11 Plus exam dates in 2027: finding the right local timetable

There is no single national 11 Plus exam date. Find the school or test group first, then read its official timetable for the correct entry year. For many children preparing to sit a grammar-school test in 2027, the relevant heading will be “September 2028 entry”.

What is already published for tests taken in 2027?

These examples are not interchangeable. A Gloucestershire date does not apply to another county using the same test provider, and the Wirral row is explicitly limited to its non-Catholic grammar-school process. A window such as “early September” is not a confirmed day you can book around.

How to find the dates for your school

1. 1Identify the exact school and whether you are applying for normal Year 7 entry.
2. 2Open its official admissions page and select the intended entry year.
3. 3Follow its link to the named test organiser or consortium.
4. 4Record registration, access-arrangements and examination deadlines separately.
5. 5Check whether first and second stages, different candidate groups or separate aptitude tests have different dates.
6. 6Save the source link and date checked; recheck the official invitation when it arrives.

Our school directory can help identify a school, and the exam-dates resource provides a starting point. Read the year beside every entry: do not treat a 2026 test date for 2027 entry as a date for the 2027 test cycle.

Which official source should you use?

For example, Kent County Council’s Kent Test pages separate registration, preparation, results and the school-place application. Use that structure to locate the deadline you actually need. An exam provider’s familiarisation page may explain question types without administering the local registration calendar.

Exam year and entry year: a quick check

Write both years at the top of your notes: “test in 2027 / intended start in 2028”, if that is your child’s route. Do not rely on a search-result headline containing “11 Plus 2027”. It may describe entry in 2027, meaning that much of the testing happened in 2026. Some independent-school assessments and interviews follow a different sequence; read their dated instructions directly.

The correct cohort is especially important when opening an old PDF or a page whose web address contains a previous year. Check the document heading and actual dates inside it. If those disagree, ask the organiser for clarification instead of selecting whichever date looks more convenient.

Put more than the test day in your calendar

• Registration opens and closes, including the closing time.
• Deadline for support requests and any school-supplied evidence.
• Any result-sharing or supplementary-form deadline.
• When the test invitation should arrive.
• Reporting time, venue and each required assessment stage.
• Results date or release window.
• Home-council application deadline and later offer-response deadline.

For normal secondary admissions in England, GOV.UK gives 31 October as the school-place application deadline. That is a different deadline from entry to the test. See when to apply for grammar school places for how the two fit together.

What if dates are not published yet?

Use “not yet confirmed” rather than copying a previous cycle. Bookmark the official page and check again before arranging holidays, booking paid mocks or setting a final preparation countdown. You can still work on reading and maths skills while waiting; the timetable uncertainty is a reason to stay flexible, not to invent a date.

Check the school’s announced information-release date if one exists. If the registration period may be approaching and the website is unclear, contact admissions with the intended entry year and ask when the current timetable will be available.

What if two sources disagree or tests clash?

Compare the entry year, publication date and candidate group before treating the difference as an error. A school may have separate arrangements for different groups or stages. Where two current official pages still conflict, ask the organiser and retain the reply. Commercial calendars can help discovery, but should not override the organiser’s instructions.

For clashing examinations, contact the organisers rather than assuming a reserve date is an optional sitting. For illness, follow the stated procedure and evidence rules. Do not assume that missing registration can be fixed by paying a late fee.

Once your dates are verified, connect them to a manageable study timetable. Count backwards from the child’s real examination date and leave room for schoolwork, rest and reviewing mistakes.