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Thinking about a grammar school in the West Midlands for your child? This guide walks you through how the system works, key dates for entry, and how to support your child through the 11+.

In this guide, you'll find:

How the West Midlands grammar school system works
Key 11+ dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
Which schools use the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test
What your child will be tested on
How the exam is scored and how places are allocated
Practical ways to support your child's 11+ preparation

West Midlands grammar schools

There are 19 selective schools in the West Midlands, all using the same entrance test. They are grouped into three consortiums:

The Grammar Schools in Birmingham

Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton Consortium

Warwickshire Consortium

Your child only needs to take the entrance test once, regardless of how many West Midlands grammar schools you are applying to.

Key dates for 2027 entry

Tuesday 5th May 2026: test registration opens
Friday 26th June 2026: test registration closes
Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th and Monday 14th September 2026: school test days
Friday 16th October 2026: parents receive test results
Saturday 31st October 2026: deadline to apply for secondary school places
Monday 1st March 2027: secondary school national offers day

Dates may be subject to change depending on each school. Always check with your target school for the latest information.

What is the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test?

The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test is the shared 11+ exam used by all 19 selective schools in the West Midlands partnership. Your child only needs to take the test once, even if you are applying to schools across more than one consortium.

The test takes place in September of Year 6. Children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 will sit the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test in September 2026 for entry to Year 7 in September 2027.

The test is designed to assess academic ability across English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Grammar schools in the West Midlands are competitive and frequently oversubscribed, so children sitting the test should be working towards the top of their year group.

What's on the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test?

The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test consists of two papers provided by GL Assessment. Each paper lasts approximately one hour, including time for instructions and practice examples. Your child takes both papers on the same day with a short break in between.

All questions are multiple-choice. Your child will have separate pre-printed answer sheets to mark their answers on, which are marked electronically.

The two papers are divided into individually timed sections covering:

English comprehension: your child will read a passage of text and answer questions to demonstrate their understanding
Maths: questions based on Key Stage 2 national curriculum content
Verbal reasoning: using logic and reasoning to solve problems with written information such as letters, words, symbols and numbers
Non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning: using logic and reasoning to solve problems with visual information such as shapes, pictures and diagrams

Is your child ready for the West Midlands Entrance Test?

See where they stand in minutes. Atom’s free West Midlands 11+ practice assessment gives you an instant breakdown of their strengths and gaps. Know exactly what to focus on next and start preparing with direction, not uncertainty.

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How is the West Midlands Entrance Test scored?

After the test, answer sheets are marked using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology, which scans the marks your child has made to indicate their answers. Raw scores are then weighted across the four areas:

English and verbal reasoning: 50%
Non-verbal reasoning: 25%
Maths: 25%

The weighted scores are then age-standardised, which means younger children are not disadvantaged. Results are sent to parents on Friday 16th October 2026.

What's the pass mark for the West Midlands Entrance Test?

There is no single fixed pass mark. Each school, or consortium of schools, sets its own qualifying score, and this is not decided until after the entrance test has taken place.

Grammar schools in the West Midlands are competitive and frequently oversubscribed, so achieving the qualifying score does not guarantee a place. Where a school receives more applications than places available, it will allocate places using its oversubscription criteria.

Qualifying scores vary between schools and can change from year to year. We always recommend reviewing your target school's admissions policy carefully before applying, as each school applies its own criteria when allocating places.

How to apply to grammar schools in the West Midlands

If you're considering a grammar school in the West Midlands for your child, it's a good idea to speak to your child's teacher first. Grammar schools are academically selective and select children working towards the top of their year group. Your child's teacher can indicate whether they think your child will be able to keep up with the pace at a grammar school.

1. Register for the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test

To be considered for a place at any of the 19 West Midlands selective schools, you will need to register your child to take the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test.

To register, visit the West Midlands Grammar Schools website and complete the online application form. Have a photo of your child ready to upload as part of the registration process.

2. Apply for school places

Your child's test results will be sent to you on Friday 16th October 2026. You'll find out whether your child has achieved the qualifying score for your target school or schools.

You can use these results to decide which schools to name on your secondary school common application form (CAF). Before listing a school on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible.

The application form must be submitted to your home local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.

3. National school offers day

On Monday 1st March 2027, you'll be informed which secondary school your child has been allocated.

If your preferred school isn't offered, your child will receive another local school place, and you'll be given information about how to appeal.

How can I help my child prepare for the West Midlands 11+?

The West Midlands 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be stressful.

Here are some practical ways to support your child in a calm, structured way.

Stay on track with a clear West Midlands 11+ revision plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn't motivation – it's knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.

A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.

With Atom's Exam Plan, you enter your child's exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they'll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.

Build 11+ exam technique with realistic practice papers

Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.

Atom's 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.

You'll get:

a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
a comparison with other children applying to the same schools

The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.

Encourage regular reading for 11+ English success

Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the 11+.

Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety – fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.

This helps build:

vocabulary
comprehension and inference
confidence with unfamiliar texts

If you're looking for ideas, Atom's recommended reading lists for Years 3–6 include a wide range of age-appropriate books.

Celebrate progress, not just 11+ scores

When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement – not just one-off test results.

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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.

Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.

Follow personalised weekly exam plans that show them what to learn next.
Download replica 11+ practice papers and upload a photo for instant, stress-free marking.‍
Track progress and see how they compare to others applying to the same schools.

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West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus guide