Guides

Guides for parents

Our guides explain the parts of the 11+ that are the same everywhere: what scores mean, how applying works, and what to do after results. Each one starts with a short answer, then the next steps. Any fact about a particular area or school links to its official source.

40 guides · Written and checked by the ExamKind Editorial Team · Last reviewed 9 October 2026

Words explained: CAF, PAN, catchment and more

Start here

What the 11+ is, and whether it is right for your child.

Guide
A DIY 11+ plan for under £100
Prepare for the 11+ on a small budget: free official materials for each test, libraries, school support, help for eligible families and a simple spending plan.
8 min read
Guide
The 11+ and summer-born children
Is a summer-born child at a disadvantage in the 11+? What official sources say about age adjustment, birth-date windows and out-of-year-group rules.
8 min read
Guide
The 11+ in Year 3: foundations without pressure
Year 3 is not the time for 11+ test practice. How to build reading, vocabulary, times tables and focus at home in Year 3, and what to do about 11+ worksheets.
8 min read
Guide
The 11+ in Year 4: a calm, realistic plan
What to do about the 11+ in Year 4: find out your schools, test and dates, firm up reading and maths, keep test practice light and decide about practice papers.
8 min read
Guide
The 11+ in Year 5: a month-by-month plan
A month-by-month 11+ plan for Year 5: open events, gaps, registration, format and timed practice, plus a separate plan for areas that test in summer of Year 5.
8 min read
Guide
Is the 11+ age standardised?
Many 11+ tests adjust scores for a child's age, so the youngest in the year are compared fairly. What official sources say, how it works and what it cannot do.
8 min read
Guide
Bursaries: means-tested help with independent school fees
How independent school bursaries work: means-testing, how much of the fees they can cover, income guides, deadlines and how bursaries differ from scholarships.
5 min read
Guide
CEM vs GL: what changed and why it matters now
CEM and GL were once the two big 11+ names. What official sources say today, why old CEM-labelled books may not match your test, and how to check for your year.
5 min read
Guide
GL vs FSCE: how preparation changes
Gloucestershire and Trafford are moving from GL to FSCE. What changes: subjects, written answers, practice material, test timing and preparation.
8 min read
Guide
GL vs Quest: how the two tests differ
GL and Quest 11+ tests compared using official sources: how each test is set, what familiarisation exists, and what a change of provider means for preparation.
8 min read
Guide
How do grammar school admissions work?
How grammar school admissions work: what PAN means, how oversubscription criteria decide places, and what the School Admissions Code allows and forbids.
7 min read
Guide
How hard is the 11+?
How hard the 11+ is depends on your area: the test format, the share of children who reach the standard and how many compete for each place. With real figures.
7 min read
Guide
How much 11+ practice is enough?
How many hours a week of 11+ practice is enough? Why there is no official figure, what many parents report, rest days, signs to ease off and building stamina.
7 min read
Guide
How to read your child's 11+ results letter
What an 11+ results letter or email may show, from scores and bands to a simple yes or no, how to tell what it means for your child and what to do next, calmly.
8 min read
Guide
Is 70% enough to pass the 11+?
Why no percentage of marks equals an 11+ pass, how raw marks become standardised scores, and what the percentages councils publish really mean for your child.
8 min read
Guide
Is my child "grammar school material"?
There is no fixed type of grammar school child. What schools actually ask for, which signs parents notice and what they can't predict, and who to talk to first.
7 min read
Getting started
Is the 11+ worth it?
An honest look at whether the 11+ is right for your child: what a grammar place offers, the costs in time, money and stress, and the questions that help you decide.
3 min read
Getting started
Pupil premium priority and the 11+
How pupil premium priority works for grammar school places: who is eligible, the 2026 free school meals change, lower pass marks and evidence deadlines.
3 min read
Guide
Super-selective and county grammar schools: what is the difference?
"Super-selective" is an informal term, not an official category. Learn the two ways grammar schools give places after the test, with real examples from areas.
8 min read
Guide
VAT on private school fees: what it means for families
What the VAT on private school fees covers, when it started, what HMRC says about fee rises, EHCP places and nurseries, and how to read a school's fee list.
4 min read
Guide
What age is the 11+, and which year do children sit it?
Most children sit the 11+ in September of Year 6, aged 10 or 11. Some areas now test in the summer of Year 5. Here is how to check the timing for your area.
8 min read
Guide
What is a good standardised score?
A good 11+ score depends on the area's scale and admission rule. See what the average is, the highest possible scores and the qualifying scores areas publish.
9 min read
Getting started
What is a grammar school?
What a grammar school is: a free state school that selects by academic ability through the 11+, how it differs from other schools, and how places are given.
3 min read

