GL vs CEM: which 11 Plus format matters for 2027?

Provider comparison: what should you check?

GL Assessment: prepare for the subjects your school uses

GL publishes free familiarisation materials covering English, maths and reasoning. Its guidance says local timings and question counts can differ from those materials. A sample booklet helps a child understand the task and answer layout; it is not a promise of the exact examination.

Do not assume every school tests all four areas. For example, Queen Elizabeth’s School’s published FAQs specify two multiple-choice papers: English and mathematics, in one session. The previous version of this guide incorrectly said QE tested all four subjects.

Use GL’s own familiarisation page alongside the school’s instructions. Select the relevant subjects, work on understanding first, and add timed practice once your child can explain their methods. Check the next admissions cycle before treating the current format as confirmed for a future test.

What does CEM mean now?

Older comparisons and book covers can describe historical CEM-style paper tests. They should not be used as a current school-provider directory. The official Cambridge entrance-assessment page now presents Cambridge Select Insight: a computer-based assessment covering verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability.

Cambridge says it supplies candidate familiarisation materials and does not endorse commercial practice resources or tuition. A publisher’s “CEM-style” label therefore does not mean Cambridge has approved the book.

If a school names a Cambridge assessment, ask for its precise name and candidate guidance. Do not substitute a paper mock for familiarisation with an actual digital interface. Equally, do not assume that a school previously associated with CEM still uses the same test.

Confirmed changes relevant to exams in 2027

Trafford: FSCE for September 2027 tests

The Trafford Consortium announcement distinguishes three cohorts: GL for the September 2026 test and 2027 entry; FSCE for the September 2027 test and 2028 entry; and FSCE testing in the latter part of Year 5’s summer term for 2029 entry onwards. The announced September 2027 curriculum scope is KS2 English and mathematics through the end of Year 5.

This applies to the named consortium: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar School. Do not generalise it to every school in Trafford.

Slough: Quest for September 2027 tests

Herschel’s 2028-entry page confirms Quest Assessments for the Slough Consortium examination in September 2027. It describes two papers combining verbal and non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics. Follow the consortium’s published guidance for this cohort rather than buying resources solely because an older page names GL.

Reading and Sutton: avoid misleading shortcuts

Reading School’s published Year 7 page identifies FSCE for 2027 entry, whose tests take place in 2026. It warns that content changes each year and its familiarisation guide is not a definitive list of test questions. Reading should not appear in a generic GL school list. For a test taken in 2027, check the new entry-cycle materials when published.

For Sutton, Wilson’s current FAQs describe the SET as multiple-choice English and maths, without separate verbal or non-verbal reasoning tests. The previous version of this guide wrongly called it open-answer. The second stage is a separate assessment: check the target school’s requirements rather than treating all rounds as identical. These published format details concern 2027 entry and need reconfirming for the next cycle.

Choose resources in five steps

1. Write down each target school, exam year and entry year. Keep separate rows if your child is taking more than one test.
2. Open the official admissions policy. Record the provider, subjects, stages and any published format guidance. Mark missing information as unconfirmed.
3. Start with official familiarisation. Notice how answers are entered, how instructions work and whether a written response is required.
4. Match practice to the skill. A fractions lesson builds maths understanding; it does not become an official school paper because the same topic is tested.
5. Review gaps before buying more papers. Use mistakes to decide whether your child needs explanation, untimed practice or help managing a known format.

Our maths lessons and English resources support subject preparation. Our original practice is not an official provider paper or a guarantee of the content, timing or difficulty of a particular school’s exam.

Common questions

Is GL easier than CEM?

There is no useful universal difficulty ranking. The exact assessment, skills tested and your child’s strengths matter more than a provider label. Compare the school’s requirements rather than promises that one format is easy to coach.

Can we still use an old CEM workbook?

Individual vocabulary or maths exercises may still practise useful skills. Check their relevance and answers, and do not use the cover to infer your child’s current test format or spend time on subjects the school does not assess.

Does a practice-paper score predict admission?

No. A practice score is feedback on that exercise. It is not the school’s standardised result, qualifying threshold or offer decision.