11+ registration: how and when to register

Who do I register with?

It depends on the area. In some areas you register with the council, in others with a consortium of schools, and for some schools with the school itself. Your area's guide on find your 11+ area says which. A few points apply almost everywhere:

• Registration is for the test, not for a place. You still need to apply for a secondary school place later: you apply through your own local council, even for schools in another council areaSource for Who you apply throughWho you apply throughCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.View the official source, by 31 OctoberSource for School place applications close (common application form, CAF)School place applications close (common application form, CAF)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You must apply for a secondary school place by 31 October.View the official source.
• Some schools need their own form. For example, at St. Olave's Grammar School, you apply to sit the test through the school’s own Supplementary Information Form (SIF), and late applications are not acceptedSource for School-set tests: St olaves sifSchool-set tests: St olaves sifCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Olave's Grammar School.The source says: Applications to take the Selective Entrance Test (SET) open via our Supplementary Information Form (SIF):View the official source.
• If you are looking at schools in more than one area, you may need to register for more than one test.

When does registration open for 2028 entry?

These windows are verified against each area's official source. Other areas have not published their 2028-entry windows yet, or we are still checking them; their dates pages show the latest.

Some areas give an early guide, such as a month, before the exact date. We show those words as published and replace them when the exact date is out. Every area's full timeline is on 11+ dates by area.

What other deadlines come with registration?

Registration is often not the only deadline in Year 5. Look out for these:

1. Access arrangements. If your child has a special educational need or disability, the law says tests must be accessible to children with SEN and disabilities, with reasonable adjustmentsSource for Tests must be accessible to children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities)Tests must be accessible to children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: ensure that tests are accessible to children with special educational needs and disabilities, having regard to the reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils required under equalities legislation; andView the official source. You usually have to ask for these with evidence, and the deadline can come before registration closes. In the Sutton SET, for example, access arrangement requests have an earlier deadline than registrationSource for Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET): earlier deadline for access arrangementsSutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET): earlier deadline for access arrangementsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sutton SET Consortium (hosted on Nonsuch High School for Girls website).The source says: earlier deadline of 12 June 2026 for submission of requests for access arrangements forView the official source. See 11+ access arrangements.
2. Pupil premium evidence. Under the School Admissions Code, schools may (but do not have to) prioritise children eligible for the pupil premium or service premiumSource for Priority for children eligible for the pupil premiumPriority for children eligible for the pupil premiumCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Admission authorities may give priority in their oversubscription criteria to ... children eligible for the early years pupil premium , the pupil premium and also ... children eligible for the service premium .View the official source. Where a school does, it may ask for evidence by its own deadline. See pupil premium and the 11+.
3. Supplementary forms. Some schools ask for a form of their own, for example to check faith or residence criteria.
4. Test-centre choices. Some areas ask you to choose a test centre, or run separate sessions for children at schools outside the area.

What do I need to register?

Details vary, but most registrations ask for:

• your child's full name, date of birth and current primary school;
• your home address, and sometimes proof of it;
• the email address you will use for results;
• any access arrangements, with evidence from school or a professional;
• in some areas, the schools you are interested in.

Keep the confirmation email. If you do not receive one, contact the organiser before the window closes.

What if I miss the registration deadline?

Contact the organiser straight away. Some areas run a late window or a later test. In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, for example, children who registered or applied late can sit the tests the following February, and are considered after the first round of offersSource for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: late testsBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: late testsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bournemouth School.The source says: For children whose registration or application form (or both) were submitted after the closing dates, there will be an opportunity to sit the school entrance tests in the following February for consideration after the first round of allocations.View the official source. Others do not accept late registrations at all. Our guide to late applications and late tests explains the options.

How can I avoid missing a window?

• Note your area's registration window as soon as it is published, in Year 4 or early Year 5.
• Check whether each school you like uses the same test, or needs its own form.
• Ask early about access arrangements: gathering evidence takes time.
• Bookmark your area's dates page and check it at the start of each term.

Related pages

• 11+ dates by area
• Find your 11+ area
• Secondary school applications explained
• When to start 11+ preparation
• 11+ questions parents ask

Sources

National rules come from GOV.UK school admissions guidance and the School Admissions Code 2021. Area registration windows come from each area's verified record: Buckinghamshire Council, Quest Assessments and Poole Grammar School (Bournemouth and Poole), Pate's Grammar School (Gloucestershire), Wallington County Grammar School (Sutton SET), Haberdashers' Adams (Telford and Wrekin) and Wirral Council. Other examples come from Bournemouth School, St. Olave's Grammar School and the Sutton SET consortium. All were archived and checked on 9 October 2026.

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