11+ - Buckinghamshire

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test

6 min read · updated 2026-10-13

Buckinghamshire has 13 grammar schools, which run one shared test, the Secondary Transfer Test (formerly the 11+), through The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS). A score of at least 121 qualifies a child for a Buckinghamshire grammar school.

Who sits it

Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered automatically and sit the test at school. Everyone else, including children at independent schools and in Milton Keynes, must register. They sit the test at a grammar school test centre.

Dates for September 2027 entry

✓ 1 May to 2 June 2026 (3pm): registration for children not entered automatically
✓ By 7 August 2026: test invitations by email
✓ 1 September 2026: the home-address cut-off date most grammar schools use (some use an earlier date)
✓ 8 September 2026: practice test
✓ 10 September 2026: Secondary Transfer Test
✓ 9 October 2026: results
✓ 31 October 2026: secondary school application deadline

After the result

A score of 121 or more makes a child qualified, but places are then allocated by each school's admission criteria, usually including distance. Name the grammar schools you want on your home council's application in true order of preference, alongside non-selective schools.

Preparing for the Transfer Test

✓ Find out early whether your child is entered automatically (state-funded Bucks primaries) or must register
✓ Use the practice test day to settle nerves: it runs a couple of days before the real test in the same setting
✓ Practice-paper percentages aren't standardised scores, so aim for a comfortable margin rather than a bare pass in mocks
✓ Check each grammar school's address cut-off date: most use 1 September, some earlier

For September 2028 entry

Based on the 2026 pattern, expect registration in May and early June 2027 for children who aren't entered automatically, tests in early-to-mid September 2027 and results in early October 2027.