Which exams do grammar schools use? Providers and 2027 changes

Grammar schools use several entrance-test arrangements. You may encounter GL Assessment, FSCE, Quest Assessments, a named consortium test such as the CSSE or Sutton SET, or a school-specific assessment. The school’s current admissions information determines the relevant route; an old GL-versus-CEM comparison is not enough.

Separate provider, test name and consortium

Some websites put these names in a single “exam board” list. That can be a useful starting point, but it can also conceal important differences. Record the full test name and the organiser alongside the provider, where the provider is published.

GL Assessment

GL Assessment supplies familiarisation materials for English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Schools can use different combinations; there is no universal four-paper GL timetable. Its own guidance says local timing and question numbers may differ from the samples.

Use the school’s official link to choose relevant familiarisation. Do not assume every GL-branded workbook is an authentic past paper or that a practice percentage can be converted into an admissions score. The format and scoring guidance for the specific test remain the useful references.

FSCE: check the particular school and cohort

Future Stories Community Enterprise, usually shortened to FSCE, supplies grammar-school admissions assessments. Published specifications differ between schools and cohorts. Check the local familiarisation guide instead of assuming that every FSCE test includes the same writing task or paper names.

The Trafford announcement confirms FSCE for the September 2027 test leading to 2028 entry, replacing GL for that cohort. The move to testing in the later part of Year 5’s summer term is a separate change beginning with 2029 entry. Those two changes must not be given the same start year.

Quest Assessments

Herschel’s Slough Consortium notice confirms Quest for the examination in September 2027, for September 2028 entry. The announced assessment combines English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning across two papers. Follow the consortium’s own material as further instructions are published.

A provider name does not mean that results are transferable to another area using that organisation. A school or consortium commissions its own assessment arrangements. Always check the score-sharing rules separately from the subjects.

What does CEM mean now?

Cambridge’s current entrance-assessment page describes Cambridge Select Insight, a digital assessment of verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability. This is not evidence that every area once described as “CEM” still uses the same entrance test. Nor is it accurate to say that the organisation has simply disappeared.

If an old book or forum calls a test “CEM-style”, treat that as a description to investigate. Find the school’s current announcement. The Cambridge page also says it does not endorse commercial practice materials; a seller’s use of the name is not proof of approval or a match to the live assessment.

CSSE, Sutton SET and school-specific routes

The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex publishes its own examination information and familiarisation links for English and mathematics. It currently says important dates for 2028 entry will be published by Easter 2027. Its retained 2027-entry guide is general background, not a new 2027-test timetable.

For a different example, Wilson’s published Sutton route has a multiple-choice first stage and a written second stage in its 2027-entry cycle. A named local route should not be assigned to GL or CEM just because commercial papers look similar. If no provider is named, record the published format and leave the provider unconfirmed.

Confirmed changes relevant to exams taken in 2027

Sources: Trafford, Gloucestershire via Pate’s and Slough via Herschel. This is a small set of verified changes, not a complete national provider directory.

A school-first checking method

1. 1Open the target school’s official admissions page and select the correct entry year.
2. 2Read any provider-change announcement alongside the admissions policy and test guide.
3. 3Record test name, provider if published, subjects, stages and official familiarisation link.
4. 4Check whether the test is shared, whether results must be shared explicitly and whether another stage follows.
5. 5If two official pages disagree, ask admissions which applies to the child’s cohort before buying specialised material.

Retain the source link and the date checked. Label missing details “not yet published” rather than borrowing them from another school or the previous year. Our school directory can help identify schools, but the linked official information controls the final plan.

Can old practice books still help?

An older book may contain useful arithmetic, reading or vocabulary work. Assess it at the skill level: does the child need this topic, and are the explanations and answers reliable? Do not use its timing, claimed pass score or obsolete provider list as instructions for the real exam.

For a deeper comparison, see our GL, CEM and current-provider guide. For the practical consequences of shared tests, read whether grammar schools use the same test. Match preparation to the verified route before adding more resources.