Want to learn more about the 11 plus pass mark?

Taken last year’s grammar school 11+ entrance exam?

Our focus is on the 11 plus exam pass marks. Specifically, how the 11 plus pass mark will be calculated. Find the specific grammar school 11 plus practice papers for your chosen independent school(s) below:

 

 

 

 

How is the 11 plus exam marked?

4. Every year a minimum total weighted 11 plus score is set. This determines the grammar 11 plus pass mark. For example, this year’s Medway 11 plus 11 plus score is set at 26%.

5. Please note that this minimum 11 plus score is only known once this year’s 11 plus scores have been calculated.

 

Our FREE 11 plus exam practice resources

• Which grammar schools are nearby?
• 11 plus past papers
• Key 11 plus exam dates
• All our 11 plus test practice resources

 

THE TOP 2024 grammar schools

Step-by-step guide to using THE LATEST grammar school league tables.

 

11 plus query?

Ask ROB, our resident 11+ test design expert , your questions by emailing passedpapers@gmail.com An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Rob Williams is a Chartered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working and designing tests. Rob has worked for all three of the main school entrance test publishers: GL Assessment grammar school entry exams; ISEB independent school entry papers and CEM Select private school entrance papers.

FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANY 11 PLUS QUESTION.

 

 

What is the 11 plus pass mark?

Well, let’s see what does previous years’ 11 plus pass mark data tell us?

	QUALIFYING SCORE 2018	QUALIFYING SCORE 2017	PUPIL PREMIUM PLACES	TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School	204	204	32	192
King Edward VI Aston School	205	205	30	120
Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys	215	215	24	120
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls	209	209	30	150
Edward VI Five Ways School	200	200	36	180
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls	205	209	32	160

 

How will this year’s 11 plus exam’s pass mark be calculated?

Raw marks go through a standardisation process. This is to maintain the integrity of the 11 plus assessment process. Also to ensure that the process is fair to all grammar school applicants. This standardised score is then used to determine:

• All 11 plus pupils results in rank order
• 11 plus Pass marks for each grammar school, including 11 plus pass mark adjustments for that 11 plus school year.

FREE 11 Plus Practice Tests with answers.

Plenty of free 11+ past papers at the links below to guide your 11+ tuition for the 11+ exam.

 

Key annual 11+ exam dates

1 – When is the 11 plus exam each year?

• The 11+ exam dates depend upon the grammar school county in which you apply. This is because it is not a nationally co-ordinated set of exams like GCSE’s or A-Levels.
• 11 plus exam registration opens each year in April/May. With a June/July entry deadline for parents to register their child for the 11+ exam.
• The 11 plus exam occurs in the first two weeks of September at most grammar schools.

 

When are the 11 plus exam results days?

Kent 11 plus results day

The many Kent grammar schools typically release their annual 11 plus results in the first week of November. School Entrance Tests recommends reviewing this Kent 11 plus familiarisation guide . You will find the sample Kent 11 plus questions particualrly useful.

 

Essex 11 plus results day

Whereas Essex’s 11 plus test results are usually posted online in the first week of December.

For further details see Essex 11 plus publisher CSSE Website.

 

What score do you need to pass the 11+?

• Well, that all depends on what Local Educational Authority (LEA) you take the test in.
• Each 11 plus region has its own pass marks for entry into a grammar school.
• In fully selective regions where there are many grammar schools, (i.e. Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent) the pass mark is lower than in areas with fewer grammar schools (Greater London).
• In addition, different schools within the same LEA may have different minimum pass marks.

 

How are 11 plus results standardised?

• Also, 11 plus pass marks are standardised using a complex statistical process.
• Put simply, this means a child’s score is adjusted to reflect their age and the difficulty of the paper.
• Standardisation ensures fairness because older children would otherwise have an advantage.
• Some grammar schools select candidates by ranked order.
• Places are given to the children who performed best on the test.
• Other schools have a minimum pass mark and use other criteria, such as distance, faith, siblings, to select candidates.

In conclusion, it is impossible to say exactly what percentage you need to pass the 11-plus. However, as an approximate figure, a child will need to score about 80—85% to pass. Obviously, in more competitive areas this figure may be higher.

 

11+ exam introduction

The 11+ exam is important as it is the first major exam that students take which will have a significant impact on their education. Passing the 11+ is crucial for getting into the majority of leading grammar schools in the UK, as well as some independent schools. There are two main exam boards for the 11+: the CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) and GL (Granada Learning).

• The exam board that you will be sitting this year depends on the county of the schools you are applying to.
• Although the exam board you will be sitting is usually dependent on the county, there are some exceptions to this.
• Therefore, it is important to ask the school you are applying to which exam board they require.
• The CEM assessment consists of Numerical reasoning, Verbal reasoning and Non- verbal reasoning.
• In contrast to this, the GL assessment consists of English, Maths, Non-verbal reasoning and Verbal reasoning.
• Due to the difference in topics between the two exam boards, there are different methods to revise for each exam board.

