Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (11+) guide

Thinking about a grammar school in Buckinghamshire for your child? This guide walks you through how the system works, key dates for entry, and how to support your child through the 11+.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• How the Buckinghamshire grammar school system works
• Key 11+ dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
• Which schools use the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test
• What your child will be tested on
• How the exam is scored and how places are allocated
• Practical ways to support your child’s 11+ preparation

Buckinghamshire grammar schools

There are thirteen grammar schools in Buckinghamshire. They all use the same 11+ test. This is known as the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test. 

• Aylesbury Grammar School (boys)
• Aylesbury High School (girls)
• Beaconsfield High School (girls)
• Burnham Grammar School (co-educational)
• Chesham Grammar School (co-educational)
• Dr Challoner’s Grammar School (boys)
• Dr Challoner’s High School (girls)
• John Hampden Grammar School (boys)
• Royal Grammar School (boys)
• Royal Latin School (co-educational)
• Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (co-educational)
• Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School (co-educational)
• Wycombe High School (girls)

Key dates for 2027 entry

• Friday 1st May 2026: test registration opens
• Tuesday 2nd June 2026: test registration closes
• Tuesday 8th September 2026: practice test day
• Thursday 10th September 2026: test day
• Friday 9th October 2026: parents receive test results
• Saturday 31st October 2026: deadline to apply for secondary school places
• Monday 1st March 2027: secondary school national offers day

Dates can vary, so always check with your target schools! 

What is the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test?

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test is the 11+ exam used by all thirteen grammar schools in the county. 

Your child only needs to take it once, even if you’re applying to more than one Buckinghamshire grammar school.

The test is taken in September of Year 6. Children born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016 will sit the test in September 2026 for entry to Year 7 in September 2027. 

The test is designed to assess a child’s academic ability across maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Grammar schools offer places to children performing towards the top end of the national ability range for their age group. 

What’s in the Buckinghamshire 11+ exam?

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test consists of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting around one hour, provided by GL Assessment. 

Children sit both papers on the same day, with a short break in between. 

Verbal paper

In this paper, your child is tested on verbal skills. This includes:

• English comprehension: how well your child can understand and analyse written text
• Technical English: grammar, punctuation and spelling – all based on national curriculum content
• Verbal reasoning: using logic and reasoning to solve problems with written information, like letters, words and numbers

Mathematical and non-verbal paper

In this paper, your child will be tested on maths and non-verbal skills. This includes:

• Non-verbal reasoning: using logic and reasoning to solve problems with visual information, like shapes, diagrams and pictures
• Spatial reasoning: tests how well your child can manipulate shapes and spaces in their head‍
• Maths: covers key topics taught on the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum

How is the Buckinghamshire 11+ exam scored?

After the test, answer sheets are marked using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology.

Scores are then age-standardised, which means younger children aren’t disadvantaged.

Your child’s results will be sent to you in mid-October 2026. If they meet the qualifying standard for your target school, you can then apply for that school through your common application form (CAF).

What’s the pass mark for the Buckinghamshire 11 plus?

Children who achieve a standardised score of at least 121 are considered qualified for a Buckinghamshire grammar school. 

Qualifying for grammar school does not guarantee a place. Grammar schools apply their own admissions criteria when allocating places, such as catchment, siblings and other priority rules. 

How to apply for Buckinghamshire grammar schools

1. Register for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test

To be considered for a place, you must register your child to take the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test.

• Registration opens: Friday 1st May 2026
• Registration closes: Tuesday 2nd June 2026

2. Apply for school places

Test results are sent in October 2026.

If your child meets the qualifying standard for a school, you can list it on your secondary school common application form, which must be submitted to your local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.

Before listing a school, check the admissions policy to make sure your child meets all criteria.

3. National Offer Day

On Monday 1st March 2027, you’ll be informed which secondary school your child has been allocated.

If your preferred school isn’t offered, your child will receive another local school place, and you’ll be given information about how to appeal.

How can I help my child prepare for the Buckinghamshire 11+?

The Buckinghamshire 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are some practical ways to support your child in a calm, structured way.

Stay on track with a clear Buckinghamshire 11+ revision plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn’t motivation – it’s knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.

A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.

With Atom’s Exam Plan, you enter your child’s exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they’ll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.

Build 11+ exam technique with realistic practice papers

Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.

Atom’s 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child’s answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.

You’ll get:

• a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
  
• clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
  
• a comparison with other children applying to the same schools
  

The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.

Encourage regular reading for 11+ English success

Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the 11+.

Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety – fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.

This helps build:

• vocabulary
  
• comprehension and inference
  
• confidence with unfamiliar texts
  

If you’re looking for ideas, Atom’s recommended reading lists for Years 3–6  include a wide range of age-appropriate books.

Celebrate progress, not just 11+ scores

When you’re supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they’re moving in the right direction.

Atom’s progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement – not just one-off test results.