Parent guide
Understand what the 11 plus exam is, what may be tested, how registration works, and what to check locally before you plan preparation.
Current answer
Check whether your target schools use an entrance test, who runs it, when registration opens, whether you also need to apply through your home local authority, and what the school’s admissions rules say about offers.
Useful national starting points:
Parents often need to complete two separate steps: entering the child for the test where required, and applying for school places through the correct admissions process.
| Step | What it means | Where to check | Risk if missed |
|---|---|---|---|
Register for the entrance test | Enter your child for the correct 11+ or local selective-school test where registration is required. | Official local-authority, school, consortium or test-provider page. | Missing the registration window may mean your child cannot sit the test on the normal date. |
Apply for the school place | Submit the secondary school application through the correct admissions process, usually your home local authority for state schools in England. | GOV.UK and your home local authority’s secondary admissions page. | Sitting or passing a test usually does not count as the school application. |
Check the admissions policy | Read how each school ranks applicants after any test threshold is met. | The school or admission authority’s current admissions policy. | A qualifying score may still not guarantee a place. |
Many families need to start checking during Year 5 because registration windows can open before the test is taken. Testing often happens early in Year 6 in many areas, but exact dates and deadlines are local.
Check whether your target schools use an 11+ or selective entrance test.
Find the official registration window for your child’s entry year.
Check whether test registration and school application are separate.
Read the school admissions policy before assuming a test result is enough.
Add official deadlines to your calendar and review them before the summer term.
The 11+ does not have one universal syllabus. These are common areas parents may see, but the exact format depends on the local test and target schools.
| Area | What it may involve | Check first |
|---|---|---|
English | Reading comprehension, grammar, punctuation, spelling or literacy-style questions. | Whether your local test includes a separate English paper or English within verbal skills. |
Maths | Key Stage 2-style problem solving, arithmetic or mathematical reasoning. | Whether timing, calculator rules and question style are published locally. |
Verbal reasoning | Word, logic and language-based reasoning tasks. | Whether your child has seen this question style before. |
Non-verbal or spatial reasoning | Pattern, shape, sequence or spatial-reasoning tasks. | Whether your local test includes this section and how it is timed. |
Writing or other local element | Some areas may include an unmarked or locally used writing task or other component. | Whether it is marked, used for review, or simply part of familiarisation guidance. |
Use these examples to see how local the 11+ process can be. Your own child’s route depends on their target schools, home local authority and entry year.
Kent County Council
Best for: Kent families
Shows registration, test preparation, results and grammar-school application as one local route.
Verify the current entry year and whether the school is in Kent, Medway or Bexley.
Buckinghamshire Council
Best for: Buckinghamshire families
Shows registration, test structure, qualifying score, results and access-arrangement guidance.
Do not generalise Buckinghamshire thresholds or rules to other areas.
Warwickshire County Council
Best for: Warwickshire families
Shows the local timetable, test content, result stage and access-arrangement deadline.
Also check each target grammar school’s current admissions policy.
London Borough of Redbridge
Best for: Redbridge families
Shows Year 5 registration, Year 6 testing and local catchment checks.
Verify current catchment and special-arrangement deadlines.
Trafford Council
Best for: Trafford families
Shows that some local routes depend on school-specific registration and admissions arrangements.
Verify each target grammar school’s current registration process.
Department of Education Northern Ireland
Best for: Northern Ireland parents
Prevents an England-style 11+ explanation from being applied to a different post-primary transfer system.
Verify the current booklet and admissions timetable.
GL Assessment
Best for: families needing low-pressure question-format familiarisation
Helps children see example layouts and reasoning question styles before test day.
Not every local test uses the same provider, timing or question mix.
Support ladder
Families should raise access-arrangement questions early because evidence and normal way of working may matter, and local rules vary.
Note any regular support your child already uses and gather relevant school evidence early.
Speak to your child’s class teacher, school office or SENCO before the local deadline.
Ask what evidence is needed and whether the school or parent submits the request in your area.
A tutor can help with familiarisation and confidence, but should not decide or promise access arrangements.
If there is a disability, medical need, SEND question or missed deadline, use the official local process and contact the admission authority or target school.
Parent script
A parent wants to discuss 11+ preparation without making the child feel that one test defines them.
We are going to check what the schools actually ask for first. Then we can try a few example questions and decide what support, if any, would help you feel prepared. This is about understanding the route, not proving your worth.
Keeps the conversation practical and reduces the risk of turning preparation into pressure.
Related guidance
Pages from elsewhere in the Ed Centre that share the most ground with this one — picked by keyword overlap rather than position in the navigation tree.
Find the exam skill to improve first, then jump to focused guides on understanding questions, using marks, practising under pressure and turning mock feedback into a plan.
Use your mock results, teacher comments and marked work to decide what to fix before the final exam, and how to practise it.
A student-friendly plan for choosing the right papers, practising by topic, timing attempts, marking properly and retesting weak areas.
Support and clarity
Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.
No. It is only relevant where a grammar school or selective school uses an entrance test as part of admissions. Check the target school or local authority before preparing for a test.
In many areas the test is taken early in Year 6, but registration can happen in Year 5 and exact dates vary. Always check the official page for your area and entry year.
No. Some areas publish qualifying scores or thresholds, but they are local. A qualifying result may allow your child to be considered; it does not always guarantee an offered place.
Common areas include English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal or spatial reasoning, but the exact format depends on the local test and target schools.
Not automatically. Start by checking the official route and trying familiarisation materials. A tutor may help if your child needs structure, confidence or targeted practice.
Speak to your child’s school or SENCO early and check the official local process. Evidence, normal classroom support and deadlines can matter.
Sources and references
Statutory admissions framework and admissions-arrangement context.
Explains applying through the local council, including applying for schools in another council area.
Official Kent Test hub for registration, preparation, results and grammar-school application.
Official Kent guidance on test papers and familiarisation.
Buckinghamshire official route for grammar schools and Secondary Transfer Testing.
Official detail on Buckinghamshire test process and structure.
Official marking and qualifying-score information; verify linked results page before publication.
Official access-arrangements guidance for the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test.
Official Warwickshire 11+ hub including registration, timing and application route.
Official Warwickshire information on test content, timing and scoring.
Access-arrangements and extra-support guidance.
Official Redbridge 11 plus guidance, including Year 5 registration and Year 6 testing.
Official explanation of selective-school tests, registering for tests and applying for places.
Official Kent guidance on applying for grammar schools after the Kent Test.
Official Trafford entrance-test route; verify URL resolves because council paths can change.
Official Northern Ireland post-primary transfer booklet; verify latest year before publication.
Official health guidance on exam stress and parent support.
Parent-facing guidance on exam pressure and communication.
Provider familiarisation materials and caution that local timings/question counts may differ.
Technical guidance for structured data; internal planning only.
Explains limits to FAQ and HowTo rich results; internal planning only.
