Most 11+ tests don’t have a pass mark like “60 out of 80”. Your child’s marks are turned into a score that compares them with every other child of the same age who sat the test, and each area decides the score that qualifies.
Raw scores and standardised scores
The raw score is simply how many questions your child got right.
The standardised score compares that with everyone else who sat the same paper, and adjusts for age. The average is 100, and most children score between about 70 and 130. Many areas add several scores together, which is why you see totals like 332 or 220.
Why age matters
Children in the same year can be almost twelve months apart. At ten, that’s a big difference. So each child is compared with children of the same age in months, and a younger child isn’t penalised for being younger. It happens automatically.
Here’s what that means in practice. Two children get exactly the same number of questions right. One was born in September, the other in August, almost a year younger. The August child ends up with the higher standardised score, because they did as well while being younger.
Qualifying isn’t the same as a place
Reaching the score makes your child eligible for a grammar school. It doesn’t guarantee a place. Popular schools then choose by things like distance, catchment, priority groups or the score itself, and in some areas far more children qualify than there are places.
The scores that count in some areas
| Area | To qualify |
|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | 121 or more |
| Kent | A total of 332 or more, with no single score below 108 (for 2026 entry; set each year) |
| Birmingham | 205, with extra priority from 224 at the King Edward VI schools |
| Lincolnshire | A total of 220 or more |
| Essex (CSSE) | No offers below 303, and most schools’ cut-offs are higher |
Only compare a score with its own area and year. A 121 in Buckinghamshire and a 121 somewhere else mean different things. We checked these figures on 14 October 2026, and they can change every year, so look at your area’s page for the latest.
What to do when the results arrive
- Apply by 31 October, whatever the result. If you might ask for a review or appeal, list the grammar school anyway.
- Check whether your area has a review. Buckinghamshire, for example, has a Selection Review for children just under the score, with a tight deadline.
- Offers come on 1 March. You can appeal for any school you listed and didn’t get.
Can practice raise the score?
Yes. The score compares your child with everyone else of the same age, so the way to raise it is to get more questions right in the time. That comes from two things: knowing the question types, and having the basics so quick that no time is lost on them.
The second one is easy to overlook and takes the longest to build. A child who has to stop and work out 7 × 8, or what reluctant means, loses seconds on every question. That’s what Rush is for: a few minutes a day that make the basics automatic, from Year 3.
Questions parents also ask
Is 121 a good 11+ score?
In Buckinghamshire it’s the qualifying score. Elsewhere 121 means something different, so always compare it with your own area’s figure.
Does a higher score help get a place?
In some areas, yes. Birmingham gives extra priority from 224, and some schools rank children by score. In Buckinghamshire it doesn’t: once your child reaches 121, a higher score makes no difference.
Can my child resit the 11+?
Usually not in the same year. Some areas allow testing later, in Years 7 to 9, for places that come up.
