There is no national 11 plus. There is a collection of selective entrance tests, set by different providers and different consortia, all sat at roughly the same age. Two children in neighbouring counties can face quite different papers.
The main routes
GL Assessment
The dominant format nationally, used by the large majority of grammar schools. Separate multiple-choice papers by subject, with recognisable and consistent question types. Used across areas including Buckinghamshire, Kent, Medway, Lincolnshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire and Northern Ireland — though bespoke local versions are common.
Local and consortium tests
- Essex — CSSE. The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex sets its own English and maths papers, with a notably strong emphasis on writing.
- Sutton — SET. The Selective Eligibility Test, used as a first-round filter, with some schools setting a second-stage paper.
- Kent — the Kent Test. A GL-based test tailored to Kent, with a head-teacher assessment route for borderline cases.
- Hertfordshire, Devon and others run locally administered arrangements with their own formats.
Independent schools
Many independent schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test — computer-based and adaptive — or set their own papers, frequently including creative writing and an interview.
Two-stage and super-selective schools
Some of the most competitive schools run a two-round process: a first paper that thousands sit, then a second round for those who clear the bar. Super-selective schools admit purely on rank order rather than a fixed pass mark, which means the effective standard is set by how strong the applicant pool is that year — and it moves.
Understanding the pass mark
Results are reported as age-standardised scores, adjusted for month of birth so summer-born children are not penalised. A typical qualifying score sits somewhere around 111 to 121 depending on the area, while super-selective schools often need scores far above that. Because standardisation depends on the whole cohort, the raw mark needed shifts year to year.
A practical checklist
- List your target schools and check each admissions page directly — do not rely on forums.
- Note the provider, the subjects tested, the paper timings, and whether there is a second round.
- Check the registration deadline. In many areas registration closes in the summer term, months before the test.
- Find the last three years' qualifying scores if published.
- Only then buy materials — matched to that format.