The 11+ Exam in London: What Parents Need to Know

What Is the 11+ Exam?

The 11+ is a selective entrance examination sat by children in Year 6 — typically aged 10 or 11 — that determines eligibility for admission to grammar schools and some independent schools. In London, the 11+ is primarily associated with state grammar schools in boroughs such as Barnet, Kingston, Sutton, Bromley, Bexley, and Redbridge.

Despite the name suggesting a single exam, the "11+" is not a standardised national test. Different schools and boroughs use different test providers, formats, and marking systems. Understanding which test your target school uses is the single most important first step in preparing effectively.

The Two Main 11+ Test Providers

Most grammar schools in London use tests produced by one of two providers:

• GL Assessment (Granada Learning): Used by the majority of grammar schools in the Sutton Consortium, Barnet, and several Bexley schools. GL papers typically include Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English sections. Question formats are more predictable, making them more responsive to targeted preparation.
• CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring): Used by some selective schools including those in certain Kent and Surrey schools near the London border. CEM tests are designed to be more "tutor-proof" by varying question formats and emphasising reading comprehension and in-context vocabulary. That said, familiarity with the style still helps significantly.

Additionally, some London grammar schools — including QE Barnet and the Tiffin schools — use bespoke entrance tests produced independently. These often have their own distinctive question styles and marking conventions that require school-specific preparation.

Subjects Covered in the 11+

Depending on the school, the 11+ may test any combination of the following:

• Verbal Reasoning (VR): Tests logical thinking with words — codes, analogies, word relationships, and sequences. Not taught in primary school; requires specific preparation.
• Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR): Tests logical thinking with shapes and patterns — spatial reasoning, sequences, and matrix problems. Also requires familiarisation.
• Mathematics: Covers the Year 6 national curriculum with some schools testing beyond it. Problem-solving, fractions, algebra basics, and data handling are common areas.
• English: Comprehension passages, vocabulary, grammar, and sometimes creative writing. The comprehension component is frequently the differentiator at highly selective schools.

Key Dates and the Registration Process

The key dates follow a broadly consistent pattern across London grammar schools. Always confirm exact dates on each school's admissions page and your home borough's website:

• Spring and summer before Year 6: Research target schools and confirm which test provider they use.
• Summer (end of Year 5) to early autumn: Registration opens for most London grammar schools. Closing dates vary, and some are as early as June.
• September–October of Year 6: 11+ examination dates. Families can usually sit tests at multiple schools on different dates.
• Autumn of Year 6: Results and qualifying scores are communicated to families.
• By 31 October of Year 6: The national closing date for the secondary school application through your home borough.
• 1 March (or the next working day): National Offer Day, when secondary school places are confirmed.

How Grammar Schools Decide Who Gets a Place

Passing the 11+ (meeting the qualifying threshold) does not guarantee a place. At heavily oversubscribed schools, all qualifying children are ranked and places allocated by additional criteria — almost always distance from the school measured in a straight line from the child's home address.

This means that two children with identical 11+ scores may have very different outcomes depending on where they live. Families who live several miles from a target grammar school may need an exceptionally high score to be offered a place through a waiting list movement.

How to Prepare Your Child for the 11+

Effective 11+ preparation is a structured, multi-month process. The most successful approaches share several features:

• Start early: Most London families begin formal preparation in Year 5, giving 12 to 18 months before the exam. This allows time to build foundational skills before moving to exam technique.
• Identify the specific test format: Use only practice materials that match the format your target school uses. Mixing GL and CEM materials can confuse children and waste preparation time.
• Build VR and NVR skills systematically: These are not intuitive subjects. Start with explanatory workbooks before moving to timed practice.
• Regular timed mock practice: Doing papers under realistic exam conditions builds pace, reduces anxiety, and highlights recurring weak areas.
• Read widely: English comprehension performance correlates strongly with reading volume and vocabulary breadth. Encourage books above the child's current level.
• Work with a specialist tutor: A good 11+ tutor in London knows the idiosyncrasies of specific tests and can give objective feedback on where a child realistically stands.

Managing the Emotional Side of the 11+

The 11+ can be a stressful experience for children and parents alike. Keeping pressure at a manageable level while maintaining consistent preparation is a delicate balance. Research consistently shows that children perform best when they associate their preparation with a sense of progress and competence, rather than anxiety about the outcome. Tutors who build genuine rapport and celebrate incremental improvement tend to produce better results than those who focus solely on drilling.

It is also worth remembering that the majority of children in London do not attend a grammar school — and many go on to excellent outcomes at comprehensive schools, with GCSE and A-level tutoring filling any gaps. The 11+ is one path, not the only one.