Where does it come from?

The eleven-plus (11-plus) is an examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academic selection. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years.

The eleven-plus was once used throughout England and Wales, but is now only used in counties and boroughs in England that offer selective schools instead of comprehensive schools. Also known as the transfer test, it is especially associated with the Tripartite System which was in use from 1944 until it had been phased out across most of the UK by 1976.

What does it cover?

Eleven-plus and similar exams vary around the country but will use some or all of the following components:

  • Verbal Reasoning (VR)
  • Non-Verbal reasoning (NVR)
  • Mathematics (MA)
  • English (EN)

Eleven-plus tests take place in September of children's final primary school year with results provided to parents in October to allow application for secondary schools.

Which Schools have an exam?

There are 164 Grammar Schools remaining in England, all of which are fully selective and use various types of 11 Plus testing to determine their intake. You can find lists of the schools, links to them and information about the tests on each of the regional sections in this area of the site. 

North West England

Cumbria

Lancashire

Liverpool

Trafford

Wirral

Yorkshire and the Humber

Calderdale

Kirklees

North Yorkshire

East Midlands

Lincolnshire

West Midlands

Birmingham

Stoke-on-Trent

Telford and Wrekin

Walsall

Warwickshire

Wolverhampton

East of England

Essex

Southend-on-Sea

South East England

Buckinghamshire

Kent

Medway

Reading

Slough

South West England

Bournemouth

Devon

Gloucestershire

Plymouth

Poole

Torbay

Wiltshire

Greater London

Barnet

Bexley

Bromley

Enfield

Kingston upon Thames

Redbridge

Sutton[