GL Assessment 11+ Guide: Complete Parent Guide to Format, Subjects & Preparation

GL Assessment is an educational assessment provider. In the context of the 11+, GL provides selective admissions assessments used by grammar schools and admissions authorities.

GL states that its 11+ tests are used by the majority of grammar schools in the UK, but the individual school or admissions authority decides how its selection process operates.

This distinction is important because two areas using GL Assessment do not necessarily have identical entrance tests.

Parents often refer informally to the “GL board”, but it is more accurate to describe GL Assessment as an assessment provider. The exact 11+ test is determined by the admissions arrangements of the school, consortium or local authority.

GL Assessment ≠ One National 11+ Exam

According to GL Assessment, an 11+ test may contain one or more of the following areas:

The precise combination and balance of question types depends on the school or admissions authority. This is why children should not automatically prepare equally for all four areas until parents have confirmed their target-school requirements.

No. This is one of the most important points for parents.

or another combination determined by the relevant admissions authority. GL explicitly states that local authorities or individual schools determine the subjects tested and the balance of question types.

There is no universal GL test format that applies to every grammar-school area. GL advises parents to contact the relevant grammar school or local authority for the exact format.

GL's official familiarisation resources are designed to familiarise children with a multiple-choice layout, but GL also warns that the exact timing and number of questions in a local test may be different.

Even academically strong children can lose time if they are unfamiliar with the mechanics of an entrance assessment.

Familiarisation reduces the amount of mental effort needed to understand the format during the real assessment.

Where English is included, preparation should build strong language and comprehension skills. Areas may include:

The specific style and balance depend on the local assessment.

Students may need to read a passage and answer questions about:

Students should practise a structured approach:

Vocabulary is therefore best developed over time.

For each new word, record:

Students should revisit older vocabulary regularly rather than learning each word only once.

Where Maths is included, students need secure mathematical foundations combined with strong reasoning. Common preparation areas include:

GL describes English and Maths 11+ content as being based mainly around curriculum material reached during the early part of Year 6, although the exact local assessment should still be checked.

Slow basic arithmetic can create timing problems later in more complicated questions.

Understanding relationships is more valuable than memorising disconnected rules.

Many selective-test questions require students to decide which mathematical operation or strategy to use. A useful approach is:

GL describes Verbal Reasoning as assessing the ability to think logically about written information and use that ability to solve problems.

The precise question styles encountered should be confirmed through current familiarisation materials.

A child may understand the reasoning method but still struggle if they do not understand the vocabulary.

This makes regular reading an important part of long-term VR preparation.

A useful general strategy is:

GL describes Non-Verbal Reasoning as problem solving involving pictures and shapes.

A systematic approach is usually more reliable than guessing.

When looking at a visual problem, ask:

Students can gradually learn to scan these characteristics quickly.

This is a common source of mistakes.

Students should practise identifying the location of distinctive features to distinguish between the two.

GL's familiarisation materials are designed to introduce children to a multiple-choice layout. Multiple choice does not necessarily mean questions are easier.

A careless recording error can lose a mark even when the mathematical or reasoning work was correct.

When appropriate, students can remove answers that are clearly impossible.

In Maths: if an approximate answer should be close to 500, options such as 50 or 5,000 may immediately indicate scale errors.

In NVR: if the pattern always contains four objects, an option containing five may be inconsistent.

Elimination should support reasoning — not replace it.

One of the biggest preparation mistakes is introducing heavy time pressure before a child understands the question types.

The objective is not simply to answer quickly. It is to answer correctly and efficiently.

GL currently provides 10 hours of free familiarisation materials intended to expose children to the multiple-choice layout and examples of question styles. GL notes that these are particularly useful for VR and NVR because children may not previously have encountered such questions.

Official familiarisation materials are particularly valuable because they help parents understand the provider's presentation style without relying entirely on third-party resources.

However, GL also warns that local timings and question numbers may differ.

GL distinguishes between its familiarisation and practice resources.

