Wirral 11 Plus: The Quest Assessments Guide (2027 Entry)
Almost every selective area in England runs on GL Assessment or a descendant of CEM. Wirral is the notable exception: its four non-Catholic grammar schools use Quest Assessments — and they moved to it only for the September 2026 sitting, so older practice material is now the wrong format. This guide covers the Wirral Admissions Test for September 2027 entry.
Quick summary — Wirral 11+, 2027 entry
Worth knowing:
- Don't prepare from Wirral GL papers — the consortium moved to Quest for 2027 entry, and Quest includes a problem-solving style that GL does not.
- There is no English comprehension paper in the consortium test, but strong reading still underpins the verbal reasoning questions.
- If St Anselm's College or Upton Hall is on your list, you have a second, separate exam to plan for.
The Wirral Consortium schools
Four non-Catholic selective schools share the Wirral Admissions Test and a single sitting:
- Calday Grange Grammar School — boys, West Kirby
- West Kirby Grammar School — girls, West Kirby
- Wirral Grammar School for Boys — Bebington
- Wirral Grammar School for Girls — Bebington
You register once with Wirral Council, your child sits one test, and the result is used by every consortium school you name on your application.
The switch from GL to Quest
For years the Wirral consortium used GL Assessment. For the September 2026 sitting (September 2027 entry) it moved to Quest Assessments. That matters for preparation:
- Quest papers have their own question styles and a stronger emphasis on problem-solving than a standard GL paper.
- Practice books and mock tests written for "Wirral GL" no longer match the format.
- Familiarisation with the current Quest style is one of the highest-value early steps.
The test papers
The Wirral Admissions Test is two papers, taken on the same day, each around an hour. Each paper mixes questions from three areas:
- Verbal reasoning
- Non-verbal reasoning
- Mathematics
There is no standalone English comprehension paper in the consortium test — but vocabulary and reading still drive the verbal reasoning questions, so they remain worth building.
Wirral 11+ key dates for 2027 entry
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 May 2026 | Registration opens with Wirral Council |
| 12 noon, 1 June 2026 | Registration closes |
| Tuesday 15 September 2026 | Wirral Admissions Test |
| Mid-to-late October 2026 | Results sent to parents |
| 31 October 2026 | Secondary Common Application Form deadline |
| 1 March 2027 | National offer day |
The Catholic grammar schools
Wirral's two Catholic selective schools — St Anselm's College (boys) and Upton Hall School FCJ (girls) — are not part of the consortium and set and administer their own separate entrance exams, with their own dates and criteria (including faith-based oversubscription criteria). If either is on your list, plan for a second test and read the school's admissions arrangements directly.
How to prepare
Use current Quest-style material. The board change makes format familiarisation the priority — the reasoning and maths content is standard 11+, but the presentation and the problem-solving emphasis are not the same as GL.
Split practice across verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths, since each paper blends all three. Our verbal vs non-verbal reasoning guide explains how to train each.
Keep reading wide. No English paper does not mean vocabulary stops mattering — it feeds every verbal reasoning question.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Wirral 11+ for 2027 entry?
The Wirral Admissions Test is sat on Tuesday 15 September 2026. Registration with Wirral Council runs from 1 May 2026 to 12 noon on 1 June 2026, and results are sent to parents in mid-to-late October 2026, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.
Which exam board does the Wirral 11+ use?
Quest Assessments. The Wirral Consortium moved from GL Assessment to Quest Assessments for the September 2026 sitting (2027 entry), so older "Wirral GL" practice material no longer matches the test.
What is on the Wirral Admissions Test?
Two papers taken on the same day, each about an hour, and each mixing verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics. There is no standalone English comprehension paper in the consortium test. Scores are age-standardised.
Which schools use the Wirral Consortium test?
Four non-Catholic grammar schools: Calday Grange Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School in West Kirby, and Wirral Grammar School for Boys and Wirral Grammar School for Girls in Bebington. The Catholic grammars — St Anselm's College and Upton Hall School FCJ — run their own separate entrance exams.
What score do you need to pass the Wirral 11+?
There is no fixed pass mark. Each consortium school sets its own qualifying score after the test, against that year's applicants, and ranks qualifying applicants by its own admission criteria. The threshold changes by school and by year.
Do the Catholic Wirral grammar schools use the same test?
No. St Anselm's College and Upton Hall School FCJ are outside the consortium and set their own separate entrance exams, with their own dates and criteria, including faith-based oversubscription rules. Applying to one of them means preparing for and sitting an additional test.
Related SharpY Mind resources
New board, same core skills
Wirral moved to Quest, but verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths fluency still decide the result. SharpY Mind builds all three in short daily sessions.
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