11 Plus Exam Dates 2026: Complete UK Calendar for Every Region

When Is the 11 Plus Exam in 2026?

The question every UK parent with a Year 6 child is asking right now has a clear answer and an important qualification. Most 11 plus exams in the UK are held in September 2026, usually within the first two to three weeks. That is the clear answer. The important qualification is that exact dates vary significantly between regions, exam boards, and individual schools — and confirming the precise date for your target schools is one of the most important practical steps you can take right now. Eleven Ace

The 11+ landscape continues to evolve in 2026, with digital testing pilots expanding in a small number of regions, though paper-based testing remains the standard for most areas. Getting into grammar schools in 2026 is anticipated to be harder due to the addition of VAT to private school fees, which has increased competition for the limited number of 11+ places. In this climate, knowing your exam dates — and using every remaining week of preparation intelligently — matters more than ever. Pakistan News TodayAtom Learning

This guide gives you the most accurate, up-to-date 11 plus exam dates 2026 information available for every major UK grammar school region, alongside the registration and results dates that every family needs to have in their calendar right now.

11 Plus Exam Dates 2026 by Region

Key dates jo aapko abhi pata honi chahiye:

• April–May 2026 — Registration opens most regions

• May–June 2026 — CSSE, SET, Kent, Bucks deadlines ⚠

• September 2026 Weeks 1–2 — Exam day most regions

• Mid-October 2026 — Results released

• 31 October 2026 — CAF school application deadline ⚠

• 1 March 2027 — National Offer Day

Kent Test 2026

The 11 plus exam dates 2026 fall in early to mid-September for most areas, but parents should confirm exact dates with their chosen grammar school or local authority. The Kent Test 2026 typically takes place in the first week of September. Children sitting the Kent Test sit two papers on the same day — covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and English in a combined format. Results are typically released in mid-October 2026 through the Kent County Council online portal. Eleven Ace

Registration for the Kent Test 2026 closed or is closing imminently for most children. Out-of-county applicants who have not yet registered should contact Kent County Council admissions immediately — late entries are not accepted under any circumstances.

Buckinghamshire 11 Plus Date 2026

The Buckinghamshire 11 plus operates a two-stage process. The first stage typically takes place in the first or second week of September 2026 at children's own primary schools. Children who achieve the required standard in stage one proceed to a second sitting in late September or early October. Buckinghamshire automatically enters all primary children for the 11 plus exam and operates an opt-out system for parents who must actively choose to withdraw their child from the process. alphatest

Out-of-county applicants and children at independent schools must register manually — and that deadline has either passed or is passing now. If you are an out-of-county family targeting Buckinghamshire grammar schools who has not yet registered, contact The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools consortium today.

SET Exam Date 2026 — Sutton

The SET exam 2026 for Sutton grammar schools — Nonsuch, Wilson's, Wallington County, Wallington High School for Girls, and Sutton Grammar — takes place in the first two weeks of September 2026. The exact date is confirmed to registered candidates by post and email several weeks before the sitting. All five Sutton grammar schools share the same sitting date, meaning a child sits once and their results are considered by all five schools simultaneously.

Registration for the SET exam 2026 has a deadline in late May or early June. Families who registered in time will receive confirmation and candidate numbers before the summer holidays. If you have not yet received confirmation of your SET registration, contact the Sutton grammar school consortium immediately.

CSSE Exam Date 2026 — Essex

The CSSE exam 2026 for Essex grammar schools typically takes place in mid-September, slightly later than the Kent Test and SET exam. The CSSE consortium — covering schools including Chelmsford County High School for Girls, King Edward VI Grammar School, and Colchester County High School for Girls — sends registered candidates their exam centre details and timing by post before the summer holidays.

The roe is sat across two sessions: an English paper and a maths paper, typically on the same day. Both papers require written answers rather than multiple choice, and the English paper includes a creative writing task alongside comprehension questions. Children who have not prepared specifically for the CSSE written format — as distinct from GL Assessment multiple choice preparation — should begin targeted written English practice immediately.

CEM 11 Plus Exam Dates 2026

The CEM 11 plus is used across several regions including Birmingham, Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Shropshire. Unlike GL Assessment and the regional consortia, CEM exam dates are set school by school rather than regionally. There is some variability, so please check dates with your individual schools. Most CEM grammar schools hold their exams in September 2026, but the specific date can range from the very first week of September through to late September depending on the school. Families targeting CEM grammar schools must check each target school's website individually for their confirmed 2026 exam date. Atom Learning

How Many Weeks of Preparation Remain Before the 11 Plus Exam?

With the 11 plus exam 2026 falling in September, UK families currently in May 2026 have approximately fourteen to sixteen weeks of preparation time remaining. This is enough time to make meaningful, measurable improvement — but only if those weeks are used with genuine focus rather than vague good intentions.

Fourteen weeks used well looks like this: a clear diagnosis of current strengths and weaknesses completed in week one, systematic subject-by-subject work through weeks two to eight, full mock exam practice from week nine onwards, and consolidation and confidence-building in the final two weeks before exam day. Fourteen weeks used poorly looks like sitting practice papers on weekends without analytical review, hoping that volume produces improvement.

Mock exams are one of the most useful preparation tools available, but only if you use them at the right time, in the right way, and not too often. In the weeks remaining before September 2026, the priority is intelligent, targeted practice — not maximum volume. Pakistan News Today

AlphaTest's free diagnostic assessment tells you immediately where your child stands across all four 11+ subjects, how that compares to the competitive field for your target schools, and which areas will produce the highest improvement in the weeks remaining before exam day. With fourteen weeks to go, starting today rather than next week is the single most valuable decision any family can make.

After the Exam: Results and School Place Dates

For most grammar schools, 11 plus results will be posted in mid-October 2026. The National Offer Day, when school allocations are confirmed, falls on 1st March 2027. New intake begins Year 7 at each of the 163 grammar schools in September 2027. alphatest

The 31 October 2026 CAF deadline — the Common Application Form for secondary school places — must be submitted through your home local authority regardless of your child's 11 plus result. This deadline is entirely separate from the exam registration and applies to every family in England. Missing it has serious consequences for school place allocation. Mark it in your calendar today alongside your exam date.

Start your child's free 11 plus assessment at AlphaTest — fourteen weeks of smart preparation starts now →