11+ in Buckinghamshire: the GL Assessment format
What a child sits in Buckinghamshire, what each paper is really testing, and what that format means for how you prepare. Format and method only — the dates, thresholds and admission rules belong to Buckinghamshire Council's secondary transfer pages, and we do not restate them.
What the papers cover
- Verbal reasoning
- Non-verbal reasoning
- Maths
What to prioritise for this format
- Three separate papers means three separate skills, and children are rarely even across all three. Find the weakest of the three early — it is where the available marks are.
- Non-verbal reasoning carries real weight here, and it is the paper that improves fastest with a fixed checking order: count, shading, rotation, position.
- The maths is Key Stage 2 content under time pressure rather than harder mathematics. Fluency with fractions, percentages and multi-step word problems does most of the work.
Dates, pass marks and admission rules change every year and vary by school. Always confirm the current details with Buckinghamshire Council's secondary transfer pages — we deliberately don’t republish them here.
Free worked examples by topic
Each page below explains the method, shows five worked examples rising in difficulty, and names the mistake that costs marks.
Verbal reasoning
Common questions
- Which papers does the Buckinghamshire 11+ include?
- Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths. The format is set by GL Assessment. Confirm the current arrangements with Buckinghamshire Council's secondary transfer pages before you plan around them.
- When is the Buckinghamshire 11+ sat?
- Almost all 11+ tests are sat at the start of Year 6, for entry the following September — which means the preparation year is Year 5. Registration usually closes months before the test itself, so check the deadline with the admissions authority early.
- What score does a child need in Buckinghamshire?
- We deliberately do not publish thresholds. They are set by the schools, adjusted for age, and move from year to year depending on who applies — a number quoted on a website is out of date the moment it is written. Buckinghamshire Council's secondary transfer pages is the source worth trusting.
- How should we prepare for the Buckinghamshire format specifically?
- Three separate papers means three separate skills, and children are rarely even across all three. Find the weakest of the three early — it is where the available marks are.
See where your child stands
Ten questions across the papers, no account needed, and a written report naming the topics with marks left in them.
Take the free 10-question diagnostic →