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The Bucks 11+ for September 2028 entry

For parents of a child in Year 5 now. Your school, who can sit, the dates so far, a plan to September 2027 and the free first lesson, in that order.

Year 6 now? This page is about next year's test. Results come on 9 October 2026; the school application deadline is 31 October 2026.Results and applications →

Two questions, then your child's route

1 The school you are aiming for

Aiming elsewhere? the Kent Test route, or find which test your school uses.

2 Your child's school year now

Your child's school year now
Not sure? Work it out from a birthday

This page is for next year's test

Your child sat the Bucks 11+ this September. There is no resit, so what matters now is the result and the school application. Everything for that is free.

Results
9 October 2026
Selection Review
Full case in by 30 October 2026, if the result came on 9 October 2026
School application deadline
31 October 2026
Pass mark
A score of 121 or more qualifies.

Apply through the council where you live, by that council's deadline. Buckinghamshire residents can apply until midnight on 31 October 2026. Official page

Your next steps

What the letter means, what to put on the application and what to do if the news is not what you hoped.

Open the Bucks 11+ results guide

You are in the right place

Your child sits the Bucks 11+ in September 2027 and starts secondary school in September 2028: children born 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017. Below: who can sit it, the dates published so far, what it takes, and a plan from now to test day.

Who can sit itThe planTry the free lesson

Plenty of time

Your child sits the test in September 2028 or later. A course bought today ends on 31 October 2027, before that test, so we do not suggest buying it yet. Reading widely, times tables and a puzzle now and then are the best start at this age.

Try lesson 1 freeFree practice

Keep Bucks 11+ admissions news in one place

Leave your email and we keep it for Bucks 11+ admissions updates. We may write if an official date or rule changes, but nothing is sent automatically, so save the dates yourself too.

Who can sit the September 2027 test

For children born 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017. Each rule links to the council page it comes from.

  • Age Published for 2028 entry

    Buckinghamshire Council: children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 move up to secondary school in September 2028.

    Buckinghamshire Council: timeline for entry in 2028

  • Registering Last cycle's rule

    Children at a state-funded Buckinghamshire primary school are registered automatically (Milton Keynes schools do not count), and you can withdraw them. Children at a Partner school, an independent school or any school outside the county must be registered by a parent. Testing is free.

    Buckinghamshire Council: registration for the Secondary Transfer Test

  • Where you live Last cycle's rule

    Children in the normal age group can take the test even if they live outside Buckinghamshire (separate rules apply to children educated outside their normal year group), but it qualifies them only for Buckinghamshire grammar schools. A score above 121 gives no extra priority: places go by each school's rules, such as catchment and distance. For September 2027 entry most schools needed families moving in to have done so by 1 September 2026, and a few set an earlier date.

    Buckinghamshire Council: grammar places if you don't live in Buckinghamshire

  • The practice test Last cycle's rule

    Children at state-funded Bucks primaries normally sit a practice test before the real one. Children at other schools are invited to one, usually at a grammar school in September. It is not marked.

    Buckinghamshire Council: the Secondary Transfer Testing process

Summer-born or educated out of your child's normal year group? The school's admission authority decides. DfE guidance

Dates for September 2028 entry

Only what the council has published. Where a date is not out yet, last cycle's is shown beside it, labelled, so you know roughly when to look.

StepSeptember 2028 entrySource
Registration opensEarly May 2027timeline for entry in 2028
Registration closesEarly June 2027timeline for entry in 2028
Practice test and Secondary Transfer TestEarly September 2027timeline for entry in 2028
Test resultsMid-October 2027timeline for entry in 2028
Selection Review deadlineNot published yet30 October 2026 last cycletimeline for entry in 2028
School application deadlineNot published yet31 October 2026 last cycletimeline for entry in 2028
National Offer DayNot published yet1 March 2027 last cycletimeline for entry in 2028

What it takes, in official numbers

The pass rule and how many children sit and qualify. These are the councils' own figures, not our estimates.

121

A Secondary Transfer Test score of 121 or more qualifies. The Council expects about 37% of children to reach it. A score above 121 does not mean your child has a higher priority for a grammar school place as Buckinghamshire grammar schools do not use score as an admission rule. Source

Children tested for September 2026 entry
9,811Source
Qualified with 121 or more
3,697Source
Qualified on Selection Review
294Source

Buckinghamshire grammar schools' published figures (spring 2026 update). Qualifying is not an offer: places then go by each school's rules. Pick a school in step 1 to see what decided its places last year.

A plan from now to test day

Our suggested plan for a September 2027 test: short sessions, most weeks. It is our advice, not an official timetable; the official steps are marked.

  1. October to December 2026

    Find the starting point

    A short starting check shows which question types are secure and which are new. Then two or three short sessions a week on the weakest area. No timing yet.

    Free starting check →free

  2. January to March 2027

    Learn every question type

    Work through the lessons for verbal skills (half the score), maths and non-verbal reasoning. Each lesson teaches one question type, then asks fresh questions until your child can do it unaided.

    The lessons →lesson 1 free, the rest with the course

  3. April to June 2027

    Register, then practise against the clock

    Timed practice sets on a separate answer sheet, the way the real test is marked. Mistakes go back to the lesson that fixes them.

    Official step: Registration opens early May and closes early June 2027 (Buckinghamshire Council). Automatic for state-funded Bucks primaries; everyone else registers.

    Timed practice →four free sets, the full bank with the course

  4. July and August 2027

    Full mocks, then repair

    Full-length mocks with the real timings, on screen or printed. After each one, redo only what went wrong. Keep it light in the last week.

    Full mocks →with the course

  5. September 2027

    Test day

    Sleep, breakfast, a pencil and a calm start. Nothing new the week before.

    Official step: Practice test and Secondary Transfer Test, early September 2027 (Buckinghamshire Council).

  6. October 2027

    Results and the school application

    Read the result, then name schools in your true order of preference on your council's application. The course ends on 31 October 2027.

    Official step: Results, mid-October 2027 (Buckinghamshire Council).

Try the first lesson, then decide

Lesson 1 is free, with no account. It teaches one question type from the real test, then checks your child can do it alone.

Start Bucks 11+ lesson 1 freeFree starting check

No account and no card. Sit beside your child for the first one if you like.

What the course covers

  • One child, preparing for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test.
  • Every lesson, the full practice bank and every full mock for this test.
  • Mia, the tutor, on every step, and a parent view of progress in the same account. There is no separate parent purchase.
  • Access until 31 October 2027, which covers a September 2027 test. One payment; nothing renews.

What it does not

  • A school place. No course can promise one: schools decide offers by their own rules.
  • Registration. You register with the council yourself, and testing is free.
  • Other areas' tests, such as Slough or Kent. Each is a different test.
  • Live lessons with a person.

For parents

Bucks 11+ course

Standard price £349 from 1 November 2026Introductory price: £249£100 off until 31 October

One payment. Access until 31 October 2027.

  • 42 lessons, lesson 1 free with no account
  • 1,368 practice questions, every answer explained
  • 7 full timed mocks, included with the course, on screen or printed
  • Mia, your child's tutor, on every step, and a parent view of progress

121 in the Transfer Test, or your money back. Reach 100% guarantee progress before the test. Claim within 30 days of your result.

Buying today? The guarantee covers a test on or after 6 November 2026; an earlier one is too soon for the study plan.

Check your child's test date

Try lesson 1 freeSee the course

Official sources

Read on 27 September 2026. ElevenPlusGenius is independent of the councils and schools; always check the official page before you act.