Do grammar schools put test score or distance first?

It depends on the school. Some grammar schools require a qualifying score and then allocate places through priority categories and distance. Others rank applicants by test score and use distance only for equal scores. Some combine several rules. There is no national formula that gives a fixed percentage to score and another percentage to distance.

Qualification and ranking answer different questions

Qualification asks whether a child has met the school’s academic selection requirement. Ranking asks which eligible applicants receive the available places when the school is oversubscribed. A score can be essential at the first stage without providing any further advantage at the second.

A raw mark, a standardised score and a rank position are also different things. Do not compare numbers from different tests as if they were interchangeable, and do not infer an offer from a generic “11 Plus pass mark”. Use the named school’s rule.

Three allocation patterns to look for

These are reading aids, not labels that replace the policy. Look for definitions of eligible children, the published admission number, any priority or reserved-place provisions, and the tie-break that applies at the final place.

Two official examples

Aylesbury Grammar School’s determined policy for September 2027 entry sets out an academic qualification process, ordered oversubscription categories and distance to resolve an oversubscribed category. Its criteria include several defined priorities; it is not a simple contest for the highest qualifying score. This is an example from 2027 entry, so families preparing for 2027 tests must check the 2028 successor.

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet’s published test FAQ explains that admission is based on entrance-test results, with no catchment, and that equal scores are separated by straight-line distance to the specified school gate. That is a different role for distance. Verify the applicable September 2028 arrangements before applying.

Worked example: qualification followed by distance

Suppose a hypothetical school requires a score of 120, then ranks children in the same priority category by distance. Child A scores 130 and lives 2.0 miles away. Child B scores 125 and lives 1.0 mile away. Both qualify. If there is only one place left in their category and no other rule separates them, Child B receives it because the published ranking rule is distance. Child A’s higher score does not override that rule.

Worked example: score ranking with a distance tie-break

At a different hypothetical school, children in the same applicable group are ranked by score, with distance used only when scores are equal. Child C scores 140 and lives 5.0 miles away. Child D scores 139 and lives 0.5 miles away. Child C ranks first. If both had scored 140, the nearer child would rank first under this example’s distance tie-break. These illustrative scores are not thresholds for a real school.

Neither example lets you ignore a higher priority category. Where the policy places one eligible category before another, complete that comparison before applying the tie-break within a category.

Read the rules in this order

1. 1Confirm the entry year and that the document is the determined admission policy.
2. 2Identify the academic requirement and any defined alternatives or exceptions.
3. 3Locate the oversubscription criteria and read every category in order.
4. 4Identify the category your child would fall into, using the policy’s address and other definitions.
5. 5Find exactly where score ranking, catchment and distance enter that sequence.
6. 6Check the final tie-break and historical allocation information for the relevant category, if published.

The School Admissions Code requires published oversubscription criteria and prohibits giving priority simply because a family named a school first on the council application. Your preference order still matters to the council’s allocation process: list schools in your genuine preferred order and follow your home authority’s instructions. Listing a grammar first does not increase a test score or move a child up its admission categories.

Turn the policy into a useful next step

If the rule is unclear, ask admissions to explain which category and tie-break would apply to your circumstances. For location questions, read how important catchment is or what a last-offer distance means. For the application stage, see when to apply for grammar school places.