The 11+ test, which certain students in England and Northern Ireland take in Year 6 (their final year of primary school), determines whether or not they are qualified to enroll in a grammar school. It has now been adopted in Singapore as the GEP and GAT test as well as Barbados as the 11+ test. ‘Entrance exam’ and ‘transfer test’ are other names for the 11+ that are frequently used. English, math, verbal reasoning (VR), and non-verbal reasoning (NVR) are the four subjects evaluated in the 11+.

Background of the 11+

The Butler Education Act of 1944(Wikipedia link), which established the Tripartite System(Wikipedia link), also gave rise to the 11 Plus exam. It was used to decide which educational path, at the time either a grammar school, secondary modern school, or technical school, a student would take after completing their primary education. The 11+ sparked severe competition for grammar schools, which provided students with the best academic education, and as a result, students were perceived to either “pass” or “fail” the 11+. When a student “failed” their 11+, it would frequently follow them for a very long period.

The emphasis on skills in the original 11 Plus tests was different from the emphasis on financial resources because different schools could give instruction for various skill sets.

Today, the 11+ is used to assess students’ academic proficiency in a variety of areas in order to determine whether they are qualified to enroll in a grammar school. Different regions test a variety of these topics; however, not all areas test all four potential topics; some only test three of them. In addition to the SATs, which cover the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2, students also take the current exams, which are mostly written by CEM and GL Assessment.

Arrangement of the 11+

The majority of kids who take the test do so in their last year of primary school. Only students planning to seek for a place at a grammar school take the voluntary test.

By county and by the exam board, the test’s format varies. Maths and English are typically tested on different papers while being tested. Other tests are either longhand or marked on OMR multiple choice grids, while some are computer-based (Wikipedia link).