Latest 11+ news
Test-date changes, format updates, and exam-board switches, in one place — each item links to the original reporting so you can read the full story. We keep this to real, sourced news, not speculation.
- Kent
Kent Test results for September 2027 entry released
Kent's 11+ test for children starting grammar school in September 2027 was sat on 10 September (Kent primaries) and 12–13 September (non-Kent primaries), with results released to parents on 15 October 2026. If you're starting to prepare for next year's round, registration for each new Kent Test cycle typically opens the preceding June.
Source: Kent County Council, via Cognito → - Exam boards
Wirral grammar schools sit their first test under Quest Assessments
From the September 2026 test (for September 2027 entry), Wirral's grammar schools — including St Anselm's and Upton Hall — moved from GL Assessment to Quest Assessments, a newer board that's also taken on testing for Bexley. If you're preparing for a Wirral school, make sure any practice material you're using matches the new board's style rather than GL's.
Source: Cognito → - Trafford
Trafford signals "biggest 11+ changes in years" for local grammar schools
Local reporting says a significant shake-up to Trafford's grammar school entrance process is coming, though full details hadn't been published at the time of writing. If you're in a Trafford catchment, it's worth keeping an eye on your target schools' admissions pages over the coming months.
Source: Altrincham Today, via Eleven Plus Exams → - Nationwide
Some grammar school areas move 11+ dates to protect the summer holidays
The Times and The Telegraph both reported in late May 2026 that a number of grammar school consortia are shifting their 11+ test dates specifically to stop exam prep eating into the summer holidays, amid growing pressure from "always-on" holiday tutoring. Expect test-date windows to keep shifting as more areas follow.
Source: The Times / The Telegraph, via Eleven Plus Exams → - Dates
Warwickshire's 2027-entry 11+ test dates confirmed
Warwickshire County Council's 11+ test for September 2027 entry was sat on 12–13 September 2026, with results going out to parents in October. Registration closed on 30 June 2026 — a useful reminder that registration windows for most areas open roughly a year ahead of the test itself.
Source: Warwickshire County Council → - Kent
A Kent girls' grammar school to introduce its own bespoke entrance test
The Kent Messenger reported that one Kent girls' grammar school plans to move away from the standard Kent Test to a new test of its own design, aimed at widening access. A good reminder that individual schools can set extra or alternative tests on top of their county's main one.
Source: Kent Messenger, via Eleven Plus Exams → - Format changes
North Yorkshire reworks the 11+ format for Ripon Grammar and other selective schools
North Yorkshire Council confirmed changes to its 11+ papers from the September 2026 test onward: the Verbal Skills paper now adds reading comprehension and spelling/grammar to its verbal reasoning questions, and the Non-Verbal Reasoning paper now adds a maths element. Previously, both papers tested reasoning only.
Source: North Yorkshire Council / Ripon Grammar School →
These are summaries of third-party reporting, linked back to the original source for the full story — not a substitute for your own local authority's or target school's current admissions page, which is always the definitive source for dates and format.