--- type: "Article" title: "Bucks 11+ Transfer Test Explained: Papers and Scores" description: "The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test explained: the GL-based papers, why verbal reasoning carries half the marks, the 121 score and how to prepare." resource: https://pip11plus.com/bucks-transfer-test-11-plus-explained tags: ["11+", "pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/regional-tests-pip.jpg --- 馃摑 Exam Types # Bucks Transfer Test 11+ Explained ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) **By the Pip team** Updated October 2026 In Buckinghamshire, the route to a grammar school is the Secondary Transfer Test, usually shortened to the STT or just the Bucks 11+. It is run by the [county's 13 grammar schools](https://pip11plus.com/best-grammar-schools-in-buckinghamshire) working together as The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools, and it uses GL Assessment papers. The single most important thing to know is how it is weighted: verbal skills count for half of the total score, which makes this one of the most verbal-reasoning-heavy 11+ tests in the country. This guide explains the papers, that weighting, the 121 qualifying score, the key dates, and how to prepare. The Bucks Transfer Test is run by TBGS, and Pip is not affiliated with it. Want to practise the real thing? Download our free [Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test style practice paper](https://pip11plus.com/buckinghamshire-secondary-transfer-test-practice-papers), weighted like the real STTS. **TL;DR** - The Bucks Secondary Transfer Test (STT) is the **GL-based 11+** for Buckinghamshire grammar schools, run by TBGS. - **Two multiple-choice papers** on the same day: English and verbal reasoning in one, maths and non-verbal or spatial reasoning in the other. - The score is **weighted to verbal skills (50%)**, with maths and non-verbal reasoning at 25% each. - A standardised score of **121 qualifies**; scores are age-adjusted and about 37% of children reach it. Format GL, two multiple-choice papers Tests English, Verbal, Maths, Non-verbal Sat in September of Year 6 Qualifying Standardised score of 121 ## What is a transfer test? **Transfer test** The entrance test a child sits to move from primary to a selective secondary school. In England it is usually called the 11+; in Buckinghamshire it is the Secondary Transfer Test (STT); in Northern Ireland it is the SEAG Entrance Assessment. **12+ and 13+ transfer tests** Later-entry tests for places that open up after Year 7. See [12+ and 13+ explained](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-the-12-plus-or-13-plus-transfer-test). **Common Entrance** A different exam, set by ISEB for independent schools. See [Common Entrance explained](https://pip11plus.com/common-entrance-explained). ## What is the Bucks Transfer Test? The **Secondary Transfer Test (STT)** is the entrance test for Buckinghamshire's grammar schools. The schools run it jointly as **The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS)**, using papers from **GL Assessment**. Like other GL tests it is multiple choice and computer-marked, and it draws on English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. What makes Bucks distinctive is not the question types but the **weighting**: verbal ability carries far more of the final score than anything else. ## What is in the Bucks Transfer Test Children sit two multiple-choice papers on the same day, with a short break between them: _The Bucks Transfer Test is two same-day GL papers, scored on a standardised scale that weights verbal skills at half the total. Exact timings can vary by year._ - **Paper 1** covers reading **[comprehension](https://pip11plus.com/english-questions)**, technical English (grammar, punctuation and spelling) and **[verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/verbal-reasoning-questions)**. - **Paper 2** covers **[maths](https://pip11plus.com/maths-questions)**, **[non-verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/non-verbal-reasoning-questions)** and spatial reasoning. - Both are multiple choice, sat on the same day, each lasting roughly 45 to 60 minutes. [Pip 11+ Mock Tests: seven real exam formats including Kent, Buckinghamshire, CSSE, Medway, Sutton, ISEB and GL, with unlimited timed papers](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) Pip Mock Tests includes the **Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test** format, alongside the other six. Real timings, the real subject mix, and a fresh paper every single sitting. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) ## Why verbal reasoning matters most The Bucks score, called the **Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS)**, is not a simple total. It is weighted so that **verbal skills make up 50 percent** of the score, with **maths and non-verbal reasoning at 25 percent each**. In practice that means strong reading, [vocabulary](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/11-plus-vocabulary-games/) and verbal reasoning carry twice the weight of either maths or non-verbal reasoning. Families in Bucks therefore tend to put extra time into **vocabulary and verbal reasoning**, while keeping maths and non-verbal reasoning solid. ## Scoring and qualifying The STTS is a **standardised score**, typically on a scale from 60 to 170, adjusted for a child's age so the youngest are not disadvantaged. A score of **121 or above qualifies** for a Buckinghamshire grammar school, and around **37 percent** of children reach that mark. Importantly, qualifying does not guarantee a place: each school then applies its own admissions rules, such as [catchment](https://pip11plus.com/grammar-schools/buckinghamshire) and siblings. To understand the scale itself, see our guide to [standardised scores](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-a-standardised-score-in-the-11-plus). If a child scores **below 121**, or the result does not reflect their usual ability, for