If your child is sitting the 11+ in England in 2026, the odds are high their test is set by GL Assessment — the provider behind grammar-school entrance tests across most selective areas, including Birmingham, the Trafford (Manchester) consortium, Bradford and Gloucestershire. Since the rival CEM paper-based format was discontinued, GL has become the dominant standard, which is good news for parents: it is a known, learnable format. Here is exactly what it contains and how to prepare for it — without wasting months on the wrong things.
What does the GL 11+ test?
GL tests draw from four subject banks. How your region combines them varies — some areas test all four, others weight two or three — which is why checking your local arrangement matters (our city guides list each region's exact setup).
Verbal Reasoning (VR)
- What it tests
- Logic with words, letters and codes across many distinct question types — synonyms, analogies, letter sequences, hidden words, word codes.
- Why children find it hard
- Almost never taught in primary school; vocabulary breadth decides marks; the format itself must be learned.
Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR)
- What it tests
- Pattern logic with shapes: sequences, rotations, reflections, matrices, cube nets — plus spatial reasoning in many regions.
- Why children find it hard
- Untaught at school and unfamiliar at first sight, but the most coachable paper once the pattern families are learned.
Maths (Quantitative)
- What it tests
- KS2 curriculum to end of Year 5 plus problem-solving under time pressure: number, fractions, ratio, measures, data.
- Why children find it hard
- Content is familiar; the speed is not. Many bright children simply run out of time on first attempts.
English
- What it tests
- Reading comprehension (often classic or challenging texts), spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Why children find it hard
- Inference questions — reading between the lines — separate the top scorers, and inference grows from wide reading, not drilling.
| Paper | What it tests | Why children find it hard |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning (VR) | Logic with words, letters and codes across many distinct question types — synonyms, analogies, letter sequences, hidden words, word codes. | Almost never taught in primary school; vocabulary breadth decides marks; the format itself must be learned. |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) | Pattern logic with shapes: sequences, rotations, reflections, matrices, cube nets — plus spatial reasoning in many regions. | Untaught at school and unfamiliar at first sight, but the most coachable paper once the pattern families are learned. |
| Maths (Quantitative) | KS2 curriculum to end of Year 5 plus problem-solving under time pressure: number, fractions, ratio, measures, data. | Content is familiar; the speed is not. Many bright children simply run out of time on first attempts. |
| English | Reading comprehension (often classic or challenging texts), spelling, punctuation and grammar. | Inference questions — reading between the lines — separate the top scorers, and inference grows from wide reading, not drilling. |
Format and timing essentials
GL papers are typically multiple-choice with a separate answer sheet, run under strict timing that most children find tight, and are frequently taken as two sittings of roughly an hour with a short break (Gloucestershire's consortium test, for example, runs exactly this way). Answer-sheet discipline is its own skill — a right answer marked on the wrong line scores zero — and there is no penalty for guessing, so a blank is the only wrong strategy. GL also publishes free familiarisation materials, which every family should download; several consortium schools link to them directly.
How GL tests are scored
Raw marks are converted to age-standardised scores, so an August-born child is not penalised against September-born classmates. Regions then use the standardised score differently — some set qualifying scores, others (like Gloucestershire) rank all qualifying children with no fixed pass mark. What this means for preparation: aim for consistent strength across papers, because ranking systems reward the child with no weak paper.
How to prepare for a GL test, in order
Follow this order — inverting it (papers first, skills later) leads to an early plateau and a late panic:
- 1Vocabulary and reading first — from Year 4, wide reading is the highest-yield GL preparation that exists.
- 2Learn the question families — through Year 5, work systematically through VR and NVR types so nothing in the exam is a stranger.
- 3Curriculum-solid maths — speed comes from fluency, not tricks.
- 4Timed technique last — final summer: full papers, the 2-pass method, answer-sheet discipline.
One caution for younger children's families: providers do change — Gloucestershire moves to a new provider (FSCE) from 2028 entry — so build transferable skills, not format tricks.
Where TutorMint fits
Our 11+ programme is built around the GL format used across our regions: 1-hour lessons at £10, sequenced skills-first exactly as above, with honest progress reporting — including telling you when your child is already on track without us.
Ready to find out where your child stands?
Sources
- TutorMint founder — 15+ years preparing children for UK entrance exams
Written by TutorMint Founder
15+ years of classroom and one-to-one teaching experience. Facts checked 25 July 2026.