What score do you need to get into a grammar school?

The score needed for a grammar-school place depends on the school’s admissions policy. Some schemes use a qualifying threshold followed by other priority criteria; others use scores to rank eligible applicants. Read both the academic requirement and the allocation rules before interpreting any number.

Start with the school’s admissions policy

• Find the determined policy for the correct school-entry year.
• Identify the test or tests and any minimum section scores.
• Check whether qualification leads to another assessment stage.
• Read the order of oversubscription criteria.
• Identify the category relevant to your child and any evidence requirements.
• Check how ties are resolved and where allocation information is published.

Why a higher score does not always mean a higher priority

Buckinghamshire Council explains that scores above its stated qualifying level do not increase priority for its grammar-school places. This is an example of qualification and allocation serving different purposes. Do not assume that advice about a score-ranked school applies to a threshold-based scheme.

What is an allocation cut-off?

Where a school uses score ranking, a published historic cut-off may describe the lowest score offered in a particular category and allocation round. Check whether the figure concerns the initial offer day, a later waiting-list offer or the final admitted group. A number without those labels is incomplete.

Two families can have different prospects with the same score if different policy categories apply. Distance, residence or other published priorities may affect the ordering. Use the school’s actual criteria; do not infer a priority from an informal phrase such as “local child”.

How to compare historic information

Can we calculate the score needed for 2027 now?

A future allocation cut-off cannot be known merely by copying last year’s result. Even where an academic threshold is already published, an eventual offer can depend on applications and priority rules. Treat historical information as context, and clearly mark any unpublished 2027 test details as unconfirmed.

What should we aim for in practice?

Aim to understand the tested skills and answer unfamiliar questions accurately under the relevant conditions. Commercial papers differ in difficulty, so a target percentage is not an offer guarantee. Keep notes on gaps, timing and answer recording; use official familiarisation for format checks.

If the result qualifies but no place is offered

Read the allocation letter and official instructions for waiting lists and appeals. These are separate from the test result. Continue with a realistic school-place plan and check the consequences of any decision with the admissions authority. Do not assume a waiting list uses the order in which parents contacted the school.

Sources and further reading

Reviewed 7 October 2026 against Buckinghamshire’s official explanation and GOV.UK school admissions. See what is a good score for thresholds and standardised scores for the score scale. This guide does not publish unverified school-specific cut-offs.