The Buckinghamshire 11+ test is commonly referred to as the Secondary Transfer Test (SET). Children currently attending a state-funded primary school in Buckinghamshire are automatically registered for the test. Parents of children who need to register because they attend an independent school or are moving to the area need to complete the form online. The registration window for these parents opens at the start of May and closes in the middle of June. Children at state-funded primary schools in Buckinghamshire will sit the test at their own school and others will be allocated a test centre. There is only one date for the test. No late registrations are accepted unless there are exceptional reasons such as a late move into the area.
The Buckinghamshire SET is administered by GL Assessment. The test consists of two separate papers, each lasting 60 minutes, with a break in between. The papers assess verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mathematics. Two days before the test date, children at state-funded primary schools in Buckinghamshire will also sit a practice test.
The Buckinghamshire SET tests verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mathematics. Verbal Reasoning and non-verbal reasoning are not usually taught in schools and may require extra preparation. Mathematics is tested at the level of the Year 5 National Curriculum, with some extension questions.
The pass mark for the Buckinghamshire SET is 121. Standardised scores from the two papers are added together and an overall mark is assigned. Once a child has achieved this score they have been assessed as suitable for grammar school and parents can then apply to a grammar school on their behalf, taking careful note of any school-specific admissions criteria.
Around 37% of children who take the test will achieve a mark of 121 or over, meaning they are suitable for grammar school.
As long as a child achieves a mark of 121. a higher score in the SET does not mean they have a higher chance of achieving a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school. Schools do not therefore publish the highest scores achieved by potential students. However, the admissions criteria for each school are important and may include criteria such as specific catchment areas, sibling priority and other priority places.
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