The Exam Structure

There are two main exam boards for the 11+ Exam: CEM (Durham University) and GL Assessment. In 2017 GL Assessment was awarded a 5 year contract (with the first test in September 2018) for producing the tests which are administered by Buckinghamshire County Council. The Buckinghamshire GL test is in two separate test booklets of approximately 45 minutes each. One will contain questions to test your child’s verbal skills, and the other contains questions to test their non-verbal and mathematical skills. Each booklet contains a series of multiple-choice questions. Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) administer the test under contract with The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS). This includes providing information and support to parents and schools, managing access arrangements for children with Special Educational Needs, running a registration service for children attending out of county schools, releasing test results and managing selection reviews and appeals. Children in Buckinghamshire primary schools and partner schools will usually sit the test in their own school. Other children will take the test at one of the grammar schools or another central location. Testing takes place on the same date for all children unless a child is ill on the test day. The exam is normally scheduled for the second Thursday in September every year and both papers are completed on the same day with a short break in between.