11+ results are usually released in October, a few weeks after the exam, and always before the secondary school application deadline of 31 October. They typically arrive by post, email or through an online portal. The timing is deliberate, because it lets you use the result when you list your secondary school preferences. One thing to keep clear from the start: getting your result is not the same as being offered a place.
- 11+ results are usually released in October, a few weeks after the exam.
- They always arrive before the secondary application deadline of 31 October.
- Results come by post, email or an online portal, so keep your details current.
- School offers themselves arrive later, on National Offer Day, usually 1 March.
When 11+ results come out
For most families, results land in October. Children usually sit the exam in early autumn, and the results follow a few weeks later once papers are marked and scores are processed.
The key date to anchor everything else is 31 October, the secondary application deadline. Results are timed to arrive before it, which gives you a short but workable window to make decisions. If you are still mapping out the autumn, our guide to what the 11+ is sets out where the exam itself falls in the year.
How results are delivered
Results usually come by post, email or through an online portal, depending on the school or admissions authority. You will normally see your child's standardised score rather than a simple pass or fail.
Because the result can arrive by email or portal, make sure the contact details you gave at registration are current. A change of email or address that nobody updated is the most avoidable way to miss an important message.
This is the deadline for the Common Application Form, where you list your preferred secondary schools in order. Results come before it on purpose, so you can choose with the score in hand.
Results and the application deadline
The Common Application Form, or CAF, is the secondary school application you submit to your local authority. It lets you list up to six schools in order of preference and is due on 31 October.
With your result in hand, you can rank schools realistically. If the score is strong, you might lead with a grammar; if it is borderline for a super-selective, you can balance the list. This is the moment when knowing how pass marks work really pays off.
When you find out about a place
The result tells you how your child did. The offer, which tells you where they can actually go, comes later. Secondary offers are released together on National Offer Day, usually 1 March.
That gap is why a good result still has to clear admissions rules first. It is entirely possible to pass and still not be offered a place at an oversubscribed school, so plan your preference list with that in mind.
What to do when results arrive
If the result is what you hoped for, finalise your CAF preferences and submit before the deadline. If it is lower than expected, take a breath: one score does not define your child, and strong non-selective and independent options exist.
Either way, the work that helped on exam day still helps now, because confidence built through steady daily practice with Pip carries into whatever school your child starts in September.