GL vs CEM 11+: the complete guide to both exam formats

GL vs CEM 11+ is one of the first decisions parents must get right when researching grammar school admissions. If you have started preparing, you have probably wondered what the difference between GL and CEM is, which format your child will sit, and whether it changes how you prepare — the answer is yes, significantly. GL Assessment and CEM (Durham University) are the two main exam providers; their papers look and feel different, reward different approaches, and appear in different parts of the country. This guide covers the CEM 11+ format, GL paper structure, regional detail, scoring, and preparation for both.

What are GL and CEM?

GL Assessment and CEM are the two main providers of 11+ entrance examinations used by grammar schools in England. They are independent organisations commissioned by grammar schools and local authorities to design, produce, and administer the tests. Neither is a government body — they are commercial providers whose papers are chosen by individual schools or regional consortia.

GL Assessment — formerly Granada Learning — is the older and more widely used provider. It has been producing 11+ papers for decades and its format is well established, well documented, and extensively resourced. GL papers are used in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and several other areas.

CEM — the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, part of Durham University — entered the 11+ market as an alternative to GL, partly in response to concerns that intensive tutoring was distorting results. CEM papers are deliberately designed to be harder to “teach to the test” — Birmingham 11+ — CEM exam guide is a prime example, where mixed papers and heavy vocabulary emphasis reward broad ability over format drilling. CEM is also used in Warwickshire, Trafford, Wirral, and other areas.

A third category also exists: schools that set their own bespoke papers, independent of either provider. Many selective independent schools fall into this category, as do some grammar schools that prefer to maintain full control over their admissions testing. In London, the Sutton consortium and Kingston schools use bespoke papers — neither GL nor CEM. See the London grammar schools — bespoke exam format guide for details.

GL vs CEM: side by side

GL Assessment in depth

How a GL paper is structured

GL papers are divided into separate subject papers, each with its own timing. The exact combination of subjects depends on the school or consortium — some test all four subjects, others omit NVR or use only English and Maths. But the format within each paper is consistent and well-documented.

Each GL paper uses a standardised multiple-choice answer format. Children circle or shade their answer from five options (A through E) on a separate answer sheet. There is no penalty for wrong answers — meaning children should always attempt every question rather than leaving blanks.

A typical GL paper set for a four-subject school looks like this:

What makes GL distinctive

The defining characteristic of GL is predictability. The 21 verbal reasoning question types are documented, labelled A through U, and appear in roughly the same proportion year after year. The NVR question types are similarly consistent. This predictability means that preparation is highly efficient — a child who has worked systematically through every question type will encounter nothing unfamiliar on exam day.

The separate subject papers also make diagnostic assessment straightforward. If a child consistently scores well on English and Maths but poorly on VR, the problem is clearly identified and can be targeted in preparation. This is harder to diagnose with CEM’s blended format.

The answer sheet used for GL papers deserves specific mention. Children shade a bubble or circle a letter on a separate sheet from the question booklet. This requires a degree of accuracy that differs from simply writing in an answer — children must locate the right question number on the answer sheet and make sure they have not skipped a row. Practising with authentic GL-format answer sheets is important so that the mechanics are automatic on exam day.

GL regions in detail

Kent and Buckinghamshire 11+ — complete guide both use GL consortium systems: one registration covers every grammar school in the county. Kent’s consortium is the largest in England (33 schools; English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning — NVR is not tested). Buckinghamshire’s Bucks Test covers all four GL subjects including NVR, in a fully selective county with no comprehensive alternatives. For step-by-step registration, see Kent Test registration dates and deadlines and Buckinghamshire 11+ registration dates in the timeline guide — windows are typically short (four to six weeks).

If your child is preparing for the Kent Test, all 21 GL verbal reasoning question types may appear — see the guide to all 21 GL verbal reasoning question types. Kent uses the standard GL English format; for what the Kent Test English paper involves in practice, see the Kent regional guide.

CEM in depth

How a CEM paper is structured

CEM papers are structured very differently from GL. Rather than separate subject papers, CEM uses two mixed papers — one that blends English and verbal reasoning, and one that blends mathematics and non-verbal reasoning. Within each paper, short sections of different question types follow one another rapidly, with strict time limits per section. Trafford 11+ — CEM without NVR is the only major CEM area that does not test NVR — its Paper 2 covers Mathematics only.

This structure has two important consequences. First, children must switch mental mode quickly — from reading comprehension to word codes to verbal analogies, all within a single paper. The ability to shift focus rapidly is itself being tested alongside subject knowledge. Second, because sections are short and fast-paced, falling behind in one section is hard to recover from. Children who get stuck on a single question and fail to move on lose disproportionate marks.

A typical CEM sitting looks like this:

What makes CEM distinctive

CEM’s defining characteristic is its resistance to formulaic preparation. The format changes year to year — the types of questions, the length of sections, and the mix of content can all shift between sittings. This is deliberate: CEM was designed partly to address concerns that intensive tutoring for GL papers was creating an unlevel playing field by coaching children to perform above their natural ability. The Birmingham 11+ — CEM exam guide and Warwickshire 11+ — CEM exam guide illustrate this in practice — families who have prepared only with GL papers often find the first CEM sitting genuinely disorienting.

In practice, this means that children preparing for CEM cannot rely on memorising question type formats in the same way GL candidates can. The underlying skills — strong vocabulary, genuine reading comprehension, fluent arithmetic, and logical reasoning — matter more than technique familiarity. A child who reads widely, reasons well, and has broad academic fluency has more advantage on CEM than on GL relative to a heavily tutored peer.

Vocabulary is more central to CEM than to GL. The blended English and VR paper rewards children who can read quickly and accurately, understand complex vocabulary in context, and switch between reading and reasoning modes rapidly. The word lists children are encouraged to learn for CEM preparation are generally more demanding than those needed for GL.

CEM regions in detail

The Birmingham 11+ — CEM exam guide covers the city’s consortium — eight grammar schools including the King Edward VI Foundation, mixed papers, and vocabulary-led preparation. The Warwickshire 11+ — CEM exam guide covers five schools across the county — many West Midlands families apply to both; one CEM preparation plan covers both, but two registrations and exam days are required.

How scoring works in GL and CEM

Both GL and CEM use standardised scoring — but understanding what this means in practice helps parents interpret results and set realistic expectations.

Raw marks vs standardised scores

When a child completes a paper, the first result is a raw mark — the number of questions answered correctly. But a child born in September and a child born in August sit the same paper, and the younger child is at a natural disadvantage. Standardisation adjusts for this by comparing each child’s raw mark against age-specific norms.

The resulting standardised score is expressed on a scale where 100 represents the average for that age group. The scale typically runs from around 60 (well below average) to 140 (well above average), though the exact range varies slightly.

Standardised score bands — approximate guide

How to prepare: GL vs CEM strategies compared

The preparation skills are largely the same — English comprehension, vocabulary, maths fluency, verbal and non-verbal reasoning — but the emphasis and approach differ in important ways.

Exam technique

What if my child is applying to both GL and CEM schools?

This situation is more common than many parents realise — particularly families who live near a regional border, or who are applying to independent schools alongside grammar schools. The good news is that the underlying knowledge is the same. The preparation approach needs to be thoughtfully managed.

The most important adjustment is to ensure that timed practice includes both formats. A child who has only ever practised GL papers will find the CEM mixed paper format genuinely disorienting on first encounter. The rapid section changes, the inability to return to previous sections, and the blended topic structure all need to be experienced in practice before exam day.

Conversely, a child who has prepared primarily for CEM may find that they have underinvested in the systematic question type drilling that GL rewards. Working through all 21 VR question types explicitly, with the GL letter code system, is worth doing regardless of which format your child will sit — the skills transfer.

A practical approach for dual-format candidates:

• Build the underlying skills through the first phases of preparation without worrying too much about format.
• In the final three to four months, split practice paper time roughly equally between GL-format and CEM-format papers, so that both feel familiar by exam day.

Recommended resources by format

How to find out which format your school uses

This is the most important first step — and one families sometimes overlook until preparation is already underway. Getting this wrong means preparing for the wrong format, which wastes time and leaves gaps.

The most reliable way to find out is to go directly to the grammar school’s own website and look at the admissions section. Most schools name the provider they use and link to sample papers. If the school’s website is not clear, call the admissions office directly — they will tell you.

A few things to watch for:

• Some consortia use a hybrid or bespoke format that draws on elements of both GL and CEM. The Sutton grammar schools in London, for example, use a bespoke test. The only way to know is to look at sample papers.
• Some schools have switched providers in recent years. Always check the current admissions information rather than relying on older guides or forum posts.
• If your child is applying to multiple schools that use different formats, do not assume they are all the same. Make a list of each school and its confirmed format before building your preparation plan.