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Bucks 11+

The Bucks 11+, one lesson at a time.

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Try a Bucks question

If LAMP is written as MBNQ, how is DESK written in the same code?

L+1MA+1BM+1NP+1Q

D+1EE+1FS+1TK+1L

Line up the letters: L to M, A to B, M to N, P to Q.
Every letter moves one place on in the alphabet.
Move DESK the same way: EFTL. The answer is A.

Start Bucks lesson 1

Mia, your tutor

Starts at the right level
A short placement check shows where your child is. Lessons then start at the right step, not at the beginning.
Mia beside every step
Mia looks at your child's own answer and explains the one thing to fix. She never gives the answer before they try.
Every miss explained
After each practice set, every missed question comes back with the right answer. Your child sees exactly what to practise next.

What your child sits

Two multiple-choice papers, answered on a separate answer sheet with recorded instructions. 90 minutes of assessed work in all.

Paper 1

Verbal skills

45 assessed minutes, about 60 with instructions and examples

English25 min
Verbal reasoning20 min

English and verbal reasoning each start with 5 minutes of practice.

Paper 2

Maths and non-verbal skills

45 assessed minutes, about 60 with instructions and examples

Non-verbal 15 min
Non-verbal 25 min
Non-verbal 35 min
Non-verbal 45 min
Maths25 min

Each non-verbal section starts with a worked example and two practice questions. Maths starts with 5 minutes of practice.

Your child works only in the section the recording is on, and can go back to skipped questions in that section while its clock runs. When it stops, they stop.

How it is scored

One weighted, age-standardised score

GL Assessment standardises each part for age, then weights them:

Verbal 50%Maths 25%NVR 25%

Verbal skills count for half, so paper 1 carries as much weight as paper 2.

The qualifying score

121

A score of 121 or more qualifies your child to be considered. A higher score does not give more priority.

Places then follow each school's own admissions rules, and you still have to name the school on your home council's application.

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in Year 6 now.

Registration: 1 May to 2 June 2026. Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered automatically.
Practice test: 8 September 2026, or 9 September 2026 for some children at out-of-county schools
Secondary Transfer Test: 10 September 2026, or 11 September 2026 for some children at out-of-county schools
Results: 9 October 2026 for tests completed by 11 September
School application deadline: 31 October 2026. Apply through your home council.

Your child's invitation letter sets their own dates. Dates for September 2028 entry are not published yet, and we will not guess them from this year's calendar.

What is not published

Not publishedHow many questions each section has. Our practice counts are our own.
Not publishedHow long the non-verbal examples and practice take. Only the 5-minute assessed clocks are published.
Not publishedHow long the break between the papers is.
Not publishedAny way to turn a practice raw mark into a Secondary Transfer Test score.

Prepare for the Bucks test

Learn it step by step

Short lessons for every part of the test. Lesson 1 is free, with no account.

Open the lessons

Free practice sets

32 free questions in four sets. No account.

Start free practice

A full practice test

Both papers with the published section clocks. Needs a free account.

See the practice test

Buckinghamshire grammar schools

All use the Secondary Transfer Test. Each has its own admissions policy.

Aylesbury Grammar SchoolAylesbury
Aylesbury High SchoolAylesbury
Beaconsfield High SchoolBeaconsfield
Burnham Grammar SchoolBurnham
Chesham Grammar SchoolChesham
Dr Challoner's Grammar SchoolAmersham
Dr Challoner's High SchoolLittle Chalfont
John Hampden Grammar SchoolHigh Wycombe
Royal Grammar SchoolHigh Wycombe
The Royal Latin SchoolBuckingham
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar SchoolAylesbury
Sir William Borlase's Grammar SchoolMarlow
Wycombe High SchoolHigh Wycombe

Official sources

Checked on 24 September 2026.

ElevenPlusGenius is independent. Our questions are original, not official papers, and we are not affiliated with Buckinghamshire Council, The Bucks Grammar Schools or GL Assessment.