Admissions and entrance exams

Updated 29 October 2026

The 11+ from abroad

For families in the UAE who may move back to England for secondary school: how grammar school entry works, the timing, and what to check if you are still overseas in Year 5 or 6.

What the 11+ is

Grammar schools are state-funded secondary schools in some parts of England that select pupils by ability. The "11+" is the entrance test for Year 7. Under England's School Admissions Code, the admission authority decides what the test contains, as long as it is a true test of ability, and selective schools must publish their entry requirements and selection process. The Code also says admission authorities must take all reasonable steps to tell parents the test result before the 31 October deadline for secondary applications. That is why most areas test in early September of Year 6.

Independent (fee-paying) schools are separate. Many use the ISEB Pre-Tests, UKiset or their own exams.

The usual timeline

Each area publishes its own dates. As a worked example, the right-hand column shows Buckinghamshire's published dates for September 2027 entry.

The 31 October deadline and 1 March offer day are national (England). If 1 March falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out on the next working day.

Sitting the test from abroad

This is the part that varies most. Ask the area's admissions team, in Year 5, three things: can my child register from overseas, where can they sit the test, and what happens if they arrive after the main test date.

Buckinghamshire is a useful example because it answers all three. All its testing takes place in the UK; a child living overseas can take the test when they are in the UK, and the council arranges it. Children who move to the county after the main test date can also be tested. But it warns that most grammar places are filled in the first round of offers in March, so a child who qualifies later may not get a place.

What the test covers: one example

Tests differ between areas, so look up the one you need. Buckinghamshire's Secondary Transfer Test is produced by GL Assessment and has two multiple-choice papers, sat on the same day:

• Paper 1: English comprehension, technical English (grammar, punctuation and spelling) and verbal reasoning. Verbal skills make up 50% of the score.
• Paper 2: maths (25%) and non-verbal and spatial reasoning (25%).

A standardised score of 121 or more qualifies a child for consideration. Familiarisation materials are released in the summer term of Year 5, with a short practice test before the real one.

Qualifying is not the same as getting a place

After the test, places go by each grammar school's admission criteria. Buckinghamshire's explanation is typical: priority goes first to qualified looked-after children, some schools then prioritise qualified children receiving pupil premium, and places usually then go to siblings, children living in the catchment area, and others by distance. A family still overseas can apply, but a school using distance or catchment may ask for evidence of your UK address. See moving back to the UK: getting a school place for the address rules.

Year groups: check your child is in the right cohort

In England the school year runs from 1 September to 31 August, and children are normally placed by birthday within it: in 2026-27, Year 6 is children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016. From 2026-27, UAE schools place new pupils using a 31 December cut-off, so some children born between September and December may be a year ahead of their English age group. If your child's year group here does not match England's, ask the area which year they should test in. Our UAE age cut-off guide has the side-by-side table.