The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET)
7 min read ยท updated 2026-10-13
Sutton's grammar schools share a first-stage test, the Selective Eligibility Test (SET). Passing it lets a child sit the second-stage exams for the boys' or girls' grammar schools, or be considered for Greenshaw High School's ability places.
The participating schools
- โ Boys: Sutton Grammar School, Wallington County Grammar School and Wilson's School, with a shared Stage 2 test
- โ Girls: Nonsuch High School for Girls and Wallington High School for Girls, with a joint Stage 2 test
- โ Greenshaw High School (co-educational) uses the SET for 60 ability places and has no Stage 2
The SET papers
Two multiple-choice papers, maths and English, each 40 to 50 minutes with a break in between. There is no verbal or non-verbal reasoning. Questions are based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum, there is no negative marking, and every answer sheet is marked by machine and then by hand. No specimen papers are provided, but the schools publish sample questions.
The pass mark isn't set in advance: the schools decide it after marking, and each school may set its own. Nonsuch and Wallington High School for Girls allow Pupil Premium candidates to score up to 20% below the standardised pass mark.
Dates for September 2027 entry
- โ 1 May 2026: registration opens (one form covers all six schools)
- โ 12 June 2026: deadline for access arrangement requests
- โ 31 July 2026: registration closes, with no late registrations
- โ Tuesday 15 September 2026: Selective Eligibility Test; outcome emailed the following week
- โ Saturday 26 September 2026: Stage 2 for Nonsuch and Wallington High School for Girls
- โ Saturday 3 October 2026: Stage 2 for Wilson's, Wallington County Grammar and Sutton Grammar
- โ End of October 2026: Stage 2 outcomes, before the 31 October application deadline
Preparing for the SET and Stage 2
- โ The SET is maths and English only, based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum: there's no verbal or non-verbal reasoning to practise
- โ Learn the answer sheet: some English questions need two correct options to score at all
- โ Prepare for Stage 2 at the same time; it follows within two or three weeks of the SET
- โ Register by the end of July and apply for access arrangements by mid-June
For September 2028 entry
Based on the 2026 pattern, expect registration from May to the end of July 2027, the SET in mid-September 2027 and Stage 2 tests in late September and early October 2027.
FAQs
What is in the Sutton SET?๏ผ
A multiple-choice maths paper and a multiple-choice English paper, each 40 to 50 minutes. There is no verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
What is the SET pass mark?๏ผ
It isn't published in advance. The schools set it after marking, and each school may set its own.
Does passing the SET mean my child has a place?๏ผ
No. It qualifies a child for the Stage 2 exams (or Greenshaw's ability places); places then depend on Stage 2 and each school's criteria.
Can my child sit the SET from abroad?๏ผ
No. Children must sit it at one of the participating schools.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on 2026-10-13.
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