Get a raw mark back from a mock paper and the first question is always the same: is that good? This calculator turns a raw score into an illustrative standardised score and percentile, using the same mean 100 scale that GL Assessment, Cambridge and most 11+ boards report on. It is a guide to help you read the number, not a prediction of your child's real exam result, and the honest reasons why are explained below.
- Enter the raw mark, total marks, and roughly where your child's birthday falls in the school year.
- You get an illustrative standardised score range and a percentile, not an official prediction.
- Real GL and Cambridge conversion tables are confidential, so no outside tool can reproduce them exactly.
- 100 is always the average. Competitive is often 110 or more, and 130 or more is the super-selective zone.
Estimate your child's standardised score
Fill in the three fields below. The estimate updates as you type.
Enter a raw mark and total to see an estimate.
Why this is an estimate, not a real GL or CEM score
Every real 11+ score comes from a conversion table the exam board keeps confidential. GL Assessment and Cambridge, formerly CEM, each standardise raw marks their own way, using the actual mean and spread of that year's cohort on that exact paper, none of which is published anywhere. No outside calculator, including this one, can reproduce their number exactly.
What this tool does instead is apply the general model that underlies the whole scale: a standardised score with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of around 15, the same maths explained in full in our guide to what a standardised score means. It assumes a typical cohort average and typical spread for an 11+ paper, so treat the result as the shape of where your child sits, not a firm prediction.
How the estimate is calculated
Three inputs feed the estimate. The raw percentage, your child's marks out of the total available. A typical cohort comparison, this tool assumes an average paper is scored around 60 percent by the cohort with a spread of around 15 percentage points, which places most estimates within the commonly seen 69 to 141 range. And a small age nudge, since real 11+ scores are age standardised, comparing your child only with others the same age in months, so a summer born child can end up with a slightly higher standardised score than an autumn born child with the same raw mark, and vice versa. Read more on how that works in our guide to how the 11+ is scored and marked.
How to read your result
The table below is the same percentile guide we use across the site, so you can sanity check the calculator against it directly.
| Standardised score | Roughly where it sits | What it means for grammar entry |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 50th percentile, the average | Middle of the pack, usually below the bar |
| 110 | Top 25 percent | Above average, competitive for some schools |
| 115 | Top 16 percent | Strong, in range for many grammars |
| 120 | Top 10 percent | Very strong, competitive at most grammars |
| 130 | Top 2 percent | The super-selective zone |
| 140 | Top 1 percent | Near the ceiling of the scale |
For the full explanation of the scale and why it is not the same as a raw percentage, see our guide to the 11+ pass mark.
Does this compare to your region's pass mark?
Only loosely, and it is worth knowing why. Most areas report on the common 69 to 141 scale this calculator uses, but a few do not. Buckinghamshire, for example, runs its own scale from 60 to 170, so a Buckinghamshire figure is not directly comparable to this tool's estimate. Always check the scale your target school actually uses before comparing numbers.
| Area | Test | Commonly cited mark |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | Secondary Transfer Test (own 60 to 170 scale) | 121 |
| Kent | Kent Test, aggregate of papers | Both required: total 332 or more, and no paper below 108 (2026 entry) |
| Essex | CSSE, combined standardised score | Around 303 |
| Trafford | Trafford Consortium, aggregate | Around 333 |
| Super-selective London | Own two-stage tests, ranked | Typically 130 and above to compete |
For the full breakdown by area, see our guide to 11+ pass marks by region.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an official GL Assessment or CEM score calculator?+
No. GL Assessment and Cambridge, formerly CEM, use confidential conversion tables that are never published, so no outside calculator can reproduce their exact result. This tool estimates a standardised score using the same mean 100, standard deviation 15 model that underlies the real scale, as an illustrative guide only.
How accurate is the estimate?+
Treat it as a rough range, not a prediction. It assumes a typical cohort average and spread, which will not exactly match your child's actual exam. The real cohort mean and spread vary by paper, region and year, so the true standardised score could sit meaningfully above or below the estimate.
Why does my child's birthday affect the score?+
Because of age standardisation. Real 11+ scores are adjusted so a child is compared only with others the same age in months, so a summer born child with the same raw mark as an autumn born child can end up with a higher standardised score. This calculator applies a small illustrative nudge in that direction, not an exact figure.
What information do I need to use the calculator?+
Your child's raw mark, meaning the number of questions answered correctly, the total marks available on the paper, and roughly where their birthday falls in the school year.
What if my estimate looks too high or too low?+
That is expected sometimes. This is a general illustration, not a calculation from your child's actual exam board. Use it to understand the shape of the scale, average is 100, competitive is often 110 or more, rather than as a firm number to rely on.
Arielle handles SEO and AEO growth at Pip, with over 10 years in the digital marketing space working with brands and founding her own projects.
