Question 1

What is the qualifying score for the Bucks 11 Plus?

Accepted Answer

The qualifying threshold for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test is a standardised score of 121. This score is age-adjusted — it accounts for each child's exact date of birth — so younger children in the year group are not disadvantaged. Achieving 121 or above makes a child eligible to apply for grammar school places.

Question 2

When is the Bucks 11 Plus test in 2026?

Accepted Answer

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test is sat in September of Year 6, typically in the first two weeks of the school year. For children entering Year 6 in September 2026, the test will be sat in September 2026. Registration closes in June of Year 5 (June 2026 for this cohort).

Question 3

How is the Bucks 11 Plus scored?

Accepted Answer

The test produces a raw score (total correct answers across both papers). GL Assessment then applies age standardisation, converting the raw score to a standardised score that accounts for the child's exact age on test day. A standardised score of 100 represents exactly average for age. The qualifying threshold is 121, which is approximately the top 15–20% of the cohort.

Question 4

Which grammar schools use the Bucks 11 Plus test?

Accepted Answer

All 13 state grammar schools in Buckinghamshire use the same Secondary Transfer Test. They are: Royal Grammar School High Wycombe, Wycombe High School, John Hampden Grammar School, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Dr Challoner's High School, Beaconsfield High School, Chesham Grammar School, Aylesbury Grammar School, Aylesbury High School, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School, Burnham Grammar School, and The Royal Latin School.

Question 5

Can I take a free 11 Plus practice test?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Bucks 11 Plus Tests offers a free 12-question GL-style diagnostic that covers all four test domains: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English Comprehension. No account is needed. You receive an instant readiness band and forecast standardised score benchmarked against the 121 qualifying threshold.

Question 6

Does qualifying at 121 guarantee a grammar school place?

Accepted Answer

No. Qualifying at 121 means a child is eligible to apply for grammar school places, but it does not guarantee a place at any specific school. When schools are oversubscribed, places are allocated by each school's oversubscription criteria — typically: looked-after children first, then siblings of current pupils, then by straight-line distance from the school. A child must first qualify, and then be close enough to the school to receive an offer.