How to read your child's 11+ results letter

When does the result arrive?

Each area or school sets its own date. The national rule, from the School Admissions Code, is that 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 many English results arrive in October, a few weeks before applications close.

For 2027 entry, for example:

• Buckinghamshire results came out on 9 October 2026 (by email, after 4pm)Source for Buckinghamshire 2027 entry: ResultsBuckinghamshire 2027 entry: ResultsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: Most parents will be informed of their child’s Secondary Transfer Test result by email, after 4pm on 9 October 2026.View the official source.
• Kent Test results are due on Thursday 15 October 2026 (by email, after 4pm)Source for Kent 2027 entry: ResultsKent 2027 entry: ResultsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Kent County Council (hosted by school).The source says: Thursday 15 October 2026 Kent Test Decisions emails are sent after 4pm to the email address used to register the child.View the official source.

Results now usually arrive by email or through an online account rather than on paper. Check your junk folder, and make sure you can log in to any portal before results day. Your area's results page lists the date and method we have verified.

What might the letter or email show?

There is no national format. The table below shows the main kinds of result, with official examples.

So if your letter has no score on it, that is not a mistake. Some areas simply do not share scores.

How do you read it, step by step?

1. Find the headline outcome. Look for words such as "qualified", "met the standard", "eligible" or "selective". If these are there, they matter more than any number. If the letter says your child reached the standard, that is the key fact for your application.

2. Work out what kind of number you have. Is it one score for one paper, a weighted score, or a total of several papers? A total will usually be a much bigger number than a single paper score. Do not compare one kind with another.

3. Compare it only with your own area's figures. A score means nothing next to another area's qualifying score, because the scales differ. Our guide on what is a good standardised score? shows the published figures by area, and the pass mark page for your area gives past years.

4. Check whether there is more than one condition. Some areas need a minimum total and a minimum on each paper. A strong total with one lower paper score can lead to a different outcome than you might expect.

5. Look for anything about each school. In some areas the result is the same for every school. In others, each school sets its own standard or sends its own result.

6. Remember what the result is not. A result is not an offer of a place. Offers come later, from your home council, and depend on each school's admission rules as well as the result.

What do some of the words mean?

• Standardised score. Your child's marks placed on a scale and compared with everyone who sat the test, usually with an age adjustment. It is not a percentage. Our guide on is 70% enough to pass the 11+? explains why.
• Total or aggregate. Two or more scores added together, sometimes after weighting.
• Qualifying score or standard. The level an area or school sets as its standard for grammar school entry.
• Band. A group of children by score. In Northern Ireland, SEAG uses bands: 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.
• Letters instead of words. Some areas use letters for the outcome. In Kent, for 2026 entry, a child below the threshold received an H assessment (any school except grammar)Source for Kent: Below qualifying score (2026)Kent: Below qualifying score (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Kent County Council (hosted by school).The source says: Pupils with an aggregate score lower than 332 will have an H assessment, as will pupils who have scored less than 108 on one test.View the official source.
• Estimated result. In Northern Ireland, if a child misses one SEAG paper, their single paper is still marked and they get results marked "e" for estimateSource for SEAG (Northern Ireland): One paper estimateSEAG (Northern Ireland): One paper estimateCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: Such pupils will, however, have their “single paper” marked by GL Assessment and will receive a Statement of Outcomes.View the official source. Our page on transfer test results explained covers the SEAG statement in full.

What should you do after reading it?

Whatever the result, the next steps are practical and calm.

1. Apply to your home council by the deadline. The national secondary application deadline is 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. Check your own council's instructions, including any time of day it gives. List schools in your real order of preference. Our guide on how to rank school preferences explains why this matters.
2. Include at least one school your child is very likely to be offered. This gives you a realistic option whatever happens.
3. Check any review process if your child did not reach the standard. These are area-specific. In Buckinghamshire, the deadline to ask for a Selection Review for 2027 entry is 30 October 2026Source for Buckinghamshire 2027 entry: Selection review deadlineBuckinghamshire 2027 entry: Selection review deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: If you receive your child’s Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS) on 9 October, you must submit your child’s Selection Review case in full by 30 October.View the official source. In Kent: If a pupil is not assessed selective, their primary headteacher can ask for a review; a panel of headteachers looks at the pupil's school work and Kent Test writingSource for Kent: ProcessKent: ProcessCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Folkestone School for Girls.The source says: A panel of Headteachers then assesses the student’s work and the written work that was submitted for the Kent Test and they determine whether or not the student should be assessed as selective.View the official source.
4. Know what is not available. Some areas do not re-mark papers. CSSE, for example, says test papers are not re-markedSource for CSSE (Essex and Southend): No remarkCSSE (Essex and Southend): No remarkCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex).The source says: The CSSE schools have a joint policy to not re-mark test papers.View the official source.
5. Keep the letter or email safe. You may need it for appeals or waiting lists later.

Our page on reviews and appeals explains your options if you are later refused a place, and 11+ results day: what to do next covers the timeline.

What if something on the letter looks wrong?

It is sensible to check the basic details:

• Your child's name and date of birth. The date of birth matters, because many tests adjust scores for age.
• The schools listed, if the result is shared with more than one school.
• The test your child actually sat, especially if they took a late or out-of-area test.

If anything looks wrong, contact the admissions team named on the letter or email as soon as you can, in writing, and keep a copy of what you send. Ask them to confirm the details they hold.

If your child was unwell on the day, or something went wrong during the test, the result will not usually change because of that. However, some areas take this kind of information into account in a review, and appeal panels can consider it later. Write down what happened while you still remember it clearly.

How can you talk to your child about the result?

Children often take their cue from their parents. A few things can help:

• Read the result yourself first, in private, so you have time to take it in.
• Lead with the effort, not the number. Sitting the 11+ takes courage, whatever the outcome.
• Keep it short and simple. Children do not need the details of scales and thresholds.
• Talk about what happens next, so they know there is a plan.

If your child did not reach the standard, they may feel upset for a while, and that is normal. Our guide what happens if my child doesn't pass the 11+? has ideas for those conversations and for choosing other schools. If your child did reach it, celebrate the effort, and remember that a place still depends on the application.

Related pages

• 11+ results day: what to do next
• What is a good standardised score?
• What happens if my child doesn't pass the 11+?
• 11+ reviews and appeals
• Secondary school applications

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 13 October 2026: the Department for Education and GOV.UK, Buckinghamshire Council, Kent County Council, Kendrick School, Reading School, the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools, Bournemouth School for Girls, Torquay Boys' Grammar School, The Crossley Heath School, Wilson's School, the London Borough of Redbridge, SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group) and Folkestone School for Girls.

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