When is the 11-plus taken?

The 11-plus is usually sat at the very start of Year 6, in September, before the 31 October secondary school application deadline. Registration for the test often closes in the summer before Year 6, so parents need to plan ahead in Year 5.

Does passing the 11-plus guarantee a grammar school place?

No. Reaching the qualifying standard makes a child eligible, but places are then allocated using the school's oversubscription criteria. Super-selective schools admit the highest scorers, while others may use distance or catchment among qualifying children.

What does the 11-plus test cover?

It typically includes some combination of verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics and English comprehension, though the exact content varies by region and testing board.

Grammar Schools and the 11-Plus: A Complete Guide for Parents in England

Grammar schools select by ability using the 11-plus. Where they still exist, what the test involves, when it is sat, and how to decide whether it is right for your child.

Grammar schools are state secondary schools that select pupils by academic ability using an entrance test known as the 11-plus. They are not spread evenly across England — many areas have none at all, while a handful of counties and boroughs retain a fully selective system.

Where grammar schools exist

Selective education survives in pockets. Some local authorities are wholly selective, with grammar schools and non-selective schools operating side by side; elsewhere there are only a few 'super-selective' grammars that draw applicants from a wide area. Because provision is so uneven, the first step is simply checking what exists near you — which you can do on SchoolFinder by filtering for the school type in your area.

What the 11-plus involves

The test is usually sat at the start of Year 6, in September, before secondary applications are due. Content varies by region and by the testing board a school uses, but generally covers some combination of:

Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Mathematics / numerical reasoning
English, including comprehension

How a place is offered

Passing the 11-plus does not by itself guarantee a place. Children who reach the qualifying standard are then ranked against the school's oversubscription criteria — which for super-selective schools means the highest scorers are admitted, and for others may use distance or catchment among qualifying children. You still apply through the normal secondary admissions process and list the grammar school as a preference.

Is a grammar school right for your child?

Selective schools can offer a highly academic peer group and strong results, but they are not the right environment for every able child. Consider:

Temperament. Some children thrive on a competitive, fast-paced academic culture; others do better where they are comfortably near the top.
The alternative. If the local non-selective schools are strong, the stakes of the 11-plus are lower than if provision is thin.
The preparation. Weigh the months of test practice against your child's wellbeing, and be honest about whose ambition is driving it.
Travel. Super-selective schools often mean a long daily journey.

Practical timeline

Year 5: research which schools test, register for the 11-plus (registration often closes in the summer before Year 6), and familiarise your child with the format.
September, Year 6: the test is sat.
Autumn, Year 6: results arrive, and you submit your secondary application by the 31 October national deadline.
1 March: National Offer Day.

Always list non-selective schools among your preferences too. Relying on the 11-plus alone can leave a child without a place at a school you would have chosen.