GL Assessment 11+: The Complete Parent Guide
What GL Assessment tests, how scores are standardised, which grammar schools use it, and how to prepare by year group
What GL Assessment tests, how scores are standardised, which grammar schools use it, and how to prepare by year group
If your child is sitting the 11+ examination, there is a very good chance the papers they will face are produced by GL Assessment. Used by more than 80% of grammar schools in England, GL Assessment is the most widely recognised 11+ test provider in the country. Understanding what it tests, how scores are calculated, and which schools use it is the essential first step for any family beginning 11+ preparation.
GL Assessment (formerly Granada Learning) is a commercial education company that publishes standardised tests used for selective school admissions across England. The company has produced 11+ papers for over 50 years and supplies papers to individual grammar schools, local authority consortia, and examination boards.
The key distinction between GL and CEM is structure. GL Assessment tests are divided into four clearly defined papers: Verbal Reasoning (VR), Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR), English, and Mathematics. Each paper tests a specific and consistent set of question types, which makes preparation using past papers highly effective. CEM, by contrast, integrates these skills across fewer papers in a less predictable format.
Verbal Reasoning tests a child's ability to understand and reason with language. Common question types include word analogies, word relationships, antonyms, synonyms, letter and number sequences, codes, and hidden words. A strong vocabulary and pattern-recognition ability are essential. Children who read widely from an early age typically perform better in VR, but specific question-type practice is still needed because the format of questions is very particular to GL's style.
Non-Verbal Reasoning tests the ability to identify patterns in shapes, sequences, and visual puzzles without requiring language skills. Children must identify which shape completes a pattern, which figure is the odd one out, or which design follows a logical series. NVR is less dependent on prior academic knowledge, which makes it harder to improve through conventional study but highly responsive to pattern-recognition practice with purpose-built NVR workbooks.
The GL English paper typically includes a reading comprehension section, where children answer questions about an unseen passage, and a creative or continuous writing section. Reading comprehension questions may test literal understanding, inference, and language analysis. Children who read widely and have practised structuring extended writing tend to perform strongly in this paper.
The GL Maths paper tests numeracy, arithmetic, problem-solving, and data handling. The content is broadly in line with the KS2 National Curriculum, though questions are often more challenging and may require multi-step reasoning. Key areas include fractions, percentages, ratio, area and perimeter, number sequences, and word problems. Speed is a significant factor -- many children who struggle on the Maths paper report running out of time rather than failing to understand the content.
Four components, and children are rarely even across all four
A child strong in maths and comprehension can still lose the place on verbal reasoning, because GL scores each strand and the weakest one pulls the total down. Family practice tends to concentrate on the strands a child enjoys.
Our specialist 11+ tutors test all four separately and report which one is actually costing marks.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppGL Assessment uses a standardised scoring system. Raw marks from each paper are converted to a standardised score on a scale of 69 to 141, with 100 representing the average performance for that cohort. Crucially, scores are age-standardised: a child born in August (the youngest in the school year) has their raw marks adjusted upward compared to a September-born child sitting the same paper. This is designed to eliminate the "relative age effect" that would otherwise disadvantage younger children.
| School Type | Typical Score Needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard selective grammar | 111+ | Qualifying threshold; actual cut-off may be higher if oversubscribed |
| Highly selective grammar | 115-118+ | Schools with high demand relative to places |
| Super-selective grammar | 118-121+ | No catchment; top performers nationally; Tiffin, QE Boys, HBS |
GL Assessment papers are used across England. Key schools and consortia include:
The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) uses GL-style papers for its grammar schools, including King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS) Chelmsford and Chelmsford County High School for Girls -- both among England's top state schools.
Kent grammar schools use GL Assessment papers administered by the Kent Test. Buckinghamshire grammars use the CSSE Bucks test, which is broadly GL-style in format. Both are highly competitive with registration deadlines in summer.
No formal 11+ preparation is needed in Year 3. The most valuable investment at this stage is wide reading -- fiction, non-fiction, poetry -- which builds vocabulary and comprehension skills that transfer directly to the VR and English papers. Mental maths practice (times tables, mental addition and subtraction) builds the numeracy foundation for the Maths paper. Introducing word puzzles, logic games, and shape puzzles can make VR and NVR feel familiar without the pressure of formal test conditions.