 

How the 11+ exam has changed

Unlike last year, the 11+ has not changed much this year despite the effects that the pandemic has had on education and schooling. Exams will be in person this year in contrast to the exams being online last year. Furthermore, there has been little to no change in the content. That said, most counties have delayed the date for the examination. Due to the exams being pushed back, results day has also been postponed. Some schools will still be carrying out interviews in addition to the usual exams, although this is not the case for all schools.  

 

Will this year’s eleven plus exam have a higher pass mark?

All students sitting the 11+ this year will be in the same situation so although it may seem unfair, it is a level playing field. Furthermore, you can capitalise on this situation by preparing and revising – something a lot of students simply haven’t learned how to do.

 

Our key 11 plus exam posts

• Which grammar schools are nearby?
• What will this year’s 11 plus pass mark be?
• Key 11 plus exam dates

 

Learn about the 11+ pass marks

Parents of 11 plus students need to bear in mind two key 11+ score points: Firstly, 2024’s 11 plus exam pass must be comparable to previous years’ 11+ pass marks. So the 2024 11 plus pass mark must be 80%, or an even higher pass mark. Secondly, Your child’s 11+ pass mark is specific to your local Educational Authority (LEA). Thus the 11 plus pass marks vary by grammar school region. In other words, the more competitive that your regional grammar school entry is, then the higher that grammar school’s 11 plus pass mark needs to be. 

• Some grammar schools select candidates by ranked order. Places are given to the children who performed best on the test.
• Other schools have a minimum pass mark and use other criteria, such as distance, faith, siblings, to select candidates. In conclusion, it is impossible to say exactly what percentage you need to pass the 11-plus.
• However, as an approximate figure, a child will need to score about 80—85% to pass. Obviously, in more competitive areas this figure may be higher.

 

Which 11+ mark should my child aim for?

• We recommend aiming for 60-70%+ in your practice 11+ tests to ensure that your child is on track for a ‘safe 11 plus pass.
• Parents must check with each prospective grammar school that you are applying to.
• Then, reach out to make personal contact to double check key 11+ admissions info, such as that regional grammar school’s specific 11+ registration date and their 11+ exam dates.
• For each individual grammar school, the 11+ pass marks can fluctuate annually.

 

Previous years’ 11plus pass marks

	11+ pass mark 2018	11+ pass mark 2017	PUPIL PREMIUM PLACES	TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School	204	204	32	192
King Edward VI Aston School	205	205	30	120
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys	215	215	24	120
Girls King Edward VI Camp Hill School	209	209	30	150
King Edward VI Five Ways School	200	200	36	180
Girls King Edward VI Handsworth School	205	209	32	160

 

What 11+ score will get my child into our local Grammar School?

• A score of 80-85% in mock exam papers is a good starting point.
• This should set your child up for success when applying to competitive grammar schools.
• For the schools that publish the standardized test score requirement, children normally need to score more than 110 in all their papers.
• Other schools do not have fixed standardized thresholds, instead ranking the students by their 11+ test scores.

 

 

Sample 11plus papers

11_Plus_Maths_Sample Paper  and  11_Plus_Maths_practice papers.

 

Our popular 11 plus training videos

 

How many marks do you need to pass 11+?

• Well, the 11 plus pass mark differ for each 11+ region.
• Hence, each 11 plus grammar school region has its own pass marks for entry in 2024. This is particularly true in fully selective regions where there are many grammar schools, (i.e. Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent).
• Where the pass mark is lower than in areas with fewer grammar schools (Greater London).

 

When to start your 2024 11 plus tuition?

Most parents start 11+ tuition from Year 4 or Year 5. Initially, a specialist 11+ tutor will assess the child’s current levels before then going on to ensure a rich and rigorous foundation across all core skills. Then go on to prepare pupils for the actual 11+ exam demands. As well as building confidence and exam technique.  

Why is it so difficult to achieve a good 11+ score?

• So yes every year, in every 11 plus region, the 11 plus exam is very difficult. Even though most 11 plus content will have been covered by the national curriculum taught in all state schools.  Most 11 plus applicants are now highly coached. At least a year, if not two years, prior to their 11 plus exam.
• Still, the intent of the 11 plus in setting such a high pass benchmark each year is to only select the academically gifted. For whom achieving a high 11 plus score is, of course, quite manageable.
• In addition, different schools within the same LEA may have different minimum pass marks.
• Also, 11 plus pass marks are standardised using a complex statistical process.
• Put simply, this means a child’s score is adjusted to reflect their age and the difficulty of the paper. Standardisation ensures fairness because older children would otherwise have an advantage.

 

Can you pass the 11 Plus without tuition?

Yes, you can pass the 11 Plus without tuition. However, there is a very high prevalence of 11+ tutoring. So many 11+ parents view it as disadvantageous not to learn from an 11+ utor’s knowledge. Most 11+ pupils’ parents choose either online 22+ or in-person 11+ tutoring.