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Taking the 11+ in Liverpool and the Wirral

Liverpool and the Wirral 11+ guide for parents
The Liverpool and Wirral areas have 10 schools that are fully or partially selective. We explain their testing arrangements.

Which schools require an 11+ pass?

There are four grammar schools in Wirral that have their admissions and assessment arrangements coordinated by Wirral Local Authority Children’s Services:
 

There are two further selective schools in Wirral which have their own testing arrangements:
 

There is only one grammar school in Liverpool, The Blue Coat School. 

There are also a further three partially selective schools in Liverpool, which select a small percentage of pupils based musical or general academic ability:
 

What do the tests involve?

The assessment for the four grammar schools that fall under the Wirral Local Authority is based on two tests covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths. Both are multiple choice and have 21 questions each.

Children will take two separate practice tests followed by the real tests, each held on separate dates.

The children will sit the practice tests in the same centre where their real tests will be held. The tests are standardised to take account of each child’s exact age in years and months.

The two test scores are added together to provide a final score.

At St Anselm's, boys take tests in English, maths and verbal reasoning.

At Upton Hall, girls take two separate verbal reasoning tests.

At Blue Coat, children take one English test and one maths test.

To find out about the testing process for the three partially selective schools, you should contact them directly.

What version of the test is used?

The Wirral Grammar schools mainly use GL assessments.

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How do you arrange for your child to take the test?

If you want your child to be assessed for the Wirral Local Authority grammar schools, you need to inform the Children and Young People’s Department at Wirral Borough Council by completing the form attached to the leaflet Transfer to Secondary School Education, Assessment for Grammar School Education – available from www.wirral.gov.uk. The closing date is usually the end of May.

For any of the other schools, you should contact them directly to ask about registering your child for their entrance tests.

Where are the tests held?

If your child is at a primary school in Wirral, it is likely that will take the 11+ test at their own school. Students who live outside the Wirral will take the test at one of the selective schools.

What is the pass mark?

The four Wirral Grammar schools have a standardised pass mark of 236, as does Upton Hall.

The other schools allocate places to children based on their test result ranking, so there is no official pass mark, and the lowest qualifying score will vary from year to year.

How can I help prepare my child?

You will find more information about familiarisation papers or programmes by visiting the schools' websites. Calday Grange Grammar School, for example, runs 11+ familiarisation workshops. Official GL Assessment practice papers and preparation materials are also available to buy online. 

Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure the information we provide is accurate and up-to-date, admissions arrangements for Year 7 entry change regularly and it is essential to check schools' own websites.

NB: TheSchoolRun receives a small commission from sales made through Exam Paper Plus. 

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