The West Midlands grammar schools use a single shared entrance test set by GL Assessment. If you are reading advice written around CEM, it does not describe the test your child will sit here.
That confusion is understandable, because some West Midlands areas did use CEM in the past and a great deal of material online still reflects that.
What the partnership actually uses
the partnership entrance test page sets out the format, and it is worth having the specifics rather than a brand name:
| Feature | The West Midlands test |
|---|---|
| Papers | Two, each around 50 to 60 minutes including instructions |
| Sections | English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths, non-verbal and spatial reasoning |
| Weighting | 50% English and verbal reasoning, 25% non-verbal, 25% maths |
| Format | