Exam structure guide

GL Assessment 11+: every subject & topic explained — plus how schools differ

Studoo

•04 May 2026, 10:00 am•16 min read

GL Assessment is the most widely used 11+ test provider in England. This guide breaks down every subject, every topic type, how schools vary in what they test — and what the evidence suggests about where marks are concentrated.

Quick answer

GL Assessment 11+ papers can cover up to five subjects: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning (VR), Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR), and Spatial Reasoning (SR). No school tests all five. Most test two or three — but which combination depends entirely on the school or local authority. Kent tests Maths and English; Buckinghamshire tests VR, NVR and SR; Trafford tests VR and NVR. Always check the specific school's prospectus and admissions policy.

possible GL Assessment subject areas (not all tested by every school)

distinct Verbal Reasoning question types in the full GL question bank

~50

minutes per GL Assessment paper (standard allocation)

SAS

Standard Age Score — GL age-standardised scoring (mean 100, SD 15)

What is GL Assessment and how does its scoring work?

GL Assessment (formerly Granada Learning / NFER-Nelson) is the UK's most widely used 11+ test provider. Their papers are used across Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Trafford, parts of Essex, North Yorkshire, and by numerous individual grammar schools nationwide. They are distinct from the other major provider, CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, based at Durham University), which is used by a separate set of schools.

All GL Assessment papers use a Standard Age Score (SAS). Raw marks are converted to age-standardised scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. This means a child's score reflects their performance relative to their age group — a child who sits the test earlier in the academic year is not disadvantaged. Scores above approximately 111–121 are typically considered "grammar school standard," though the exact qualifying threshold varies by school and year.

Papers use a multiple choice format throughout — children circle or shade their answer on a separate answer sheet, which is machine-marked. There are no marks awarded for working shown, and there is typically no negative marking for incorrect answers (children should always attempt every question).

Key fact

GL Assessment papers are designed so that the average child from the general population would score 100. The purpose is not to measure absolute knowledge but to discriminate between the top performers across the full ability range. Papers are therefore deliberately set at a level where completing all questions within the time allocation requires both accuracy and speed — a critical design feature families often underestimate.

The five GL Assessment subject areas

Below is a full breakdown of each subject area, including every topic category and, where evidence supports it, an indication of where marks are concentrated within each paper.

Mathematics

~50 questions · ~50 minutes · KS2 curriculum-aligned · Used in: Kent, and many individual schools

GL Assessment Maths papers test the full KS2 mathematics curriculum, with a bias towards topics that can be assessed in timed multiple-choice format. Questions progress from straightforward recall to multi-step word problems requiring reasoning and application. The final 10–15 questions typically involve the most complex multi-step problems.

Number & Place Value

Place value (millions to thousandths)Ordering & comparing integers and decimalsRounding (nearest 10, 100, 1,000, decimal places)Negative numbersRoman numeralsPrime numbers, factors, multiples, HCF, LCMSquare & cube numbers and roots

Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

Equivalent fractions; simplifying; orderingAdding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractionsConverting between fractions, decimals, percentagesFinding fractions/percentages of amountsPercentage increase and decreaseRatio and proportionUnequal sharing problems

Algebra & Sequences

Number sequences (linear and quadratic)Function machines (one- and two-step)Simple equations (find the missing number)Writing expressions and formulaeSubstituting values into expressions

Geometry & Position

Properties of 2D & 3D shapesAngles (on a line, in a triangle, in polygons)Symmetry (line & rotational)Coordinates (all four quadrants)Translations, reflections, rotationsAngle properties of parallel lines

Measurement

Area & perimeter (including compound shapes)Volume of cuboidsUnits of measure & conversions (metric/imperial)Time calculations and timetablesMoney problemsScale drawings and maps

Statistics & Data Handling

Reading tables, charts, graphs, pictogramsMean, median, mode and rangeBar charts, line graphs, pie chartsFrequency tablesBasic probability

Word Problems & Multi-Step Reasoning

Two- and three-step problemsProblems requiring selecting the right operationReal-world application contextsChecking and estimating answers

Where marks are concentrated — Maths

Number, Fractions, Decimals, %

~40%

Word Problems & Reasoning

~22%

Geometry & Measurement

~20%

Statistics & Data

~11%

Algebra & Sequences

~7%

GL Assessment does not publish official topic weightages. Estimates are based on analysis of sample papers and published Bond/CGP practice materials. Actual paper composition varies by year.

English

~50 questions · ~50 minutes · Comprehension + SPAG · Used in: Kent, and many individual schools

GL Assessment English papers typically combine a reading comprehension passage (often fiction, non-fiction or poetry) with questions that test vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling. All in multiple-choice format — children are not required to write extended prose.

Reading Comprehension

Literal comprehension (retrieving stated facts)Inferential comprehension (implied meaning)Vocabulary in context (word meaning from passage)Author's purpose and viewpointIdentifying tone, mood, atmosphereStructural and language choicesSummarising and identifying main idea

Vocabulary & Word Knowledge

Synonyms and antonymsWord meanings and definitionsPrefixes and suffixesWord families and root wordsMultiple meaning words (homonyms, homophones)Cloze procedure (select best word for blank)

Grammar & Sentence Structure

Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronounsPrepositions, conjunctions, determinersSubject–verb agreementTense consistency (simple, perfect, continuous)Active and passive voiceClause structure (main, subordinate, relative)Sentence types (statements, questions, commands)

Punctuation & Spelling

Full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marksApostrophes for contraction and possessionSpeech marks (inverted commas)Colons and semicolonsParentheses (brackets, dashes, commas)Common spelling patterns and rules

Where marks are concentrated — English

Reading Comprehension

~55%

Vocabulary & Word Knowledge

~20%

Grammar & Sentence Structure

~15%

Punctuation & Spelling

~10%

Approximate distribution. Some GL English papers split comprehension and SPAG into separate booklets with more equal weighting. Check target school's sample papers.

Verbal Reasoning (VR)

~80 questions · ~50 minutes · 21 distinct question types · Used in: Trafford, Lincolnshire, Essex, many individual schools

Verbal Reasoning tests a child's ability to think with language — understanding word relationships, patterns in language, and applying logical reasoning to verbal problems. It is not directly based on the school curriculum, which is why children benefit significantly from familiarity with the 21 distinct question types. GL Assessment papers typically include 3–4 questions per type.

All 21 GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning question types

Type 1

Synonyms — find word closest in meaning

Type 2

Antonyms — find word most opposite in meaning

Type 3

Odd one out — find word that does not belong

Type 4

Word analogies — "A is to B as C is to ?"

Type 5

Hidden word — find word hidden across two words

Type 6

Move a letter — remove from one word, add to another

Type 7

Compound words — combine two words to make one

Type 8

Connect words — word to go with all others in bracket

Type 9

Letter series — find next letters in a sequence

Type 10

Number series — find missing number in pattern

Type 11

Letter codes — encode/decode words using a cipher

Type 12

Number codes — encode words as numbers

Type 13

Anagram — rearrange letters to make a real word

Type 14

Rearrange to make two words — split letters into pair

Type 15

Complete the word — find missing letters in a word

Type 16

Word–letter relationship — letters in two given words

Type 17

Change word — alter one letter to make new word

Type 18

Three-letter word — same 3 letters complete all words

Type 19

Two-word maths — word sums using word equivalents

Type 20

Logical reasoning — deduction from given statements

Type 21

Sequences with symbols — letter/number pattern rules

Topic distribution — Verbal Reasoning

GL Assessment VR papers do not publish a fixed type-by-type breakdown. Based on published sample papers, a typical 80-question paper includes approximately 3–4 questions per type, with roughly equal distribution. Codes (Types 11–12) and analogies (Type 4) tend to appear slightly more frequently in recent papers. The exact combination varies between paper sets.

Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR)

~80 questions · ~50 minutes · Visual/spatial pattern recognition · Used in: Trafford, Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, many individual schools

Non-Verbal Reasoning assesses the ability to recognise patterns, analogies and relationships using abstract shapes and figures rather than words or numbers. It is language-neutral by design, meaning it does not require vocabulary knowledge — but it does require rapid, accurate visual processing and spatial reasoning.

NVR question categories

Similarities — find the figure most similar to the exampleOdd one out — identify which shape does not belongSeries / Sequences — what comes next in a patternMatrices — complete the 3×3 grid patternAnalogies — shape A is to B as shape C is to ?Codes — letter codes linked to shape propertiesReflection — identify mirror imageRotation — identify rotated versionNets — which net folds to make the 3D shape?3D views — identify 2D view of 3D object

Key properties tested within shapes

Size and scaleShading and fill patternNumber of sides/anglesOrientation and directionLine thickness and typePosition within a frameOverlapping vs contained shapesSymmetry properties

Topic distribution — NVR

A typical 80-question NVR paper allocates approximately 8–12 questions per category, with series/sequences and matrices typically forming the largest share. 3D nets and spatial questions have increased in recent GL papers as schools move toward a more spatial-reasoning emphasis — partly reflected in the newer Spatial Reasoning standalone paper (see below).

Spatial Reasoning (SR) — newer addition

~30–50 questions · ~25–35 minutes · Introduced in Buckinghamshire from 2022 · Used in: Buckinghamshire; some individual schools piloting

Spatial Reasoning is the newest of GL Assessment's subject offerings and was introduced into Buckinghamshire's 11+ assessment in September 2022. It tests a child's ability to mentally manipulate and reason about 2D and 3D objects — skills that go beyond standard NVR and align with mathematical thinking used in STEM subjects.