Tests and scores

How the tests differ, and what the numbers mean.

Test formats
The 11+ formats compared
A side-by-side comparison of the main 11+ test formats: subjects, answer style, past or practice papers and what each means for preparation, with official sources.
4 min read
Scores
How to read mock results
What an 11+ mock score really means, why different mocks give different numbers, what to look at instead of the headline score, and what to do next.
3 min read
Scores
Standardised scores explained
What a standardised score is, why it is not a percentage, how age standardisation helps younger children, and how areas turn scores into pass marks and offers.
4 min read

Preparing calmly

When to start, what helps, and what to leave out.

Access arrangements
Access arrangements for the 11+
How 11+ access arrangements work for children with SEN or disabilities: your rights, what is usually available, the evidence needed, early deadlines and EHC plans.
3 min read
Preparation
Can you pass the 11+ without a tutor?
Yes, many families prepare for the 11+ at home. A calm DIY plan: find your test, use free official materials, fill gaps and practise little and often.
4 min read
Preparation
Are 11+ mocks worth it?
What an 11+ mock can and can't tell you, when a mock is worth doing, how to choose one that matches your test, and how to keep the experience calm for your child.
3 min read
Preparation
When to start 11+ preparation
When to start preparing for the 11+, what matters in Years 3, 4 and 5, how test dates and formats change the answer, and why earlier is not always better.
4 min read

Choosing and applying

Picking schools, catchment areas and the school place application.

Catchment
Grammar school catchment areas explained
Do grammar schools have catchment areas? How catchments, distance and priority areas work, how your home address is decided, and how to check a school's rules.
3 min read
Choosing a school
How to choose a grammar school
How to choose grammar schools to apply for: the test, admission rules, catchment and distance, past allocations, the journey and your child's happiness.
3 min read
Choosing a school
How to rank your school preferences
How the equal preference system works, why you should list schools in your real order, how grammar schools fit in, and how to include a realistic safety choice.
3 min read
Applications and offers
Late applications, late tests and in-year places
Missed an 11+ registration or application deadline, or moving mid-year? Late applications, late tests, waiting lists and in-year places explained.
3 min read
Catchment
Moving house for a grammar school
Thinking of moving for a grammar school? Address cut-off dates, catchment and distance rules, proof of address and how councils check addresses.
3 min read
Applications and offers
Applying to a grammar school outside your local authority
Yes, you can apply to a grammar school in another council area. How test registration, your home council's application and catchment rules work.
3 min read
Applications and offers
Secondary school applications (the CAF) explained
How to apply for a secondary school place in England: your home council, the 31 October deadline, preferences, National Offer Day and what comes next.
3 min read

After the results

Offers, waiting lists, appeals, and looking after each other.

Offers and appeals
Grammar school waiting lists explained
How grammar school waiting lists work: how long they last, how they are ranked, whether you can join while holding another offer, and how they fit with appeals.
3 min read
If it doesn't go to plan
What happens if my child doesn't pass the 11+?
If your child doesn't pass the 11+: how to talk about it, routes that may remain (reviews, pupil premium, waiting lists, appeals) and choosing schools well.
4 min read
Wellbeing
Keeping perspective: the 11+ is one route, not the only one
How to keep the 11+ in proportion: protecting your child's wellbeing, spotting signs of too much pressure, looking after yourself and seeing other routes.
4 min read

Results day can be hard

Whatever the letter says, there are next steps, and you don’t have to take them all today. Our calmest guide starts with how to talk to your child.

Read the next steps