11+ familiarisation papers
Familiarisation papers are the free sample booklets that the test setters publish, so your child meets the question types and the answer sheet before the real test. GL Assessment publishes them in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning for the tests it sets, including Medway, Redbridge, Bucks, QE Boys and Henrietta Barnett. Quest Assessments publishes them for Bexley, Slough and Wirral. Kent County Council, Buckinghamshire Council and the King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham publish their own. Find your test below.
Who publishes familiarisation papers
| Publisher | For | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| GL Assessment | Medway, Redbridge, Bucks, QE Boys, Henrietta Barnett | English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning; Bucks has its own two sets |
| Quest Assessments | Bexley, Slough, Wirral | Maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning; English for Bexley and Slough |
| Kent County Council | Kent Test | The council's own familiarisation material |
| Buckinghamshire Council | Bucks Transfer Test | A 32-page booklet with answers and solutions |
| King Edward VI Foundation | Birmingham and Warwickshire | A familiarisation guide with example questions |
| CSSE | Essex | Real past papers for 2021 to 2023 entry, with mark schemes |
| Tiffin School and the Sutton SET schools | Tiffin, Sutton SET | Sample English and maths questions and an answer sheet |
Each test's free official set
Kent Test
Kent County Council posts its own familiarisation material on its preparation page.
Kent Test guideBucks Transfer Test
Buckinghamshire Council publishes a 32-page familiarisation booklet with answers and solutions, runs an unmarked practice test, and points to GL Assessment's free materials. It publishes no past papers.
- GL Assessment verbal skills familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning and maths familiarisationAnswers included
- Bucks Secondary Transfer Test familiarisation bookletAnswers included
Medway Test
Medway Council says test materials other than those on GL Assessment's website are not official.
- GL Assessment English familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment maths familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
Essex (CSSE)
CSSE publishes real past papers: the English, continuous writing and maths papers for 2021, 2022 and 2023 entry, with mark schemes for English and maths.
- CSSE past papers for September 2023 entryMark scheme
- CSSE past papers for September 2022 entryMark scheme
- CSSE past papers for September 2021 entryMark scheme
Birmingham and Warwickshire grammar schools
The King Edward VI Foundation publishes a familiarisation guide and says neither the Admissions Office nor the schools keep past papers.
- Birmingham and Warwickshire Entrance Test familiarisation guideWorked examples only
Bexley Selection Test
Bexley's test is written by Quest Assessments, whose four familiarisation booklets include answer keys and a practice answer sheet.
- Quest Assessments English familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments maths familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments non-verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
Slough Consortium
The Slough Consortium's test is written by Quest Assessments, whose four familiarisation booklets include answer keys and a practice answer sheet.
- Quest Assessments English familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments maths familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments non-verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
Redbridge 11+
Redbridge Council points to GL Assessment's free familiarisation and warns the free materials might not match the exact test.
- GL Assessment English familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment maths familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
Wirral grammar schools
Wirral's test is written by Quest Assessments. Its Wirral page lists the maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning booklets.
- Quest Assessments maths familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
- Quest Assessments non-verbal reasoning familiarisation bookletAnswers included
Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
Queen Elizabeth's School does not release past papers. Its sample page points to GL Assessment's English and maths materials, which it says may not reflect its own test.
- GL Assessment English familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment maths familiarisationAnswers included
Henrietta Barnett
Henrietta Barnett points to GL Assessment's familiarisation for Round One and says it does not release past papers or offer resources for Round Two.
- GL Assessment English familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment maths familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
- GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning familiarisationAnswers included
Tiffin School
Tiffin School does not publish its own past papers. It publishes illustrative English and maths questions and an example answer sheet.
- Tiffin School illustrative questionsWorked examples only
Sutton SET
The SET schools publish English and maths sample questions for September 2027 entry and a sample answer sheet. Sutton Grammar School says it does not provide specimen papers.
Sutton SET: Year 5 guide
How to use them in Year 5
Familiarisation teaches the format. Speed and accuracy come from practice afterwards.
Find your test's set
Use the list above. If your child sits two tests, do both sets.
Do it together, untimed
Read the instructions and the answer sheet with your child. Filling in the sheet is part of the test.
Mark it and note the surprises
Write down any question type your child had not seen before. Those come first in practice.
Move on to timed practice
Our free practice papers?from=season-11plus-familiarisation) are timed and marked at once, in maths, English and both reasoning types.
Free practice after the familiarisation papers
When you want it all in one place
The 11+ Family System: every course on your route for one child, a two-week plan from their own answers, a weekly parent view and every timed mock. No tutor.
Kent and Bucks
The Kent Test and the Bucks 11+.
£689 once
See the Kent and Bucks systemLondon Boys
QE Boys, Tiffin Boys and the Sutton test.
£689 once
See the London Boys systemLondon Girls
Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin Girls and the Sutton test.
£719 once
See the London Girls system
Questions parents ask
What are 11+ familiarisation papers?
Short free booklets from the people who write the test. They show each question type and how to fill in the answer sheet. They are not past papers, and not full-length timed tests.
Are familiarisation papers the same as past papers?
No. Most 11+ tests never release past papers. CSSE in Essex is the exception: it publishes real English and maths papers with mark schemes.
Where do I find GL Assessment familiarisation papers?
On GL Assessment's free materials page: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, each a download with answers. Bucks families have their own GL set: verbal skills, and non-verbal reasoning with maths.
Do familiarisation papers come with answers?
GL Assessment's and Quest's do, and Buckinghamshire's booklet includes answers and solutions. Birmingham's guide works through example questions instead.
Are paid practice papers official?
No. Medway Council, for example, says only the materials on GL Assessment's website are official. Paid papers can still be good practice; just do not treat them as the real format.