Do you have to sit the 11 Plus for grammar school?

For the ordinary Year 7 route into a selective state grammar school in England, your child normally needs to take the school’s required entrance assessment and meet its academic standard. That assessment is often called the 11 Plus, but there is no single national test. A school’s own exam is still an entrance assessment, not a way around selection.

Does every child have to take the 11 Plus?

No. It is relevant to applications to schools using academic selection; it is not a compulsory national primary-school exam. GOV.UK explains that state grammar schools select by academic ability and use a test. Non-selective secondary schools have their own admission criteria, and families still need to apply for places. Living near a school does not by itself guarantee admission.

Check the school’s type as well as its name. An independent school with “grammar” in its name has its own admissions arrangements. A school retaining a historic grammar name may not operate a selective Year 7 intake. Start with the official admission policy, not a name or directory label.

Which routes are different from ordinary Year 7 entry?

Does an EHCP mean a child can skip the test?

There is no safe blanket answer. An EHCP uses a distinct local-authority placement process, and the assessment arrangements need to be discussed with the caseworker and admission authority. Do this before the ordinary test-registration deadline. SEN Support, an EHCP and an agreed test adjustment are different things.

For example, Buckinghamshire’s current guidance says children with an EHCP must qualify through the transfer test, Selection Review, its disapplication process for visually impaired pupils, or an independent appeal for an individual school. This is a local set of routes, not a nationwide exemption for children with EHCPs. Ask which route applies to your child and retain the written answer.

If your child needs adjustments to access an assessment, our extra-time and access-arrangements guide explains the questions to raise with the primary school and test organiser. An application for adjustments does not necessarily register a child for the test.

Can a review or appeal replace passing the 11 Plus?

Some areas have a review process for children who do not reach the qualifying standard. An admission appeal concerns refusal of a school place; it is not the same procedure as a test review or joining a waiting list. The applicable rules, evidence and effect of an earlier review matter. These routes should not be treated as a plan to avoid the assessment.

Read the refusal letter and local guidance, and use the GOV.UK admission-appeal overview. If the issue concerns the school named in an EHCP, ask the caseworker about the relevant SEND route rather than assuming the ordinary admissions appeal applies.

What if the test was missed?

1. 1Contact the test organiser promptly. Explain whether the issue is illness, a missed registration deadline, a move or another circumstance.
2. 2Ask whether a later sitting is allowed, what evidence is needed and whether results can still be considered in the normal allocation round.
3. 3Keep working on the secondary-school application and realistic alternatives. Do not wait for a testing answer and miss a separate application deadline.
4. 4Keep confirmation emails and written decisions. Do not assume another region’s test score is accepted.

For a later transfer, Buckinghamshire’s 12+ and 13+ guidance describes entry to Years 8 and 9 and warns that places are extremely limited. Passing a later assessment and obtaining a vacancy are separate questions. See joining grammar school in Year 8 or later.

Does passing guarantee a place?

Not generally. Academic qualification establishes eligibility; oversubscription rules determine which eligible applicants receive offers. Depending on the school, score, catchment, distance and specified priority categories may affect allocation. Do not infer a test exemption from sibling or pupil-premium priority: read the exact admission criteria.

What should a family preparing for 2027 do now?

• Confirm that each shortlisted school is selective and that your child is eligible for the intended entry year.
• Record test registration, access-arrangement requests and the secondary-school application as separate tasks.
• Use official familiarisation for the correct exam cycle. Pate’s 2028-entry page is an example of confirmed 2027 testing information; do not transfer its dates to another area.
• Visit suitable non-selective options too. Choosing an alternative to grammar school does not require taking the 11 Plus.