About the 11+

What is the 11+ exam?

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination for secondary school. All children took the 11 plus exam until the early 1970s, when there was a move away from selective state-funded grammar schools towards non-selective comprehensive schools.

The 11+ exam is no longer a compulsory test, however it continues to be used in those areas with grammar schools, and also by selective independent schools, to identify academic ability and potential. It is taken towards the end of Year 5 or beginning of Year 6 of primary school.

The content of the 11+ exam varies between different areas of the country but generally it will focus on a combination of the following four subjects:

• English
• Maths
• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness tests are not school-based subjects and will not be taught as part of the curriculum in state schools. Therefore, your child is likely to need additional support and exam preparation practice to familiarise themselves with verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness exam question types.

How long is the 11+ exam?

There are two different formats for 11+ exam papers:

• Standard format – where children write their answers on the test paper
• Multiple-choice format – where answers are marked in a separate answer booklet

11+ exam papers are timed and usually last between 45-60 minutes. Children should practise with timed 11+ exam mock test papers, as well as working through non-timed practice, so they can see what they are able to do within a given time frame.

How is the 11+ different to other school exams?

The 11+ exam is part of the secondary school selection process for schools in England that select by academic ability – including state-funded grammar schools and selective independent schools. The exam is optional (it’s taken by choice) and is held at the start of Year 6. There are two main exam boards, GL Assessment and CEM, although some schools set their own test or mix and match their own test with particular papers taken from external exam boards.

The 11+ tests English and maths skills and usually includes verbal reasoning and/or non-verbal reasoning tests as well. The exact make-up of the exam can vary between Local Authorities and between individual schools.

By contrast, national exams such as SATs cover core English and maths skills, are standardised and aligned to the National Curriculum, and are part of the government framework for education. They must be taken by all children in state-funded primary schools, towards the end of Year 6.

The Common Entrance exam is set by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) and used by many independent (private) schools. It is also an optional exam taken in Year 8 testing for academic ability and often referred to as ‘the 13+’. It covers most of the same core skills as the 11+ but will also include other subjects chosen by the school, such as science or modern and classical languages.

Selective independent schools might also offer entrance exams at 7+ and 8+. The Common Pre-Test is an online-format test offered by the ISEB for children in Year 6 (11+) and covers the same four subject areas as the standard 11+.

GL Assessment also offer the Adaptive Admissions Test at 11+, which is there equivalent of ISEB’s Common Pre-test for independent schools, is the only exclusively online test offered by GL and covers the same four core subjects of English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Where can I find out about the 11 Plus exams?

With no published curriculum, and with many schools preferring not to publish the content of their exams, the 11+ can have an air of mystery about it. Different Local Authorities and senior schools set different combinations of tests, making it hard to choose 11+ resources to meet every child’s needs.

On this website you will find up-to-date guidance on the 11+ and other selective entrance exams. You can find out further admissions information on the website of your preferred school.

Bond offers a complete, flexible programme of preparation materials that you can adapt to your child’s specific needs, tailoring it to the requirements of the exam or exams they are approaching.

The Parents’ Guide to the 11+ provides an essential and invaluable manual that takes you through the whole 11+ process in a clear, practical, step-by-step manner.

Why is it so hard to find out information about the 11+?

Since the 1970s there has been a political move away from selective school processes to state school comprehensive systems. For this reason, fewer schools and Local Authorities are using the 11+ selection system. The 11+ is intended to test innate academic ability and therefore secondary schools want to ensure the playing field is as level as possible. This ethos is also why the content of the CEM test varies year on year. Schools are not obliged to provide anything other than basic information about the test they use. At Bond, we believe in giving pupils the opportunity to practice and prepare for what may be the first exam they have encounter, bolstering their confidence to help them shine and demonstrate their ability.   

What are the different 11+ exam boards and what is the difference between them?

The 11+ exam is highly regionalised: the subjects covered in the 11+ papers and how your child will be tested will depend on where you live.

There are two main exam boards for the 11+ exam:

• GL Assessment – previously known as NFER, GL Assessment develop and administer 11+ exams in the majority of grammar schools in the UK.
• CEM – developed by the Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring at Durham University, the CEM 11+ exam was created in response to fears from some grammar schools that the existing 11+ exam system had become too predictable. The CEM exam was designed to address concerns over question spotting and ‘teaching to the test’. As of 2022, the CEM test is now exclusively taken online.

