Do all grammar schools use the same 11 Plus test?

No. There is no single national 11 Plus examination used by every grammar school. Some schools share a test through a consortium, some use a county test, and others have separate assessments or additional stages. One result may support several applications, but that depends on the published arrangements.

“The same test” can mean three different things

Ask which of these meanings applies whenever someone says “you only need one test”. A tutor’s description of a similar style is different from an organiser confirming that the result will be accepted by both schools.

What a consortium actually shares

The Trafford Grammar School Consortium announcement names five participating schools and describes a shared test. Its new FSCE arrangements apply to testing in September 2027 for entry 2028. Membership matters: do not assume that every school in a wider geographical area is part of a particular shared route.

Read the instructions for registration and choosing score recipients. Keep confirmation of the schools selected if the process asks you to share results. The test centre allocated to the child is not necessarily the school they will later prefer or attend.

A common provider does not make scores portable

Herschel’s Slough 2028-entry notice confirms Quest for September 2027 and expressly says scores will not be shared with schools outside the consortium. That is a useful example of why provider matching alone cannot establish score transfer.

If a family is considering schools in two areas, ask each organiser whether there is a formal sharing arrangement for the relevant cycle. Do not book duplicate sittings of what may be the same assessment without checking the rules. Equally, do not skip a required separate test because both areas happen to use the same provider.

A shared first stage may not finish the process

Wilson’s current FAQ describes a shared Sutton first stage followed by a second-stage examination, with schools using results under their own arrangements. That page covers tests in 2026 for entry 2027. For a 2027 test plan, check each target school’s new stage requirements rather than copying the earlier sequence unchanged.

Record every required stage separately, including how invitations are issued. A child might qualify for a later stage without yet qualifying for an offer. Preparation should reflect any change from selecting options to writing answers; see our exam-format guide.

Shared assessment does not mean shared admission rules

A qualifying test result and an offer of a school place are different steps. Each school’s published policy explains how it uses results and what happens when more eligible children apply than places are available. Read the actual rules about priority groups, ranking, residence and tie-breaks rather than assuming all schools in a consortium apply the same order.

You also need to complete the school-place application through the appropriate process. Test registration, permission to share a result, a supplementary form and the local-authority preference application can serve different purposes. Completion of one should not be treated as confirmation that the others have been done.

Build a test-to-school map

Use one row for each target school, even where several rows refer to one test. The following is a hypothetical planning example, not a description of real schools or their rules.

Alongside this table, save the entry year, official links, deadlines, submission confirmations and the source of any unresolved question. Then count the distinct tests, rather than assuming that three schools mean either three tests or one.

What to ask before registering in more than one area

• Are these separate tests or the same test administered at different centres?
• Is my child permitted to sit both, and is there an official result-sharing process?
• Must I select score recipients before a deadline?
• Are there further stages or school-specific forms?
• What happens if test dates clash? Do not assume an alternative date will be offered.
• Are access arrangements requested separately for each assessment?
• Which school-entry year do these instructions cover?

Seek answers from the test organiser or the school admissions office and retain the response. Avoid relying on another family’s arrangements from a previous year, particularly during a provider change.

How should preparation change when tests differ?

First identify the common learning needs, such as reading comprehension or fractions. Then add the actual differences: a particular answer sheet, written explanation, digital interface or separately timed section. This avoids repeating broad subject practice unnecessarily while overlooking an unfamiliar response method.

Do not buy a separate complete programme for every school name without checking the shared route. Nor should one generic mock be treated as a replica of every assessment. Use the official familiarisation material for each distinct test, and keep the child’s wider routine manageable.

For the organisation behind each route, see which exams grammar schools use. For what remains after qualification, read passing the 11 Plus without receiving a place.