Spatial Reasoning question types

2D shapes from folding — how does a flat pattern fold?3D shapes from nets — identify the matching netCube views — what does the cube look like from a given angle?Block counting — how many blocks in a 3D structure?Shape fitting — which pieces fit together?Rotation of 3D objectsMaps and positional reasoningCross-sections of 3D objects

Note on Spatial Reasoning

Spatial Reasoning was introduced by Buckinghamshire County Council as part of a wider review of its 11+ assessment to reduce the advantage of intensive coaching. GL Assessment publishes sample questions for SR on its parent information pages. Schools outside Buckinghamshire that are considering SR will typically give significant advance notice — check the school's admissions policy for each year of entry.

GL Assessment 11+: school comparison & subject topic map

The infographic below shows which subjects each major GL Assessment school system tests (top panel) and a visual topic map for each subject area (bottom panel).

How schools differ — even within GL Assessment

Two schools can both use GL Assessment papers and yet test completely different subjects, use different qualifying score thresholds, standardise differently, and weight subjects differently in their final composite score. Here is a detailed comparison.

School / Region	Papers set	Format & timing	Score & weighting	Notable differences
Kent (Kent Test)	MathsEnglish	2 papers, ~45–50 min each. Multiple choice + some short written answers in English. Sat September Year 6.	Each paper produces an SAS. Schools set their own qualifying score (typically SAS 111–121+). English and Maths given roughly equal weight.	Kent also includes a Writing task (short written response) which some schools score separately. No VR/NVR. Schools in areas like Tonbridge and Sevenoaks set higher effective thresholds due to oversubscription.
Buckinghamshire (Bucks Test)	VRNVRSR	3 papers since 2022. Each ~30–45 min. Multiple choice. Sat September Year 6.	Three SAS scores combined (equal weighting). SR introduced to reduce coachability of VR/NVR-only tests. Combined score sets threshold.	First county to introduce SR at scale (2022). No Maths or English papers — entirely reasoning-based. Schools still use distance/catchment tiebreakers after score threshold is met.
Lincolnshire	VRNVR	2 papers. ~50 min each. Standard GL multiple choice format.	VR + NVR scores combined. Each school sets own threshold. Selective system concentrated in Sleaford, Louth, Caistor, Spalding areas.	Less nationally prominent than Kent/Bucks, but significant in its local areas. Some schools lean more heavily on VR than NVR — check individual school prospectuses.
Trafford (Gtr Manchester)	VRNVR	2 papers. Standard GL format. Sat September/October Year 6.	Combined VR + NVR SAS. High competition — Altrincham Grammar schools are among most oversubscribed in England. Effective threshold very high in practice.	Children can sit Trafford test from outside Trafford but catchment priority applies strongly. No Maths or English papers in the selection test itself.
Essex (various consortia)	VRNVRsometimes Maths	Varies by consortium. SEEVIC and other groups each set own arrangements. Some use GL; some use CEM — verify each school.	Consortia set their own thresholds. Some weight VR and NVR equally; others give more weight to one. Significant school-by-school variation.	Essex is one of the most fragmented systems in England — different schools within the same county use different providers and subject combinations.
Individual GL-using schools (e.g., Reading, Slough, N.Yorks, Wirral)	Varies	Each school defines its own paper set, timing and format. Many use 2-paper combinations (VR+NVR or Maths+VR).	Each school publishes its own qualifying score. Some use rank-ordered offers (super-selective); others use catchment + score threshold.	Schools outside the major consortia have the most variation. Always check: (1) which subjects are tested, (2) whether it is GL or CEM, (3) whether the school is threshold or rank-ordered.

Critical reminder

Admissions policies, paper combinations, and qualifying thresholds can change from year to year. The table above reflects the position as of 2024/25. Always check the specific school's admissions policy for the year of entry your child is applying for — published on the school's website and the relevant local authority admissions page. Do not rely on third-party summaries (including this one) as your sole source.

Topic weightage: what GL Assessment says — and what the evidence suggests

GL Assessment does not publish official per-topic weightage percentages for any of its 11+ papers. The company regards detailed paper blueprints as confidential to maintain the integrity of its assessments. This means any specific percentage figures circulating online are estimates derived from analysis of sample papers and published practice materials — not official data.

That said, patterns do emerge from analysis of GL sample papers (published on the GL Assessment website), Bond Assessment Papers (the primary licensed preparation resource), and CGP 11+ books (which also model GL-style questions):

What we can observe about paper composition

In Maths, number and calculation questions (including fractions, percentages and multi-step problems) consistently form the largest block — typically 35–45% of questions across analysed sample papers.
In English, the comprehension passage typically accounts for more than half the paper's marks when a single combined paper is used; in dual-paper formats (comprehension booklet + SPAG booklet), marks are more evenly split.
In VR, all 21 types appear across a full paper, meaning no single type dominates — but codes and analogies are frequently cited by teachers and published authors as the types where children gain the most additional marks through targeted practice.
In NVR, matrices and sequences together typically make up approximately 40–50% of questions in analysed sample sets — making them the highest-yield areas for preparation time investment.
In SR (Buckinghamshire), 3D nets, cube views, and block counting are the dominant question types in GL's published sample materials.

