The Gloucestershire 11+
Gloucestershire’s seven grammar schools share one test. From 2027 FSCE sets it, and it moves from September of Year 6 to Saturday 3 July 2027, in the summer term of Year 5. Registration runs from 8 February to 19 March 2027.
At a glance
- The test
- The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools' Entrance Test
- Set by
- GL Assessment (FSCE from the July 2027 test, for 2028 entry)
- Subjects
- English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning
- Answers
- Multiple choice, on a separate answer sheet
- Who sits it
- About 3,000 children register and about 2,500 sit the test each year (the Gloucestershire grammar schools' 2026 announcement of the new test provider, published on the schools' websites)
The papers
Two multiple-choice papers of about 45-50 minutes each (about an hour per session with instructions and worked examples), sat the same morning with a short break and answered on separate answer sheets that are marked by machine. One paper tests verbal skills (comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning); the other tests non-verbal reasoning and maths. From the July 2027 test (2028 entry) FSCE sets three papers: Adventure (English and maths, multiple choice), Beacon (English and maths, short written answers) and Compass (questions drawn from primary subjects such as science, history, geography, art, music and languages, multiple choice).
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Dates, results and scores
When is the 11+ in Gloucestershire?
The 2027 test: Saturday 3 July 2027 (moved from September of Year 6 to the summer term of Year 5; first FSCE test; results October 2027) The 2026 test: Saturday 12 September 2026, the same test at all seven schools; an alternative date about 10 days later for children who were ill; a Late Test in late January 2027 for those who missed registration.
How do you register for the 11+ in Gloucestershire?
For the 2027 test (2028 entry): 12 noon Monday 8 February 2027 to 12 noon Friday 19 March 2027. For the 2026 test (2027 entry): 12 noon Monday 18 May 2026 to 12 noon Friday 26 June 2026 (one online registration through any of the seven schools' websites, choosing which schools to share the result with; no late registrations or shares after 26 June)
When do 11+ results come out in Gloucestershire?
For the 2026 test: Emailed in mid-October 2026 (no exact date published), before the Common Application Form deadline of 31 October 2026; each school the result was shared with sends its own result.
What score qualifies in Gloucestershire?
No pre-defined pass mark. The two papers' age-standardised scores are combined into a total and ranked, and each school sets its own qualifying standard after the test (at Sir Thomas Rich's the Trustees' Admission Committee sets it about a week before results go out), with a lower standard for Pupil Premium and looked-after children. Pate's Grammar School's qualifying group is the highest-ranking 250 candidates (with minimum standards in each part of the test), and disadvantaged children qualify for one of up to 15 priority places with a score within 15% of the 150th-ranked score. Gloucestershire County Council allocates places in rank order after each school's priority groups; for example Sir Thomas Rich's made offers for September 2026 down to rank 332.
Not confirmed yet
- The exact 2026 results date: schools say only mid-October 2026
- Each school's 2026 qualifying score or rank cut-off: set after the test and not published (only Pate's top-250 rule is in a policy)
- The exact date of the January 2027 Late Test (to be published on school websites in December 2026 and January 2027)
- Timings of the FSCE papers for the July 2027 test
- The 2027/28 admission policies of Denmark Road High School, Marling School and Stroud High School were not read (Marling's website did not respond)
Check these on the official page: gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions/grammar-schools
Good to know
Late testing and moving to the area
Children who missed the 26 June 2026 registration can sit a Late Test in late January 2027 (online registration opens in early January 2027; results on 1 March 2027). It only gives a place on a school's waiting list (through Gloucestershire's waiting list round by 15 March 2027), not an offer on National Allocation Day. Pate's also runs an Appeals Test in April 2027.
Who runs admissions
Each grammar school is its own admission authority; the seven (the G7) run the shared test together, and Gloucestershire County Council allocates places under its coordinated scheme
Grammar schools in Gloucestershire
Schools with a page of their own have their places, qualifying scores and priority areas, from their admissions policies.
| School | Town | Takes |
|---|---|---|
| The Crypt School website | Gloucester | Mixed |
| Denmark Road High School website | Gloucester | Girls, mixed sixth form |
| Marling School website | Stroud | Boys, mixed sixth form |
| Pate's Grammar School | Cheltenham | Mixed |
| Ribston Hall High School website | Gloucester | Girls, mixed sixth form |
| Sir Thomas Rich's School website | Gloucester | Boys, mixed sixth form |
| Stroud High School website | Stroud | Girls |
More on the 11+
Sources
Every fact here comes from the official pages below. Dates and scores change from year to year, so check them there before you rely on them.
- gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions/grammar-schools
- gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-admissions/transfer-to-secondary-school-or-from-middle-to-high-school-september-2027
- strs.org.uk/uploads/G7_information_booklet_2027_4cbbd9f391.pdf
- strs.org.uk/admissions
- strs.org.uk/admissions/year7
- strs.org.uk/admissions/year7/2028-announcement
- strs.org.uk/uploads/Admissions_Policy_Y7_11_2027_entry_2d2253581d.pdf
- strs.org.uk/uploads/Missed_Test_Registration_2027_Entry_8a412212be.pdf
- strs.org.uk/uploads/FSCE_Information_on_Entrance_Test_for_Year_7_Entry_b2be75766b.pdf
- cryptschool.org/join-us
- s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sh22-cryptschool-org/media/downloads/thecryptadmissionspolicy2027entrydetermined.pdf
- patesgs.org/Admissions/Year-7-September-2027-Entry
- patesgs.org/Admissions/Year-7-11-Entry/2027/Key_Dates_2027_Entry.pdf
- patesgs.org/Admissions/Year-7-11-Entry/2027/Frequently_Asked_Questions_2027_Entry.pdf
- patesgs.org/Admissions/Year-7-11-Entry/2027/PGS_Admissions_Policy_2027_Entry.pdf
- gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/olrlv10h/ribsto-1.pdf
Checked 2 November 2026.
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