Guide · Parents · England, Northern Ireland
How the 11+ works: registration, the test, scores and offers
When to register, what the test involves, what a standardised score means and how grammar schools turn scores into offers.
By the Pyxion Learn team · Checked 30 October 2026
There is no single national 11+. Each grammar school, or group of schools in an area, sets its own test, its own pass mark and its own rules for turning scores into offers. What follows is true almost everywhere in England; check the specific schools you are interested in.
Registration comes first, and early
Most areas ask you to register your child for the test in the spring or summer term of Year 5. This is separate from the school application, and missing it usually means missing the test. Some areas test all children automatically; most don’t.
The test, usually in September of Year 6
Tests are typically taken in September of Year 6. They usually cover some mix of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. One sitting can cover several schools when they belong to the same consortium.
What the score means
Most areas report a standardised score. Raw marks are adjusted for the child’s age in months, so a younger child isn’t disadvantaged, and scaled so that scores across the cohort follow a fixed spread. Two things follow:
- A score is only meaningful against that test’s own pass mark or qualifying score.
- A score from one area can’t be compared with a score from another.
You get the result before you apply
Admission authorities must take all reasonable steps to tell you the outcome of the test before the 31 October application deadline, so you can decide whether to name a grammar school.
From score to offer
Passing is not the same as being offered a place. Common approaches:
- Qualify, then distance. Every child above the qualifying score is eligible, and places go by distance or catchment. The furthest distance offered matters more than the score.
- Ranked by score. Places go to the highest scorers until the school is full. The lowest score offered changes each year.
- Priority groups. Some schools give priority to disadvantaged children who reach the pass mark, or to children living in a defined area, before others.
That is why past cut-offs, by year and by category, are the most useful thing to look at. Our reports show them where they are published.
Northern Ireland
Transfer to grammar schools in Northern Ireland is different: the main test is taken in November of Primary 7 and results come out in late January, before you apply. See Northern Ireland key dates and transfer in Northern Ireland.