The 11+ is not a single national exam. Different counties, cities and consortia run their own versions, set by different exam boards, testing different subjects, on different dates — and the rules vary noticeably from one postcode to the next. This guide takes you region by region, board by board, so you know exactly what your child faces and can point their practice at the right format. It is written to be the most accurate, up-to-date map on the web, because the single most common mistake in older guides is describing the exam landscape as if it were still 2020.
The current state of play (verified 2026)
Here is the one fact that most stale competitor pages get wrong: GL Assessment is now the dominant 11+ provider across most of England. CEM's separate paper-based 11+ was discontinued around 2022–2023, and many former CEM regions — including Birmingham — have moved to GL or to bespoke arrangements. CEM itself was absorbed into Cambridge University Press & Assessment and its work now lives on in online products rather than the old printed grammar-school papers. So if you read that your county "uses CEM", check the date on that page: it is very likely out of date. The four skill areas tested somewhere across the country remain English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR), but which combination your area uses depends entirely on the local system. When in doubt, the definitive source is always your local authority (LA) or the individual school. Our GL papers guide and CSSE papers guide go deeper on the two board formats you are most likely to meet.
Region-by-board lookup table
Use this as a starting map, then confirm with your LA — arrangements change, and this table is a guide, not a guarantee.
| Area / consortium | Provider | Subjects tested | Test month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | GL | English, Maths, Reasoning (VR + NVR) | Early September |
| Medway | GL | English, Maths, Extended Writing + Reasoning | September |
| Buckinghamshire | GL | VR, NVR, Maths | September |
| Birmingham / King Edward VI | GL | English, Maths, VR, NVR (mixed papers) | September |
| Sutton / London grammars (SET) | GL / bespoke | English, Maths (usually no reasoning) | September |
| Essex (CSSE) | CSSE | English + Maths (written, incl. creative writing) | September |
| Independent senior schools | ISEB | English, Maths, VR, NVR (online adaptive) | Autumn, Year 6/7 |
| Trafford | GL | Maths, VR, NVR | September |
| Wirral | Changed provider — confirm with LA | Reasoning + attainment | Autumn |
The main exam boards compared
Four names cover almost every 11+ your child could sit. They differ in format, subjects, answer type and — crucially — how you should prepare.
| Board | Format | Answer type | Preparation focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL Assessment | Separate single-subject papers, tightly timed | Multiple choice (A–E) on a separate answer sheet | Question-type drilling and speed |
| CEM (legacy / now online) | Blended sections, wide vocabulary | Historically mixed; now online only | Vocabulary and worded numerical reasoning |
| CSSE (Essex) | Two written papers | Written long-form answers, each /60 | Written technique and creative writing |
| ISEB Common Pre-Test | Online adaptive, ~2.5 hours | On-screen multiple choice, no revisiting | On-screen practice and pacing |
GL is the most predictable: a defined syllabus of named question types, which is exactly why targeted practice works so well. Our free mock papers are built to match the GL multiple-choice format, right down to the separate answer sheet.
Inside a GL paper: the question types
GL Verbal Reasoning uses a fixed menu of roughly 21 named question types. Recognising each type instantly is half the battle. A worked example: in a code question you might be told if LAMP is coded MBNQ, what is CAT? — each letter shifts one place forward, so the answer is DBU. Other common VR types include letter sequences, hidden words (finding a four-letter word hidden across two words), analogies, odd-one-out, closest-meaning and opposite pairs, compound words, move-a-letter, and number series.
GL Non-Verbal Reasoning is more visual. Typical types include:
- Series — pick the shape that continues a sequence.
- Matrices — find the missing tile in a 3×3 grid by spotting the rule across rows and columns.
- Analogies — "shape A is to B as shape C is to…?"
- Reflections and rotations — how a figure looks flipped or turned.
- Cube nets and folding — which 3D cube a flat net folds into.
Each of these has a dedicated free set on our worksheets page, so you can drill the exact type your child finds hardest rather than working through mixed practice blindly.
Written and online boards: CSSE and ISEB
Essex is the big exception to the multiple-choice world. The CSSE exam is two written papers — English and Maths — each marked out of 60 and weighted equally, with a creative writing task in the English paper and free-response working in Maths. Note what is not there: no separate Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning. Preparation is about clear written method and handwriting stamina, not answer-sheet speed.
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is used by 70-plus independent senior schools, including several very well known names, and by the London 11+ Consortium. It is online, adaptive (questions get harder or easier depending on how the child is doing), lasts around two and a half hours across English, Maths, VR and NVR, and pitches at roughly a Year 5 curriculum ceiling. Because questions cannot be revisited, on-screen practice and steady pacing matter more than usual.
How scoring works: standardised and age-standardised scores
Almost every board reports a standardised score rather than a raw mark. The scale centres on 100 (average) with a standard deviation of 15, giving a typical range of about 69–70 up to 141. Crucially, scores are age-standardised: a summer-born child who is nearly a year younger than an autumn-born classmate gets an uplift, so the same raw mark converts to a slightly higher standardised score for the younger child. Two children who both score 55/60 will not necessarily end up with the same standardised score if their birthdays are months apart.
The Kent Test shows how this feeds into a decision. A child's English, Maths and Reasoning standardised scores are added to an aggregate, and Kent has historically required both a minimum aggregate and no single subject below a set floor (for example, an aggregate around 332 with no score under 106 — figures vary by year, so treat these as illustrative). A strong overall total will not compensate for one weak paper. Our revision hub includes a plain-English explainer so parents can estimate where a mock score is likely to land.
Dates, deadlines and myths to avoid
For most state systems, the test is sat in September of Year 6, registration usually opens in the spring or early summer beforehand, and results arrive in October — in time for the Common Application Form (CAF) deadline of 31 October. Independent ISEB tests run to each school's own timetable, often in the autumn or winter. Check our key dates page and the process guide for the full timeline.
Three myths to retire: that "all regions use the same test" (they do not); that any board is "untutorable" (familiarity always helps, whatever the format); and that a qualifying score guarantees a place (in super-selective and oversubscribed areas, ranking and catchment decide who actually gets in). Browse the full grammar school directory to see how your target schools admit, and read more board-by-board detail on the blog index.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kent Test GL or CEM?
It is GL-based. The Kent Test covers English, Maths and Reasoning (VR and NVR), is sat in early September, and reports age-standardised scores combined into an aggregate.
Does the Essex (CSSE) exam have Verbal Reasoning?
No. CSSE tests only English and Maths through two written papers, with a creative writing task in the English paper. There is no separate VR or NVR section.
How long is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?
About two and a half hours, taken online and adaptively across English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Questions cannot be revisited, so pacing is key.