example after illness on the day, Buckinghamshire offers a **Selection Review**: the family submits school evidence and samples of work for a panel to reconsider whether the child is suitable for grammar school. There is also a separate **admission appeal** once places are allocated. Neither is a formality, but both are genuine second chances worth knowing about. ## Key dates and the practice test The test is sat in **September**, at the very start of Year 6, for entry to Year 7 the following September. A helpful feature of the Bucks system is that children first sit a short **practice test** a couple of days before the real one, purely to get used to the format and answer sheet, and a **familiarisation booklet** is provided in advance. Dates and details are set each year, so always confirm them on the Buckinghamshire Council and TBGS admissions pages. For the wider picture, see our [guide to every 11+ exam type](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-exam-types-explained) and the full [GL Assessment guide](https://pip11plus.com/gl-assessment-11-plus-explained). **One thing many families miss:** entry is not automatic for everyone. Children at a **state-funded Buckinghamshire primary** are usually entered for the test automatically, but families whose child is at an **independent, out-of-county or Milton Keynes school** normally have to **register themselves**, in a window that typically opens in early May and closes in early June of Year 5. After the September test, results come out in **October**, the secondary application is due by **31 October**, and places are confirmed on **National Offer Day, 1 March**. ## How to prepare for the Bucks Transfer Test Because verbal skills carry half the score, the highest-value habit is **wide reading and vocabulary**, which feeds both the English paper and verbal reasoning. Build that first, then keep **maths** fluent across the KS2 curriculum and practise **non-verbal and spatial reasoning** so the visual puzzles feel familiar. As the papers are multiple choice and timed, rehearse working accurately at a steady pace, and start early, since the test comes in the September of Year 6. ### Build the verbal edge Bucks rewards Pip generates unlimited verbal reasoning and vocabulary practice, plus maths and non-verbal reasoning, with timing built in, so the skills that carry the most marks become second nature. Verbal Reasoning English Maths Non-Verbal Reasoning [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [Try free Buckinghamshire 11+ questions](https://pip11plus.com/buckinghamshire-11-plus-practice-papers-and-questions) iPhone & iPad 路 No ads 路 No sign-up 路 Free forever ## Frequently asked questions **What is the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test?** The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) is the 11+ for the county's grammar schools, run by the consortium The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) using GL Assessment papers. It is taken in September of Year 6 and decides which children qualify for a grammar place. **What does the Bucks Transfer Test include?** Two multiple-choice papers sat on the same day. One covers comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning; the other covers maths, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning. The standardised score is weighted: verbal skills count for 50 percent, with maths and non-verbal reasoning at 25 percent each. **What score do you need to pass the Bucks Transfer Test?** A standardised Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS) of 121 or above qualifies for a Buckinghamshire grammar school. Scores are age-standardised, and around 37 percent of children reach 121. Qualifying does not guarantee a place, as schools then apply catchment and other admissions rules. **When is the Bucks Transfer Test sat?** In September at the start of Year 6, for entry to Year 7 the following September. Children first sit a short practice test a couple of days before the real test to get used to the format, and a familiarisation booklet is provided beforehand. **Do I need to register my child for the Bucks Transfer Test?** Not always. Children at a state-funded Buckinghamshire primary school are usually entered automatically. If your child is at an independent, out-of-county or Milton Keynes school, you normally have to register them yourself, typically between early May and early June of Year 5. Always check the deadline with The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools. **What if my child scores below 121 in the Bucks Transfer Test?** A score below 121 usually means a child has not qualified, but it is not always the end of the road. Buckinghamshire runs a Selection Review, where the family submits school evidence and samples of work for a panel to reconsider, and there is a separate admission appeal once places are allocated. Both are genuine routes, though neither is guaranteed. ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ## Keep reading [Free Bucks Transfer Test practice paper](https://pip11plus.com/buckinghamshire-secondary-transfer-test-practice-papers): Printables 30 questions, STTS-weighted, with answers. Printables [11+ Exam Types & Boards Explained](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-exam-types-explained): Exam Types Every 11+ test type, mapped. 10 min read 路 Exam Types [GL Assessment 11+ Explained](https://pip11plus.com/gl-assessment-11-plus-explained): Exam Types The board behind the Bucks test, in full. 7 min read 路 Exam Types [Kent Test 11+ Explained](https://pip11plus.com/kent-test-11-plus-explained): Exam Types Another GL regional test, papers and scores. 7 min read 路 Exam Types ## Sitting the Bucks Transfer Test? Pip turns Bucks practice into five calm minutes a day, with extra verbal reasoning and vocabulary where it counts most. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [Free practice papers](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-printables) Free forever 路 no sign-up