Studoo insight

Understanding topic composition only tells you where the marks are on paper. What matters equally is where your child's marks are — which topics they're consistently strong in, which they lose marks on, and whether those losses are knowledge-based or confidence-based. Studoo's question bank and topic accuracy data shows exactly this: not just a score, but a breakdown by topic and a behavioural layer showing how a child is answering (speed, hesitation, answer changes), so preparation effort goes where it will have the most impact.

Practical preparation guidance by subject

Maths: curriculum-first, then application

Because GL Maths is KS2 curriculum-based, a child who is secure in all KS2 Maths topics has the underlying content knowledge. The additional preparation layer is learning to apply that knowledge quickly in multiple-choice format with word problem contexts — and building fluency under timed conditions. Times tables to 12×12 should be automatic; mental arithmetic shortcuts for percentages, fractions, and basic algebra are highly valuable.

English: comprehension is the priority

Given that comprehension accounts for the majority of marks, children should practise reading unseen passages critically — not just for literal retrieval but for inference, vocabulary in context, and identifying an author's choices. SPAG revision should run in parallel but should not dominate preparation time at the expense of comprehension practice.

Verbal Reasoning: familiarity is everything

VR is the subject where preparation makes the most measurable difference, because the question types are entirely unfamiliar to most children until they encounter them for the first time. A child who has never seen a Type 11 letter code question will almost certainly lose those marks regardless of how intelligent they are. Systematic exposure to all 21 types — ideally one type at a time until each is automatic — is the most effective approach.

NVR and SR: pattern recognition through volume

NVR and SR reward children who have seen enough varied examples to quickly identify what's changing between shapes. This is best built through repeated exposure rather than explicit rule-learning. Timed practice is particularly important here — many children can solve NVR questions given unlimited time but lose significant marks due to speed under exam conditions.

Related on Studoo

Research and official sources

Links point to government, institutional, or peer-reviewed sources.

Source 1 — GL Assessment (Official)

GL Assessment. 11+ Information for parents — subject guides and sample questions.

www.gl-assessment.co.uk/support/for-parents/11-plus/

Source 2 — GL Sample Papers

GL Assessment. Free sample 11+ papers for Maths, English, VR, NVR and Spatial Reasoning.

www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/11-plus-practice-papers/

Source 3 — Kent Test (Official)

Kent County Council. The Kent Test — format, subjects and registration guidance.

www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/grammar-schools/kent-test

Source 4 — Buckinghamshire Test (Official)

Buckinghamshire Council. Secondary Transfer Test — guidance including SR introduction (2022).

www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/secondary-transfer-test/

Source 5 — Bond Assessment Papers

Bond (Oxford University Press). 11+ Assessment Papers — licensed GL-style preparation resources for all five subjects.

www.bond11plus.co.uk/

Source 6 — DfE School Performance Data

Department for Education. Find and compare schools in England. Includes 11+ admissions data by school.

www.find-school-performance-data.service.gov.uk/

Source 7 — School Admissions Code (DfE)

Department for Education (2021). School Admissions Code — statutory guidance governing selective school admissions.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2

Source 8 — CGP 11+ Preparation

CGP Books. GL Assessment-style 11+ practice papers for all subjects. Widely used for paper-composition benchmarking.

www.cgpbooks.co.uk/11-plus

Source 9 — Education Endowment Foundation

Education Endowment Foundation (2022). Cognitive science approaches in the classroom. Relevant to spacing, retrieval and topic-weighting strategy.

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/cognitive-science

Source 10 — Sutton Trust: Selective Schools

Sutton Trust (2023). Grammar School Briefing — subject-level attainment and 11+ preparation.

www.suttontrust.com/our-research/grammar-schools/

Source 11 — GL Standard Age Score

GL Assessment. Understanding Standardised Scores — how the SAS system works for 11+ results.

www.gl-assessment.co.uk/support/understanding-scores/

Source 12 — Ofsted: Grammar School Reports

Ofsted. Individual grammar school inspection reports — curriculum and assessment context.

www.gov.uk/find-ofsted-inspection-report

How we can help

Targeted practice by topic — not just scores

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Summary

GL Assessment covers up to five subjects, but your target schools will test only a subset. Confirm the paper combination first, then prepare for those subjects with topic-level focus — especially VR type familiarity, comprehension-heavy English, and timed Maths application.