FAQ
Questions parents ask
Short answers about the test, NextJen, prices and privacy.
20 answers in 4 groups
The test
What does the test cover?
Two multiple-choice papers, which the King Edward VI Foundation describes as around 60 minutes each, including instructions and example questions. They cover English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths, and non-verbal and spatial reasoning. English and verbal reasoning carry 50% of the marks, and maths and non-verbal reasoning 25% each. The same test is used by all 19 schools in the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership.
When does my child sit the test?
You register while your child is in Year 5, and they sit the test in Year 6, usually in September. Our West Midlands 11+ guide lists the published dates. How you register depends on where you live: Warwickshire residents register through Warwickshire County Council, according to the Warwickshire schools' admission policies.
Which schools use this test?
Nineteen schools: eight in Birmingham, six in Warwickshire, and five in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Newport, Shropshire. They share one entrance test. Each school, or group of schools, sets its own admission rules, including the score needed. Our West Midlands 11+ guide lists them all.
Is NextJen only for Birmingham?
No. NextJen is written for the four areas and two-paper format of the 11+ test shared by the 19 schools in the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership, so families applying to any of them can use it. We're independent of the schools and the test provider.
Are these the real test questions?
No. Nobody outside GL Assessment sees the real papers. Every NextJen question is written from scratch to match the style, format and topics of the test, checked by code where possible and solved again by separate automated reviewers that can't see the answer before going live.
Is NextJen connected to GL Assessment or the schools?
No. NextJen is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to GL Assessment, West Midlands Grammar Schools (the schools' partnership), the King Edward VI Foundation, any council or any school. We don't have the real test papers. GL Assessment is a trade mark of its owner and is named only to describe the test.
Using NextJen
Which year groups is NextJen for?
There are two courses. The 11+ Year 4 course is for children in Years 3 and 4: children in Year 3 begin on its Year 3 start, which has its own price, and move on to Year 4 questions each September. The 11+ Year 5 course is for Years 5 and 6. Year 4 children move up to the Year 5 course each September, and every skill score carries over.
My child is in Year 3. Which plan do I choose?
The Year 3 start, a gentler way into the 11+ Year 4 course with shorter sessions and a parent view without scores. It costs £20 a month or £200 a year per child, or £16 a month at the founding price for waitlist families. A child you add in Year 3 starts on it automatically. On 1 September they move on to Year 4 questions and the 11+ Year 4 price, £30 a month, or £24 for founding families.
Does my child need their own login?
No. Your child practises in child mode inside your account. A 4-digit parent PIN takes you out of child mode and back to the parent area.
What happens when my child gets a question wrong?
Every question has a worked answer that shows the method. Two wrong and your child gets an easier question, so they can rebuild confidence. Three right in a row and the questions step up. Questions they got wrong come back later for another try.
What will I see as a parent?
Every skill from secure to needs work, your child's mock exam scores, and a summary email every Sunday.
What equipment do we need?
A laptop or tablet with a web browser. There's nothing to download or install.
Prices and plans
How do plans work?
Plans are per child, paid monthly or yearly, and one family account holds them all. Prices are on our Prices page.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Your family's first plan starts with a 7-day free trial. We take card details up front, and the plan becomes paid unless you cancel. There is no second trial if you return.
What is the founding price?
Waitlist families get a founding price: £16 a month for the Year 3 start, £24 a month for 11+ Year 4 and £36 a month for 11+ Year 5, per child, fixed while your plan continues without a break. When a child moves on to the next course, they move to its founding price.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Ask for a refund for any reason within 14 days of your first payment and you get all of it back. After that, payments are not refundable, except where the law says otherwise or we have let you down.
How do mock exams work?
Mock exam weekends are booked and paid for one at a time. Families with a NextJen plan pay the lower member price. Families on a free trial pay the normal mock price.
Privacy
What do you know about my child?
Only the first name and year group you give us, and their practice results. We never ask for your child's email address or surname.
Is there tracking in the child area?
No. There is no tracking in the child area and no public profiles. Privacy is switched on by default.
How long do you keep our data?
Data is deleted automatically 12 months after a plan ends.
Join the waitlist
We'll email you when NextJen opens. Waitlist families get a founding price: £16 a month for the Year 3 start, £24 a month for 11+ Year 4 and £36 a month for 11+ Year 5, per child, fixed while your plan continues without a break. When a child moves on to the next course, they move to its founding price.