11+ Parent Guide: making the right decisions
A calm, step-by-step guide to the choices ahead: whether the 11+ suits your child, what happens when, and what to do once results arrive.
On this page
Is the 11+ right for your child?
There’s no right answer for every family. A few things are worth thinking about together:
- 📚 Does your child enjoy reading and solving problems?
- ⏱️ How do they handle a challenge, and working against the clock?
- 🚌 How far away is the school, and how would they get there each day?
- 🏫 Would that school suit them: single-sex or mixed, its size, and the subjects it offers?
Your decision timeline
- Years 3–4Build foundations, read widely and keep it enjoyable.
- Years 4–5Shortlist schools. Check catchment, travel, admission rules and which test each school uses.
- Year 5 (spring–summer)Register for each test before its deadline. Registration closes months before the test, and it’s separate from your council application.
- Year 6 (September–October)Your child sits the test or tests. Results usually arrive in October, before the council deadline.
- By 31 October of Year 6Apply through your home council, listing schools in your genuine order of preference, plus a realistic non-selective choice. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 31 October 2026.
- 1 MarchNational Offer Day (1 March 2027 for September 2027 entry). Then accept your offer, join waiting lists, or appeal if you need to.
Why start early?
Starting in Year 3 doesn’t guarantee a place, but it gives your child time. At just 10 questions a day, a child who starts in Year 3 practises around 5,800 questions before the Year 6 test, compared with around 1,950 for a child who starts in Year 5. That means building skills steadily, instead of cramming in the final year. Competition is real: in Bexley, 5,866 children sat the 2025 test for 800 places, around 7 for every place.
| Starts in | Time before test | Questions at 10 a day |
|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | About 3 years | About 5,850 |
| Year 4 | About 2 years | About 3,900 |
| Year 5 | About 1 year | About 1,950 |
Based on 10 questions a day, 5 days a week, 39 school weeks a year. An illustration, not a prediction. Test figures: Bexley Council: Selection Test.
Which test does my school use?
Tests differ from area to area. Some examples, from official sources checked October 2026:
| Area or school | Provider | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|
| Redbridge | GL Assessment | English with Verbal Reasoning; Maths with Non-Verbal Reasoning |
| Bexley | Quest Assessments | Verbal ability and English, numerical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning |
| Kent | Quest Assessments from 2027 | English, maths and reasoning, plus a 40-minute writing task (not marked, but may be used in the headteacher assessment) |
| Essex (CSSE) | CSSE | English and Maths only |
| Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet | The school | English and Maths, multiple choice |
How do I know if my child is on track?
- 📈 Look at the trend across several mocks and the topic-by-topic breakdown, not one score.
- 🔢 Raw marks (questions right) aren’t the same as the standardised scores the real tests use, so don’t compare them directly.
- 🧑🏫 Talk to your tutor about the weakest topics and how to work on them.
After the result: what to do
✅ Qualified
- List schools in your genuine order of preference.
- Qualifying doesn’t guarantee a place.
- Include a realistic back-up choice.
➖ Just below the threshold
- Check whether your area has a review or appeal route (for example, Buckinghamshire’s selection review).
- Still apply by 31 October, including non-selective schools.
🧭 Didn’t qualify
- Choose the best non-selective option for your child.
- The skills they’ve built still help in Year 7 and beyond.
Questions to ask a school
- How many Year 7 places are there (the published admission number, or PAN)?
- How many children sat the test last year, and how many qualified?
- How are places given: by score, distance, catchment or priority groups?
- What was the last score admitted in each category last year?
- Is there a waiting list, and how does it work?
Looking after your child
- 🌱 Short, regular practice beats cramming.
- 👏 Praise effort, not just results.
- ⚽ Keep time for play, friends and rest.
- 💛 The test is one day. Your child’s learning carries on either way.
How Out of School helps at each step
- 🧠 Learn mode first: one question at a time with instant feedback; in comprehension, a wrong answer highlights the evidence in the passage.
- ⏱️ Then timed mocks: single-subject papers or a full mock, with exam-style timing.
- 📊 Topic breakdowns for parents, so you can see what’s going well and what needs work.
- 🎯 Target schools in Learning goals: choose them in your parent account (your child → Learning goals) so practice matches the test.
- 🧑🏫 Tutor support, with homework and mocks set at the right level.
Questions? Email parents@out-of-school.net
Printable checklist
A one-page checklist to keep on the fridge: your shortlist of schools, the test each one uses, registration dates, your council deadline, a back-up choice, and space for notes.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Redbridge Council 11 plus · Kent County Council: Kent Test · CSSE · Bexley Council: Selection Test · Queen Elizabeth’s School FAQs · Buckinghamshire Council: Selection Review · GOV.UK: school admissions · GOV.UK: apply for a secondary school place. Dates and arrangements change every year: always check the official page for your child’s entry year.