar school admissions data; Ofsted selective school report 2023; publicly available information on GL Assessment and CEM test formats.

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