Wirral Admissions Test 11+ guide

Thinking about a grammar school in Wirral 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 Wirral grammar school system works
• Key 11+ dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
• Which schools use the Wirral Admissions 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

Wirral grammar schools

The Wirral Admissions Test is used by four grammar schools:

• Calday Grange Grammar School (boys)
• West Kirby Grammar School (girls)
• Wirral Grammar School for Boys (boys)
• Wirral Grammar School for Girls (girls)

There are three more grammar schools in the area, but these schools do not use the Wirral Admissions Test. Find out more about these schools and their 11 plus entrance exams:

• The Liverpool Blue Coat School (boys and girls)
• St Anselm’s College (Catholic boys’ school)
• Upton Hall School (Catholic girls’ school)

Key dates for 2027 entry

• Friday 1st May 2026: test registration opens
• Sunday 31st May 2026: test registration closes
• September 2026: Wirral Admissions Test takes place
• Mid-October 2026: parents receive test results
• Saturday 31st October 2026: secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 1st March 2027: national school offers day

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

What is the Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test is the 11+ exam used by the four Wirral grammar schools listed above.

Your child only needs to take it once, even if you’re applying to more than one Wirral grammar school that uses the test.

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 verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths. Grammar schools offer places to children performing towards the top end of the national ability range for their age group.

What’s in the Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test consists of two papers, taken on the same day with a short break between. These papers are supplied by GL Assessment.

Your child will have a question booklet and separate answer sheets for each paper. All the questions in the test are multiple-choice, so your child needs to mark the answer options they think are correct on the answer sheets.

Each paper is divided into three different types of questions: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and maths.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning looks at how well your child can apply logic and solve problems with written information. This could include letters, words, symbols and numbers. Verbal reasoning is not taught at primary school, so your child might be unfamiliar with these types of questions.

Your child may need to:

• identify patterns
• use logical thinking to solve problems
• spot similarities and differences between words
• understand rules, such as word choice and grammar
• process verbal information

Non-verbal reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning tests how well your child can apply logic and solve problems with visual information. This might include shapes, diagrams and pictures. Like verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning is not taught in the national curriculum.

Questions will require your child to:

• process graphic information
• follow visual patterns and rules
• use spatial awareness
• use logical thinking to solve problems
• understand shapes, space and measures

Maths

The maths questions will be aligned to the content your child has learned in Key Stage 2. However, some questions might be more difficult than they are used to. This is so that they can show how well they can use their skills to solve different kinds of problems.

The main topics taught in Key Stage 2 maths include:

• Number (place value, four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages)
• Measurement (such as units, perimeter, area and volume)
• Geometry (including properties of shapes and position and direction)
• Statistics (such as interpreting information in tables and diagrams and using line graphs)

How is the Wirral Admissions Test 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 Wirral Admissions Test?

There is no set pass mark for the Wirral Admissions Test. The admissions authority decides on a qualifying score after all the tests have been marked.

Grammar schools are usually looking for children who are working with the top 25% of their year group. The qualifying score depends on the overall standard achieved by the year group taking the test.

How to apply for Wirral grammar schools

1. Register for the Wirral Admissions Test

To be considered for a place, you must register your child to take the Wirral Admissions Test.

• Registration opens: Friday 1st May 2026
• Registration closes: Sunday 31st May 2026

2. Apply for school places

Test results are sent in mid-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 Wirral Admissions Test?

The Wirral Admissions Test 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 Wirral Admissions Test 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.

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.