England

Sitting the 11+ in more than one area

How many tests you may need, what happens when two tests fall on the same day, one council application against many test registrations, and what the tests are like.

There is no national 11+. Each area, and some individual schools, run their own test, with their own registration, dates and format. If you are looking at grammar schools across a wide area, you may need to register for several tests, but you still make one school application.

How many tests?

One per test area (or school with its own test) that you want to apply to. Our map shows which test each school uses, and the area guides list the dates.

Before registering for a test far from home, check whether your child could realistically get a place. Most tests are open to any child, but passing does not guarantee a place: many schools then rank by distance or catchment. Medway, for example, warns that if you do not live very close you may not get a place, and Redbridge only tests children who live in its catchment area. Each school page here shows the catchment and past cut-offs we have found.

Registering for each test

You register separately with each test organiser, often on a different website with its own account. Registering for a test is not a school application.
Windows differ: for September 2027 entry, Bexley’s ran in March 2026, Buckinghamshire’s in May to June, and Kent’s in June to July. Late registrations are usually refused: Medway says there are no exceptions.
Some tests need extra paperwork. Children not at a Buckinghamshire school must send an identification and fit-for-testing form with a photo.

If two tests are on the same day

You will usually have to choose. None of the organisers we checked offers another date because of a clash with a different test:

Slough says that if tests clash you must decide which to prioritise, and there is no later date because of clashes.
Bexley warns that other tests, such as Sutton’s and Medway’s, may fall on the same dates, and it will not offer alternative dates for other exams.
Redbridge says it cannot offer a different date if a child misses the test.

Other dates exist only for narrow reasons: illness with medical evidence (Sutton), or religious reasons (Slough, and the West Midlands Saturday test). Some areas test children from outside the area on a different day: in 2026 Kent tested them on 12 or 13 September instead of 10 September, and Medway on 19 or 20 September instead of 15 or 16 September. That helps, but does not remove clashes: Slough’s test was also on 19 September, and Bexley’s testing window ran up to 10 September.

One application to your council

After the tests, you make one application, to the council where you live, by 31 October, listing schools in any area in order of preference. In London this is done on the pan-London eAdmissions website. Some schools also ask for their own supplementary form: in London, that form only counts if you also name the school on your council application. See applying for a grammar school place.

What the tests are like

Formats vary by area and can change from year to year, so check the organiser’s current guide. For September 2027 entry:

West Midlands (GL Assessment): two papers of about an hour, covering English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal reasoning, all multiple choice.
Slough (GL Assessment): two papers covering verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability, on a computer-marked answer sheet.
Redbridge (GL Assessment): English and verbal reasoning, then maths and non-verbal reasoning.
Bexley (Quest Assessments): verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, timed and multiple choice.
Sutton (two stages): multiple-choice maths and English first, then written maths and English papers for the schools you choose.
Essex (CSSE): its own English and maths papers, an hour each, including a written English element.

Scores usually come back as standardised scores, and they are not shared between areas: Bexley does not send results to schools outside the borough and does not accept Kent Test results.

Preparing

There is no official guidance on when to start preparing. Most organisers publish free familiarisation material so your child knows what to expect: for example, Medway’s familiarisation booklet, CSSE’s familiarisation papers, the West Midlands familiarisation guide, and Quest’s exercises for Bexley. Sutton does not publish sample papers for its second stage. Some organisers point Pupil Premium families to free online practice. Ask your child’s primary school for an honest view of whether a selective school suits them: see is a grammar school right for my child?

Sources

Reviewed 14 November 2026 by UK School Map (checked against the test organisers' and councils' own pages and guides for September 2027 entry). Rules change every year: check the current admission arrangements with your council and the school.