GL Assessment is the most widely used 11+ provider in the country, so if your child is sitting a grammar-school entrance test, there is a good chance it is a GL paper. It is reassuringly predictable: paper-based, mostly multiple-choice, and built from up to four familiar subjects. This guide explains exactly what a GL 11+ tests, how the papers are formatted and timed, where it is used, and how to prepare with confidence. GL Assessment is an independent exam provider, and Pip is not affiliated with it.
- GL tests up to four subjects: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The school or area picks the mix.
- Papers are paper-based, mostly multiple-choice, usually 45 to 60 minutes each, with a separate answer sheet.
- It is the default board in most grammar areas, including much of Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham and Warwickshire.
- Prepare by building the four skills, then practising in GL format and timing.
What is GL Assessment?
GL Assessment is a long-established educational testing company that supplies 11+ entrance papers to grammar schools and selective consortia across England. When parents talk about "the GL 11+", they mean a test built from GL's question banks, usually sat on paper in the autumn term of Year 6. Because so many areas use it, GL has become the closest thing the 11+ has to a standard format, which makes it easier to prepare for than it first appears.
What the GL 11+ tests
A GL exam draws on up to four subjects. Your area or school decides which to include and how to weight them, so check the admissions pages, but the content of each is consistent:
- English tests reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Maths covers the Key Stage 2 curriculum, mostly Year 5 and 6, with a focus on multi-step problem solving.
- Verbal reasoning uses logic with words, letters and numbers: codes, analogies, synonyms, antonyms and sequences.
- Non-verbal reasoning uses visual logic: rotations, reflections, odd-one-out and pattern series.
Format and timing
GL papers are sat on paper and are usually multiple-choice. In most areas children mark their answers on a separate answer sheet, in either standard or dual-answer-sheet format, which is why practising with a real answer sheet matters as much as knowing the content. Some areas use a standard format where answers are written in the booklet instead. Each subject is typically a separate paper of around 45 to 60 minutes, and the test is usually sat at the child's own primary school or the grammar school in September of Year 6.
Where GL Assessment is used
GL is the default in most grammar areas that do not specifically use a Cambridge or FSCE test. That includes much of Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire and parts of Lincolnshire and Essex, along with many individual grammar schools and consortia such as Trafford. Regional tests like the Kent Test and the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test run on GL content under a local name. Because boards and combinations change, always confirm on the school's and local authority's admissions pages. For the bigger picture, see our guide to every 11+ exam type and how GL compares with CEM.
How to prepare for a GL 11+
Because GL is built from the same four skills wherever it is used, the most effective preparation is simple: build the underlying skills first, then rehearse them in GL's multiple-choice format with realistic timing and a separate answer sheet. Short, regular practice beats last-minute cramming, and working across all four subjects keeps your options open if your shortlist mixes boards.
Unlimited GL-style practice, free
Pip generates endless exam-style questions across English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, the exact skills a GL 11+ tests, and turns them into five calm minutes a day.
Frequently asked questions
What does the GL Assessment 11+ test?+
Up to four subjects: English (comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar), maths (the Key Stage 2 curriculum with problem solving), verbal reasoning (word and letter logic) and non-verbal reasoning (visual logic). Each area chooses which of the four to include.
Is the GL 11+ multiple choice?+
Mostly yes. GL papers are usually multiple-choice, sat on paper, with answers on a separate answer sheet (standard or dual-answer-sheet format). Some areas use a standard format with answers written in the booklet. Papers are typically 45 to 60 minutes each.
Which areas use the GL 11+?+
GL is the most widely used provider, used in many grammar areas including Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham and Warwickshire, and by many individual schools. Always confirm the board on each school's and local authority's admissions pages.
How do I prepare my child for a GL 11+?+
Build the four skills first, then practise in GL multiple-choice format with realistic timing and a separate answer sheet. Short, regular sessions work best. Pip generates unlimited GL-style questions in all four subjects, free.
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