The short answer
A standardised score turns your child's raw mark into a number that shows how they did compared with everyone who sat the same test, with an adjustment for age so younger children are not disadvantaged. It is not a percentage. Each area uses its own scale and its own pass mark, so a score only makes sense next to that area's rules. A score from one test can't be compared directly with another.
What to do next
Step 1: Find your area’s scale and qualifying score
A score only makes sense next to your area’s own rules.
Find your 11+ areaStep 2: Compare like with like
A practice or mock score is a rough guide, not a prediction.
How to read mock results
What is a raw score, and why isn't it enough?
The raw score is simply the number of marks your child got. On its own it doesn't tell you much, because:
- one year's paper may be harder than another's;
- some sections may have more questions than others;
- a child born in September has had almost a year more learning than a child born in August.
Standardising deals with all three, so the same score means roughly the same thing from year to year.
How does standardisation work?
In outline:
- Every child's raw marks are compared with the marks of everyone else who sat that test.
- The marks are placed on a fixed scale, so the middle of the group lands on the same number each year.
- In most 11+ tests, children's ages are taken into account, so a younger child needs slightly fewer raw marks for the same standardised score.
- If a test has several sections, each section may be standardised separately and then combined, sometimes with different weights.
For example, in Buckinghamshire each section is age-standardised, each section's standardised score falls between 60 and 170Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT): Standardised score rangeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: A child's ‘standardised score' will be between 60 and 170.
View the official source, and the sections are weighted verbal 50%, maths 25%, non-verbal 25%Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT): How the test sections are weightedChecked 9 Oct 2026 against The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS).The source says: verbal – 50%; mathematical – 25%; non-verbal – 25%
View the official source.
What do the numbers mean on different scales?
Scales differ between tests, which is why scores can't be swapped between areas:
| Test | Scale | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SEAG (Northern Ireland), each subject | 69 to 141, average 100SEAG (Northern Ireland): score range for each subject (standardised age score, SAS)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: The English/Irish SAS range will be 69-141 with a mean (or average) of 100View the official source | The average child scores around the middle |
| SEAG total | 138 to 282, average 200SEAG (Northern Ireland): total score range (total standardised age score)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: The Total SAS range will be 138-282 with a mean (or average) of 200.View the official source | The English and maths scores added together |
| Buckinghamshire, each section | between 60 and 170Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT): Standardised score rangeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says: A child's ‘standardised score' will be between 60 and 170.View the official source | Combined into one weighted score |
| CSSE (Essex and Southend) | See the CSSE page | emailed to every candidate, with the raw score for each subject and an overall standardised scoreCSSE (Essex and Southend): how results are sentChecked 9 Oct 2026 against CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex).The source says: You will be notified of the raw scores for each subject as well as the overall standardised score.View the official source |
| ISEB Pre-Tests | Set by ISEB | results are age-standardised, so younger and older applicants, and different testing dates, can be compared fairlyISEB Pre-Tests: age-standardised resultsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board).The source says: Results are age-standardised so that appropriate comparisons can be made between younger and older applicants and between dates of testing.View the official source |
Is a standardised score a percentage?
No. A score that sounds like a percentage is not one. Questions such as "is 70% enough?" usually mix up a percentage of marks in a practice paper with a standardised score in the real test. They measure different things. Practice-paper percentages depend on how hard the paper was; standardised scores depend on how everyone who sat the real test did.
How do areas use the score?
Areas and schools decide this, not the test provider. The main approaches are:
- A qualifying score. In Buckinghamshire a score of 121Buckinghamshire: Qualifying scoreChecked 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 or more makes a child qualified, and the council expects about 37%Buckinghamshire: Children expected to reach the qualifying scoreChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Buckinghamshire Council.The source says:We expect that about 37% of children will get an STTS of 121 or more.
View the official source of children to reach it. - Ranking. Some schools offer places to the highest scorers, in order.
- A pass mark plus other rules. Many schools set a standard and then use their admission rules, such as distance or catchment, among children who reach it.
Each area page shows the rule that applies, with past pass marks where they are published.
Why can two tests give different scores for the same child?
Because each test has its own content, scale and group of children taking it. A practice test or mock is standardised (if at all) against a different, often smaller and differently prepared group, so its score won't match the real test exactly. Treat any practice score as a rough guide to strengths and gaps, not a prediction. Our guide on how to read mock results explains more.
Related pages
- The 11+ and summer-born children
- What is a good standardised score?
- Age standardisation: how the 11+ adjusts for age
- 11+ pass marks by area
- Is there a GL 11+ pass mark?
- How to read your child's 11+ results letter
Sources
Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 9 October 2026: SEAG (frequently asked questions), the CSSE information guide for 2027 entry, the ISEB (Pre-Tests information for families) and our verified Buckinghamshire records (The Bucks Grammar Schools and Buckinghamshire Council).
ExamKind is independent and is not connected with any test provider. How we make our content.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT): Standardised score range | 60 and 170 | Source: Buckinghamshire Council, checked |
| Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT): How the test sections are weighted | verbal 50%, maths 25%, non-verbal 25% | Source: The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS), checked |
| SEAG (Northern Ireland): score range for each subject (standardised age score, SAS) | 69 to 141, average 100 | Source: SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group), checked |
| SEAG (Northern Ireland): total score range (total standardised age score) | 138 to 282, average 200 | Source: SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group), checked |
| CSSE (Essex and Southend): how results are sent | emailed to every candidate, with the raw score for each subject and an overall standardised score | Source: CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex), checked |
| ISEB Pre-Tests: age-standardised results | results are age-standardised, so younger and older applicants, and different testing dates, can be compared fairly | Source: ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board), checked |
| Buckinghamshire: Qualifying score | 121 | Source: The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS), checked |
| Buckinghamshire: Children expected to reach the qualifying score | about 37% | Source: Buckinghamshire Council, checked |
Written and checked by the ExamKind Editorial Team. Every fact on this page links to its official source. ExamKind is independent: no test provider, school or council owns us, and we have no ads. Spotted a mistake? Report an error on this page, or see every correction we have made.