GL Assessment 11+: Format, Regions and Exam Technique
Updated: Aug 21
If your child is in Year 5 or Year 6, the words "11+" have probably crept into more dinner-table conversations than you'd like. Between the different exam boards, the patchwork of regional rules, and the sense that everyone else seems to know something you don't — it's completely normal to feel a bit lost.
Here's the reassuring truth: rigorous preparation doesn't require a stressed-out household. Once you understand exactly how the GL Assessment 11+ is structured, whether your target schools actually use it, and how to prepare methodically rather than frantically, the whole process becomes far more manageable — for you and your child.
That calm, structured approach is exactly the ethos behind David Bell Education, where former headteacher David Bell builds every programme around the idea of "Achievement without Anxiety." We've drawn on that same spirit here: clear information first, confidence second, panic never.
As the leading provider of grammar school entrance tests across England and Northern Ireland, GL Assessment sets the benchmark for thousands of selective school places every year. Here's everything you need to know to prepare thoughtfully and with confidence.
What Is the GL Assessment 11+?
GL Assessment (formerly the NFER — National Foundation for Educational Research) is an independent test provider. For the 11+, GL papers assess both academic attainment and cognitive potential across four core areas:
English — reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling (SPAG), drawn from texts ranging from classic 19th-century fiction to modern non-fiction.
Mathematics — built on the upper Key Stage 2 curriculum: mental arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, measurement, statistics and early algebra.
Verbal Reasoning (VR) — word-based problem-solving, logical deduction, vocabulary relationships and code-breaking, drawn from a recognised bank of 21 distinct question types.
Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) and Spatial Reasoning — visual logic and spatial awareness through pattern recognition, 2D sequences, analogies and 3D rotations or nets.
How the Papers Are Structured
One of the most reassuring things about GL Assessment is how predictable its format is. Nearly all standard papers are multiple-choice, with answers marked on a separate optical mark reader (OMR) sheet.
Depending on the school or consortium, these papers might be sat in a single morning with short breaks, or split across two separate sessions.
How Does GL Compare to Other 11+ Tests?
Knowing how GL differs from other providers — CSSE, bespoke independent-school exams, or the newer FSCE format — helps you choose the right preparation resources.
Strict subject separation: rather than blending skills into "mixed" papers, GL usually sets distinct, dedicated papers per subject.
Standardised question types: GL's Verbal Reasoning is well known for its bank of 21 recognised question types. Once your child understands the logic behind each one, speed and confidence tend to follow naturally.
No negative marking: nothing is deducted for a wrong answer — a raw score is simply the number of correct responses.
Age standardisation: raw scores are adjusted against your child's exact age in years and months on the day of the test, so summer-born children aren't unfairly disadvantaged.
Which Areas and Grammar Schools Use GL Assessment?
Because grammar schools and local authorities set their own admissions arrangements, the provider varies by region — so it's always worth double-checking your own target schools.
Major GL Strongholds
Kent — home to 32 grammar schools. The Kent Test (PESE) is set by GL Assessment: two papers covering English, Maths and combined Reasoning, plus an unscored writing task that can be considered in borderline or appeal cases.
Buckinghamshire — all 13 grammar schools share a single GL-produced Secondary Transfer Test (STT).
West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership — covering selective schools across Birmingham, Warwickshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Shropshire.
Lincolnshire — the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools uses GL papers.
The Slough Consortium (Berkshire) — Herschel Grammar, Langley Grammar, St Bernard's Catholic Grammar and Upton Court Grammar share a common GL assessment currently but will be moving to the Quest Assessment for 2028 entry.
Northern Ireland: The SEAG Entrance Assessment
In Northern Ireland, grammar school transfer runs through the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG). The assessment is set and marked by GL, but with its own structure:
Two papers, sat a week apart in November.
English and Mathematics only — no Reasoning paper.
Each paper mixes multiple-choice questions with a short section of free-response, written-answer questions.
Mixed and Bespoke Testing Regions
London & surrounds — Redbridge uses GL for Ilford County High and Woodford County High, while Queen Elizabeth's School (Barnet) uses GL for English and Maths only, without Reasoning.
Devon — Torbay's selective schools use GL, while Colyton Grammar School sets its own bespoke exam.
The Shifting Landscape: Who Is Moving Away From GL
The 11+ world isn't static, and it's genuinely worth checking your own consortium's latest announcement rather than relying on last year's advice:
Gloucestershire — the seven Gloucestershire grammar schools (the G7) have announced a move away from GL Assessment to a new provider, Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE), for September 2028 entry. The test itself also moves earlier, into the summer term of Year 5 (2027), rather than September of Year 6.
Trafford (Greater Manchester) — the five Trafford consortium schools (Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar, Stretford Grammar and Urmston Grammar) have also announced a switch to FSCE, again from September 2028 entry — so families here should treat GL-style preparation as time-limited too.
Essex & Sutton — the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) and the Sutton Grammar School consortium (SET) continue to run their own bespoke, non-GL papers.
A gentle reminder: never rely on advice from older siblings, friends, or last year's forum posts. Always check your target school's official admissions page before buying preparation materials — providers and formats do change.
Good preparation is built steadily, not through relentless high-pressure testing. A few habits make a genuine difference.
1. Master the Separate Answer Sheet
The most common source of lost marks isn't lack of knowledge — it's the mechanics of managing two documents at once: the question booklet and the OMR sheet.
Encourage your child to track question numbers carefully, using a finger or ruler if it helps.
Practise erasing cleanly when changing an answer.
Make sure they understand that marking the wrong sheet means zero marks, however correct the working.
2. Build Systematic VR and NVR Toolkits
Reasoning is rarely taught in primary school, so intuition alone isn't enough. Teach explicit, repeatable methods for each question type:
Non-Verbal Reasoning: a structured elimination approach — checking Shape, Position, Angle, Number and Shading in turn.
Verbal Reasoning: a steadily growing vocabulary bank, built through daily reading and deliberate practice with synonyms, antonyms and compound words.
GL papers move quickly — roughly 40–45 seconds per question. A simple three-pass strategy helps:
Pass 1: answer every question your child feels confident about straight away.
Pass 2: return to flagged questions needing more thought or calculation.
Pass 3: in the final 90 seconds, fill in every remaining answer. With no negative marking, an educated guess always beats a blank box.
The 11+ is a genuine academic milestone — but it shouldn't become an emotional one. The families who navigate it most calmly tend to combine three things: early diagnostic insight into where their child actually stands, focused work on specific skill gaps, and steady, resilient exam habits built well in advance.
When a child understands the rules of the test and feels genuinely in control of their timing, apprehension tends to give way to quiet confidence — which is where they perform best.
If you'd like that same calm, structured support — from someone who has sat on the other side of the admissions desk — David Bell Education offers headteacher-led, bespoke preparation built around exactly this philosophy: clarity over cramming, and Achievement without Anxiety, all the way to results day.
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