When to start 11+ preparation — and when to register — are questions every family asks, yet many leave both too late. Registration windows are often shorter than parents expect; missing a deadline means missing the opportunity for that year. This guide sets out a realistic timeline from Year 4–5 through exam day, with 11+ registration dates and typical 11+ exam dates by region, plus what happens after results and before the CAF deadline.
The 11+ journey at a glance
Every region and school sets its own dates, but most families follow a similar sequence. Use this as a checklist — then confirm exact dates on each target school's admissions page.
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Foundation preparation | Year 4 or early Year 5 — reading, arithmetic, vocabulary |
| Structured exam prep | From ~12 months before the exam (late Year 5 / early Year 6) |
| Exam registration | Often spring–summer of Year 5 or early Year 6 (short window) |
| 11+ exam | Usually September–October of Year 6 |
| Results | Varies by area — often October–November of Year 6 |
| Common Application Form (CAF) | 31 October (Year 6) — national deadline |
| National Offer Day | 1 March (Year 6) — national offer day |
When should preparation start?
There is no single right answer — but there is a wrong one, and that is leaving it to the summer before the exam. Children who begin serious preparation in the final six to eight weeks are almost always at a disadvantage, particularly in verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which require time to internalise the question types properly.
The most effective preparation tends to follow a two-phase pattern:
Phase one, ideally starting in Year 4 or early Year 5, focuses on building the underlying skills — wide reading, strong mental arithmetic, vocabulary development — without the pressure of timed papers. This phase is about capacity-building rather than exam drilling, and it can be woven naturally into everyday life.
Phase two, starting around 12 months before the exam (early Year 6 or late Year 5), involves systematic work through practice papers, topic-by-topic revision of weaker areas, and eventually full timed mock exams under realistic conditions. The intensity increases as the exam approaches, peaking in August and September of Year 6.
Children who begin earlier do not need to work harder — they can work at a lower intensity and still be very well prepared. Children who start late often find themselves under significant pressure, which can affect confidence and performance.
How registration works
Registration for the 11+ is entirely separate from the school application process — and this surprises many families. You apply for a school place through your local authority, but you register for the exam directly with the grammar school or with the regional consortium that administers it.
The registration process varies by area but typically involves:
- Completing an online form on the grammar school's or consortium's website, providing your child's details, their current school, and sometimes a predicted grade or report from their teacher
- Paying a small administration fee in some areas, typically £10–25 per school
- Registering once with a consortium (such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, or Trafford) to cover all consortium schools, or separately with each school — including London grammar schools — where schools operate independently
Critically, most registration windows are short — often just four to six weeks. Missing the window means your child cannot sit the exam that year. There is usually no late registration option. Dates vary by region — for example, Kent Test registration typically opens in June of Year 6, and Buckinghamshire 11+ registration dates usually follow in June.
London grammar schools — including the Sutton consortium 11+ registration dates — typically open registration earlier than GL areas and operate independently from GL or CEM consortia. Check each school’s admissions page from May of Year 6.
CEM areas open earlier than GL areas. Birmingham 11+ registration dates — opens earlier than GL areas and Trafford 11+ registration dates typically begin in May and close in June or July — do not assume the same calendar as Kent or Buckinghamshire. Check each consortium website from May of Year 6. Families in the West Midlands may also be registering for Warwickshire at the same time — see the Warwickshire 11+ registration dates and deadlines for specific dates.
See our Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Trafford, and London 11+ guides for the full 2026 process in each area.
Key dates to track
Two of these dates — the CAF deadline of 31 October and National Offer Day on 1 March — are fixed nationally and apply to every family in England. All other dates vary by school and region, which is why checking each target school's admissions page early is so important.
| Milestone | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 11+ registration opens | Varies | Check school or consortium website; often spring–early autumn of Year 5/6. Kent Test registration dates and deadlines — typically June, Year 6. Birmingham 11+ registration dates — opens earlier than GL areas — often from May. Trafford 11+ registration dates — typically May–July, Year 6. |
| 11+ registration closes | Varies | Usually a 4–6 week window; no exam place if missed |
| 11+ exam day(s) | Sept–Oct Year 6 | Some areas use two test days |
| Results published | Varies | Often within weeks of the exam; appeals process may follow |
| CAF deadline | 31 October | Fixed nationally — submit via your home local authority |
| National Offer Day | 1 March | Fixed nationally — secondary school offers issued |
The Common Application Form explained
The Common Application Form (CAF) is submitted to your local authority — not to the grammar school — and is how all state secondary school places in England are allocated. Even if your child passes the 11+ with a high score, they will not receive a grammar school place unless the school is listed on their CAF.
A few things parents often get wrong:
- You submit the CAF through your home local authority, even if your preferred school is in a different authority's area
- You can typically list up to six schools in order of preference
- Listing a grammar school first does not reduce your chances of receiving an offer from a school listed lower down — if you do not qualify for the grammar school, the system moves to the next preference
Putting a realistic local alternative as one of your listed preferences is strongly advisable. If your child does not receive any of their listed preferences, the local authority will allocate a place at the nearest school with available spaces — which may not be one you would have chosen.
What if my child misses the exam or does not pass?
Missing the registration deadline or the exam itself is not the end of the road for grammar school ambitions, but options are limited. Some schools hold occasional in-year admissions tests if places become available mid-year. A very small number allow late applications in exceptional circumstances. But these situations are uncommon, and waiting for a vacancy at a grammar school is not a reliable plan.
If your child sits the exam and does not reach the qualifying score, you have a few options. You can submit an appeal, which is heard by an independent panel. Appeals succeed when families can demonstrate that the admissions process was not followed correctly, or that the panel underestimated the child's ability based on the evidence — not simply because the family believes the child deserved a higher score. Success rates on grammar school appeals vary significantly by school.
Alternatively, some areas allow children to resit the 11+ in Year 7 for deferred entry. This is rare but worth checking with your specific schools.
A note on out-of-area applications
Many grammar schools accept applications from children who live outside their catchment area or even outside their county. This can significantly expand the pool of schools your child can target — but it adds complexity.
Out-of-area applicants typically sit the same exam as local children and are assessed against the same qualifying score. However, if a school is oversubscribed among qualifying children, proximity to the school is usually the tiebreaker — meaning local children are offered places ahead of those who live further away. In highly competitive schools, the distance threshold for offered places can be surprisingly small.
Research the admissions data for any out-of-area schools carefully. Schools publish annual admissions statistics including the furthest distance from which a child was offered a place in the previous year — this gives a realistic picture of your chances.