It is one of the most confusing parts of the 11+: does your child's exam actually include a creative writing task? The honest answer is that most of the big multiple-choice tests do not, but a number of specific exams and schools very much do, and a few use writing in a way that catches families out. Here is the complete picture for 2026, board by board and school by school, with whether the writing is actually scored.
- Most headline tests (GL, CEM/Cambridge, ISEB pre-test, Bucks, Lincolnshire, Birmingham) are multiple-choice with no scored writing.
- Writing is marked and counts towards the score in the CSSE (Essex) and the second-stage superselectives.
- Kent and the London Consortium collect a writing piece but use it only at the borderline, not in the main score.
- Independent schools' own papers usually include creative writing plus an interview.
The three ways 11+ writing is used
Before the table, the single most useful thing to understand is that "does it include writing" has three different answers, and they matter for how hard you prepare it:
Exam by exam: who includes creative writing
The table below covers the main boards, the regional tests and the best-known superselectives. As always, treat it as a guide and confirm the current arrangements on your target school's own admissions page, because details change year to year.
| Exam, board or school | Writing task? | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| GL Assessment (standard) | No | English is multiple-choice comprehension and grammar |
| CEM / Cambridge | No | Multiple-choice and short-answer, no writing paper |
| ISEB Common Pre-Test | No | Online multiple-choice; schools gather writing separately |
| Buckinghamshire (Transfer Test) | No | GL multiple-choice only |
| Lincolnshire | No | Verbal and non-verbal reasoning only |
| Birmingham (King Edward VI) | No | All multiple-choice, no writing component |
| Queen Elizabeth's, Barnet | No | Multiple-choice maths and English papers |
| CSSE (Essex) | Yes | Marked, around a quarter of the English paper |
| Kent Test | Yes | Not scored; used by the head-teacher panel at the borderline |
| Medway Test | Check | An extended writing paper, locally marked. Confirm with Medway Council, as the format was reviewed recently |
| London 11+ Consortium | Yes | Not scored; a panel may consider it at the borderline |
| Trafford (Altrincham Boys only) | Yes | Borderline only, if a boy just misses the mark |
| Sutton stage two (Wilson's, Nonsuch, Sutton, Wallington) | Yes | Marked and combined with the SET to rank |
| Tiffin Girls' and Tiffin School | Yes | Stage two writing is part of selection |
| Henrietta Barnett | Yes | Round 2 writing and comprehension, scored |
| St Olave's | Yes | Stage two writing, scored and a tie-break |
| Wilson's | Yes | Stage two extended writing, scored |
| Nonsuch | Yes | Stage two extended writing, scored |
| Independent schools (own 11+ and 13+) | Yes | Usually a writing paper plus an interview |
The big multiple-choice boards: usually no writing
If your child is sitting a standard GL Assessment or Cambridge (formerly CEM) test, there is normally no writing task at the test stage. The English paper is multiple-choice comprehension and grammar. The same is true of the ISEB Common Pre-Test, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the Birmingham King Edward VI consortium. That does not mean writing does not matter for your child's education, but it is not what wins the place in these areas.
Where writing is marked and counts
Two groups score writing as part of selection. First, the CSSE in Essex, where continuous writing is around a quarter of the English paper. Second, the second-stage superselectives: in Sutton, schools such as Wilson's and Nonsuch combine a stage-two writing paper with the SET, and Tiffin Girls', Henrietta Barnett and St Olave's all set a marked writing task at their second stage. If your target is one of these, treat writing as a core skill, not an afterthought.
Where writing is used only at the borderline
This is the part that catches families out. In the Kent Test and the London 11+ Consortium, children do sit a writing piece, but it is not scored alongside the main papers. Instead it is held back and used only by a panel if a child is on the borderline of qualifying. It still matters, because a strong piece can tip a borderline decision, but it is not weighted like the reasoning and maths.
Independent schools and the ISEB route
Independent schools that set their own 11+ or 13+ papers almost always include a creative or extended writing task, usually with an interview. The wrinkle is the ISEB pre-test: it is multiple-choice only, so schools that use it to screen at 10 or 11 will gather writing separately, often at an interview day or a later paper. If you are applying independent, check exactly which stages your school uses.
What this means for your child
Find out which group your target schools fall into, then prepare accordingly. If writing is scored, build it deliberately: our Creative Writing workbook teaches story and descriptive writing one skill at a time, with a self-marking scheme. If writing is borderline-only, keep it solid but put most of your time into the scored papers. Whatever the route, the free Pip app covers the core skills, and our guide to passing the 11+ sets out the wider plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 11+ exams include creative writing?+
No. Most big shared tests, including GL, CEM/Cambridge, the ISEB pre-test, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Birmingham, are multiple-choice with no scored writing. Writing is mainly used by the CSSE in Essex, the second-stage superselectives, and independent schools' own papers.
Does the GL Assessment 11+ include writing?+
No. The standard GL English paper is multiple-choice comprehension and grammar, with no creative writing task. Some areas or schools add their own writing paper on top, so always check your target school.
Which grammar schools test creative writing?+
Essex grammars through the CSSE, and the second-stage superselectives, including Tiffin Girls', Henrietta Barnett, St Olave's, Wilson's, Nonsuch and the other Sutton schools. Kent and the London Consortium use writing only at the borderline.
Is the creative writing actually scored?+
It depends. In the CSSE and the second-stage superselectives it is marked and counts towards the ranking. In the Kent Test and the London Consortium it is collected but used only by a panel at the borderline.
Do independent schools test creative writing?+
Usually yes, in their own 11+ or 13+ papers, plus an interview. The ISEB pre-test itself has no writing, so schools that use it gather writing separately at a later stage.
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.
