11+ guide · checked October 2026
11+ English, explained simply
The 11+ English test checks how well your child reads, understands and uses language: comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar, and sometimes a piece of writing. This page explains the tests used by London schools, how the scores work, and how to prepare.
- Taken in Year 6 (autumn)
- Comprehension and grammar
- Standardised scores
- Sometimes a written task
Exam board
Not sure which board? Ask your child's school, or check the front of a mockA practice exam, usually set by school a few months before the real thing. paper.
The exams at a glance
GL Assessment 11+ English (Redbridge, Buckinghamshire). 1 paper.
Specification: GL Assessment 11+ English (Redbridge, Buckinghamshire)
What's in the exams
Tests don't publish topic weightings. ISEB says its English test has two parts: reading comprehension on short passages of 300 to 500 words (fiction, non-fiction or poetry), and grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary. Some schools, such as Tiffin at stage 2, also ask for longer written answers.
How the grading works
Standardised scores, not percentages
The 11+ is not marked out of 100. Raw marks are turned into a standardised score that allows for a child's age in months, so a younger child is not at a disadvantage. On GL Assessment's scale the average is 100, about two-thirds of children score between 85 and 115, and only about 2% score 130 or more.
What score is needed?
It depends on the school. Buckinghamshire grammar schools qualify children with a total score of 121 or more. Ilford County High in Redbridge sets a minimum of 104, but ranks everyone above that by score, so places usually go to children scoring well above the minimum. Selective schools rarely publish a single pass mark.
Who sets the test?
Most London-area grammar schools use GL Assessment, sometimes with their own papers (Tiffin School uses bespoke tests set with Quest). Many independent schools use the ISEB Pre-Test, an online test taken once and shared with every school applied to. Cambridge's current entrance tests (Cambridge Select Insight) are offered to independent schools.
Past paper mock builder
Pick an exam series and we'll set out the full GL Assessment mock: which papers to sit, how long to allow and where to download them.
-
English and verbal reasoning, Free familiarisation papers · Redbridge: one combined paper; length given in the invitation letter
Download the papers and mark schemes: GL Assessment official past papers or Save My Exams past papers. Exam boards keep the most recent series for schools only for a while, so if the newest one isn't there, take the one before.
What English is really about
Where the word comes from
"English" comes from the Old English Englisc, the language of the Angles. "Eleven-plus" is simply the age: the test is taken by children aged 11 or about to turn 11, in the autumn of Year 6.
Where it comes from
The Education Act 1944, steered through Parliament by R. A. Butler, set up grammar, secondary technical and secondary modern schools, and the eleven-plus decided who went where. Most areas phased out selection from the 1960s, but grammar schools remain in places including Buckinghamshire, Kent and several London boroughs such as Redbridge, Sutton, Bexley and Kingston.
Why it's still taught
Reading quickly and understanding precisely is the skill every secondary subject depends on. For grammar and selective independent schools, English (often with verbal reasoning) is a major part of the score, and in Buckinghamshire verbal skills make up half of it.
How to do well in 11+ English
Read every day, widely
The single best preparation is reading: classic and modern novels, non-fiction and poetry. Talk about the books together.
Collect new words
Keep a vocabulary notebook of unfamiliar words met while reading, with their meanings and an example sentence. Synonym and antonym questions are common.
Find the evidence in the text
Comprehension answers are almost always in the passage. Teach your child to go back and find the line, not to answer from memory.
Practise grammar in context
ISEB asks which sentence is grammatically correct rather than for grammar terms. Practise spotting errors in real sentences.
Use the free familiarisation papers
Practising the exact format, especially multiple-choice answer sheets, removes surprises on the day.
Write short pieces to time
Where a school sets writing, a 20-minute story or description, planned for 3 minutes first, is good regular practice.
The three best places to revise
Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.
GL Assessment free familiarisation materials
Free sample papers from the company that sets most grammar school tests, showing the real format.
Oxford Owl
Free e-books and reading guidance for primary-age children, from Oxford University Press.
BBC Bitesize
Free KS2 English lessons and games on grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading.
Questions parents ask
Not sure where your child stands?
Our free 45-minute assessment often uses a real past paperA real exam from a previous year, used for practice., so you'll know their likely grade and exactly what to work on. Lessons online across the UK, or at our seven London hubs.
Sources
- London Borough of Redbridge, Redbridge 11 plus (Ilford County High and Woodford County High, September 2027 entry)
- Ilford County High School, Year 7 admissions (minimum threshold score of 104)
- Buckinghamshire Council, Marking the Secondary Transfer Test (qualifying score 121)
- The Latymer School, Year 7 admissions
- Tiffin School, Frequently asked questions, entry September 2027
- ISEB, What are the ISEB Common Pre-Tests (11+) and how do they work?
- ISEB, Pre-Tests test framework
- GL Assessment, Quick data guide (standard age scores)
- Cambridge (CEM), Entrance assessments