GL currently provides free familiarisation resources and separately offers commercial practice papers. Parents should use both types of resource for their intended purpose rather than assuming every practice paper precisely replicates their local test.

Official materials are useful for familiarisation, but preparation should also address the child's underlying academic skills.

If a student has weak fractions, simply completing more sample papers may not fix the problem. If vocabulary is limited, targeted reading and vocabulary development are required.

No.

GL explicitly states that 11+ tests vary from area to area. Therefore, avoid relying on advice such as “All GL tests have exactly X questions and last exactly X minutes.” That statement may not apply to your child's target area.

For every target school, record:

Check this information for the correct admissions year.

Doing well in the entrance assessment and receiving a school place are not necessarily the same thing.

Parents should read the target school's official admissions policy rather than relying on general 11+ advice.

A child initially earns a raw score based on their performance. Where standardised scoring is used, raw scores can be converted into standardised measures.

GL explains that a Standard Age Score (SAS) takes the child's age into account and allows performance to be compared with pupils of the same age. In GL's general standardised-testing framework, the average SAS is 100.

However, parents should not assume that SAS 100 = Grammar-School Qualifying Score. These are different concepts. The actual selection requirements are determined by the relevant admissions arrangements.

Children in the same school year can differ in age by almost twelve months. Age standardisation is designed to enable fairer comparison between students of different ages within a cohort.

GL explains that standardised scores can take account of a pupil's age in years and months when comparing performance.

The precise scoring system used in a local admissions test should always be checked through official admissions information.

There is no single universal GL 11+ qualifying score applicable to every grammar school.

Avoid generic websites claiming that one score automatically guarantees grammar-school entry everywhere. Instead, research the current requirements of your target schools.

Not reliably. A result such as 82% on a practice paper cannot automatically be converted into a particular official standardised score.

There is no universal starting age. A sensible progression may look like:

The timeline should be adjusted to the child's current level and test date.

Focus mainly on foundations:

The objective is not to complete endless timed papers.

Year 5 can become more structured. Preparation might include:

Students should gradually move from learning individual skills to applying them in mixed questions.

This is often an important preparation period. Focus can shift towards:

The objective should be focused preparation, not excessive daily testing.

Avoid suddenly introducing large quantities of unfamiliar material. Final preparation should increasingly become consolidation.

This should be adapted according to the actual subjects in the child's target assessment.

A mock test should answer questions such as:

The mock result should lead to an improvement plan.

After each mock, classify mistakes:

This provides a clearer preparation plan than simply repeating papers.

Progress should be judged across several indicators — not one practice score.

What does GL stand for in the 11+?

GL Assessment is the name of the assessment provider associated with selective admissions testing.

Is GL Assessment used for the 11+?

Yes. GL Assessment provides 11+ admissions testing used by many grammar schools.

What subjects are in the GL 11+?

A test may cover one or more of English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The exact combination varies.

Is every GL 11+ test the same?

No. Timing, subject combinations, question balance and local arrangements can vary.

Is GL 11+ multiple choice?

GL's official familiarisation materials are designed around a multiple-choice layout, but parents should check their specific local test requirements.

Does GL test Verbal Reasoning?

It can. GL identifies Verbal Reasoning as one of the areas that may be included in 11+ testing.

Does GL test Non-Verbal Reasoning?

It can. NVR may assess problem-solving through pictures, shapes, patterns and spatial relationships.

Does every GL test include English and Maths?

No. The subjects included are determined by the school or admissions authority.

Does GL provide free practice material?

GL currently provides 10 hours of free familiarisation materials covering a range of question types.

What is the GL 11+ pass mark?

There is no single universal GL pass mark for every grammar school. Parents should check the current admissions arrangements for their target school or area.

Can a high GL score guarantee a grammar-school place?

Not necessarily. The final allocation of places depends on the school's published admissions and oversubscription criteria.

When should my child start GL preparation?

It depends on their current academic level, target schools and assessment date. Many families develop foundations during Year 4 and move into more structured preparation during Year 5.