Year 4 is appropriate for introducing VR and NVR concepts through structured puzzle books rather than past papers. Children targeting super-selective schools (Tiffin, QE Boys, Henrietta Barnett) should begin light, consistent practice in this year. For standard selective grammars, Year 4 preparation is beneficial but not essential -- a strong Year 5 start is sufficient. The focus should be on building confidence and familiarity, not creating pressure.
From September of Year 5, most families begin formal GL Assessment preparation. This is the standard timeline for all school types. At this stage, children should work through structured VR, NVR, English, and Maths practice books and introduce timed past papers from Easter onwards. A good preparation programme in Year 5 combines weekly tutoring sessions with consistent independent practice of two to three sessions per week of 20 to 30 minutes each.
The 11+ examination typically takes place in September or October of Year 6, which means the real preparation window after the summer holiday is very short -- often just four to six weeks. Children sitting the exam in September need to be in good shape by the end of Year 5. The Year 6 summer should be used for timed practice under exam conditions, working through past papers, and focusing on areas of weakness identified during Year 5.
Knowing the right year to start is worth more than starting early
The year-group guidance above only works if a family can judge honestly where their own child sits against it, and that is the one assessment a parent cannot make from the kitchen table.
A free consultation includes that judgement, with a plan pitched at your child's actual starting point. 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppOur 11+ specialists understand the GL Assessment format in depth, having helped children prepare for every major GL Assessment school in London and the South East. We assess each child's starting point across all four paper types, identify their specific weaknesses, and build a structured preparation programme calibrated to their target school's difficulty level. Whether your child is aiming for a standard selective grammar or a super-selective school like QE Boys Barnet or Henrietta Barnett, we will build a plan that is realistic, structured, and kind to your child's wellbeing.
Also read: When to start 11+ preparation -- a year-by-year guide
External resource: GL Assessment official 11+ information
GL Assessment (formerly Granada Learning) produces the most widely used 11+ papers in England, used by around 80% of grammar schools. GL tests are structured as four separate papers: Verbal Reasoning (VR), Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR), English (reading comprehension and creative writing), and Maths. CEM (Centre for Education and Monitoring, Durham University) integrates these skills more holistically into fewer, less predictable papers. GL tests are generally considered more coachable because past papers are available and question types are consistent from year to year. CEM papers tend to have more variation, making direct past-paper practice less transferable.
GL Assessment uses standardised scores ranging from 69 to 141. The standardisation process adjusts raw marks based on a child's age at the time of sitting, so a younger child (born in summer) is not penalised relative to an older child in the same year group. For most grammar schools, the qualifying threshold is around 111 standardised (100 represents the average score). Super-selective schools, which admit only the highest scorers with no catchment restriction, typically require scores of 118 to 121 or above. At schools like Henrietta Barnett, Queen Elizabeth's Boys, or the Tiffin schools, only children scoring very close to the maximum are offered places.
GL Assessment papers are used by the majority of selective state grammar schools in England. Key London and home counties schools include Queen Elizabeth's Boys Barnet, Henrietta Barnett School, Tiffin Girls' School, Tiffin Boys' School, and the Sutton consortium schools: Sutton Grammar School, Nonsuch High School for Girls, Wallington High School for Girls, and Wilson's School. Outside London, GL Assessment is used by Kent grammar schools, Buckinghamshire grammars, and Essex schools through the CSSE consortium, including KEGS Chelmsford and Chelmsford County High School for Girls.
Preparation timelines depend on your target school. For super-selective schools such as Tiffin, QE Boys Barnet, or Henrietta Barnett, many families begin structured preparation in Year 4 (age 8 to 9), focusing on vocabulary, comprehension, and introducing VR and NVR concepts through puzzles and games. Year 5 (from September, age 9 to 10) is the standard start point for formal preparation at most grammar school levels, using past papers and timed practice. Starting earlier than Year 4 with formal papers risks burnout. A good Year 5 start with consistent weekly tutoring is sufficient for most selective schools.
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