11+ scores explained

What is the difference between a raw score and a standardised score?

The raw score is the number of marks your child got. It is hard to compare on its own, because papers differ in difficulty from year to year, sections can have different numbers of questions, and the oldest children in a year group have had almost a year more learning than the youngest.

A standardised score places those marks on a fixed scale, so the middle of the group lands on the same number each year. In most 11+ tests, age is taken into account too, so a younger child needs slightly fewer raw marks for the same standardised score. Our guides to standardised scores and age standardisation go into the detail.

Why do scores look so different between areas?

Because each test uses its own scale. A score from one area cannot be compared with a score from another. Some examples:

That is also why a percentage from a practice paper is not the same thing as a standardised score in the real test.

Qualifying score, pass mark or cut-off: what do they mean?

These words are often used loosely. On ExamKind we use them like this:

• Qualifying score (or pass mark): the score an area or school sets as its standard. Reaching it makes a child eligible to be considered. It is not an offer of a place. In Buckinghamshire, for example, the qualifying score is 121Source for Buckinghamshire: Qualifying scoreBuckinghamshire: Qualifying scoreCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS).The source says: The qualifying score for Buckinghamshire grammar schools is a Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS) of 121 or above.View the official source.
• Threshold set after the test: some schools set the standard only once results are known. In Walsall, for example: Each school's governors set a minimum qualifying score after the test results are known. Children who score below it are not offered a place.Source for Walsall: Qualifying ruleWalsall: Qualifying ruleCloseChecked 12 Oct 2026 against Queen Mary's Grammar School.The source says: To be considered for a place at the school, a candidate must achieve the Minimum Qualifying Score. This score is determined by the School’s Governors after the Test results are available. Any candidate scoring below the Minimum Qualifying Score will not be offered a place.View the official source
• Cut-off (lowest score offered): the score of the last child offered a place at a school in a given year. It depends on how many children applied, how they scored and the school's other rules, so it can move a lot from year to year.

Some areas set the pass mark by a rule. For CSSE: A pass mark is set annually so the entrance standard stays comparable with 1990-1994.Source for Essex and Southend (CSSE): Qualifying ruleEssex and Southend (CSSE): Qualifying ruleCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Southend-on-Sea City Council.The source says: A pass mark for the examination is set annually, which ensures that the entrance standard remains comparable with that obtained in the period 1990 – 1994.View the official source

How do schools use the score?

There are three main approaches:

1. A qualifying score, then other rules. Children who reach the standard are considered, and places then go by the school's admission rules, such as distance or catchment. Is a higher score an advantage in Buckinghamshire? NoSource for Buckinghamshire: Score used for rankingBuckinghamshire: Score used for rankingCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS).The source says: When applying their admission rules grammar schools do not use STTS scores to rank order children so children with higher scores are not at an advantage for entry to grammar school.View the official source: schools there do not rank children by score.
2. Ranking by score. Some schools offer places to the highest-scoring children in order, so a higher score improves your position.
3. A mix. For example, a qualifying score plus priority for a higher score, or for children eligible for the pupil premium.

Whatever the approach, schools cannot add points for other reasons: test scores cannot be adjusted for things like having a sibling at the schoolSource for Test scores are not adjusted for admission rulesTest scores are not adjusted for admission rulesCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Admission authorities must not adjust the score achieved by any child in a test to take account of oversubscription criteria, such as having a sibling at the school.View the official source.

When do scores arrive?

In England, the School Admissions Code says admission authorities must take all reasonable steps to tell you the test outcome before 31 October, and must make clear that the outcome does not by itself mean a selective placeSource for Test results before the application deadlineTest results before the application deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: take all reasonable steps to inform parents of the outcome of ... selection tests before the closing date for secondary applications on 31 October so as to allow parents time to make an informed choice of school - while making clear that this does not equate to a guarantee of a selective place.View the official source. That is why most results come in October. In Northern Ireland, results come in January and use bands as well as scores (Band 1 = top 40%; Bands 2–5 = 10% each; Band 6 = below the 20th percentileSource for SEAG (Northern Ireland): BandsSEAG (Northern Ireland): BandsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: Outcomes are also given as one of six Bands. [...] Band 1 60% or higher Band 2 50-59% Band 3 40-49% Band 4 30-39% Band 5 20-29% Band 6 less than 20% [...] Pupils in Band 1 will be in the top 40% of those who sat the Assessment. Bands 2-5 will each contain 10% of the total cohort.View the official source). See transfer test results explained.

Where can I find past pass marks?

Our 11+ pass marks by area page lists every area where we have verified past scores, with a link to each area's history. Every figure is linked to the official source and the date we checked it. We never use approximate figures from forums or other sites.

To check a score against your area's current qualifying score, use the score checker. How our score checker works explains its sources and limits.

What if my child's score is just below the line?

First, a score is a snapshot of one or two mornings, not a measure of your child. Then check:

• whether your area has a review process before places are allocated;
• whether any school gives pupil premium priority below the standard;
• your right to appeal if you are refused a place. In Birmingham, though, children below the qualifying score are not considered and should not list the schoolSource for Birmingham: Below qualifying not consideredBirmingham: Below qualifying not consideredCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham.The source says: If your child does not achieve the qualifying score or above they will not be considered for a place and you should not list the school on your child’s preference form.View the official source, so read your area's rules first.

See 11+ results day, reviews and appeals and what if my child doesn't pass?.

Related pages

• 11+ pass marks by area
• Standardised scores explained
• What is a good standardised score?
• How to read your child's 11+ results letter
• How to read mock results
• 11+ results day: what to do next

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 9 October 2026: the School Admissions Code 2021, SEAG (frequently asked questions), the CSSE information guide for 2027 entry, Southend-on-Sea City Council, and our verified area records for Buckinghamshire (Buckinghamshire Council and The Bucks Grammar Schools), Birmingham (King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham) and Walsall and the West Midlands (Queen Mary's Grammar School).

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