For example, the Kent grammar schools use a variation of the GL exam known as the Kent Test. This is made up of a multiple-choice paper of English and maths questions, a paper of verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness, and a 40-minute writing test. This last exam is only marked when looking at borderline candidates or appeals. Some schools in Kent have additional tests which can either be taken in place of the Kent Test or as a supplement to it.  

There can be significant differences between the exams depending on where your child is taking the 11+. This makes it extremely important to check with your Local Authority and local grammar schools so that you know exactly what subjects and skills your child will be tested on as part of their 11+ exam. Some schools are part of consortiums, and their application system may differ from that outlined by the Local Authority. Therefore, it is important to check with the schools directly. Additionally, schools don’t necessarily use all the papers provided by an exam board: they may choose to just test on a couple of topics as opposed to all four.

Checklist – to find out how the 11+ exam is structured in your area, check the following details with your chosen school:

• When is the 11+ exam?
• Which subjects are tested?
• How many questions will there be in the 11+ paper? 
• What format does the exam take?
• Who provides the exam?

Currently the GL and CEM exams are taken in the following regions:

GL ASSESSMENT: Barnet, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Buckinghamshire, Calderdale, Enfield, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Medway, North Yorkshire, Plymouth, Slough, Warwickshire, Wiltshire.

CEM: Bexley, Devon, Kirklees, Redbridge, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Wolverhampton.

GL ASSESSMENT AND CEM: Lancashire, Torbay, Trafford.

GL AND SCHOOL'S OWN TEST: Bromley, Reading, Wirral, Kent.

SCHOOL'S OWN TEST: Cumbria, Essex, Kingston upon Thames, Liverpool, Southend-on-Sea, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton.

N.B. Please note, this information was correct at time of publication, but schools do change exam board so it is essential that you check with each school to which you are applying.

GL and CEM 11+

GL and CEM are the two main exam boards for the 11+ and although they cover broadly the same topics – English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness – there are very real differences to the way the GL and CEM 11+ exams work, which will have an impact on how you support your child.

To help you prepare your child for the 11+ exam, we’ve summarised the key differences between GL and CEM.

Which subjects are covered?

• GL: English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning/spatial awareness (schools can choose any combination of these to best suit their selection policy).
• CEM: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and numerical reasoning (‘verbal reasoning’ encompasses many of the skills tested in the GL English exam, including comprehension and ‘numerical reasoning’ involves the core maths skills needed for the GL exam).

Which skills will be tested?

Your child will require strong skills in the following areas:

• GL: vocabulary, logic, maths, and spelling
• CEM: English, comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and maths. CEM verbal reasoning is very different to GL and success is dependent on children having a wide-ranging vocabulary.

Why is CEM different?

The CEM 11+ exam is favoured by some regions and schools as it is seen as more ‘tutor-proof’ than GL. CEM places more emphasis on:

• not producing or endorsing any published practice papers
• basing the test papers more closely on the National Curriculum, which is followed by all state school children
• a perceived increase in difficulty
• it is an online-only test

If your child is sitting a GL Assessment-examined test, use plenty of past and practice papers to familiarise your child with the question types in each subject.

If your child is sitting a CEM-examined test, work hard on developing a deep and rich vocabulary:

• Use a vocabulary book to record new words and their meanings to ensure that your child really understands the new words they are learning and can use them in context.
• Read widely with your child and use ‘grown up’ words in ordinary conversation, explaining their meaning as you go.
• Practise synonyms and antonyms, for example, encourage your child to use more sophisticated words to describe something, or complete crosswords together.
• Plenty of exam prep using practice papers is also important for CEM, but the question types that appear in the real CEM 11+ exam are much more unpredictable.

For both tests, but especially the CEM-examined tests, time management skills are of great importance:

• Make sure your child does plenty of timed practice and is accustomed to managing their time carefully.
• Use practice test papers to set mock tests under exam conditions to help them get used to formal exam conditions – getting used to working in test conditions will help your child feel less intimidated by the real exam.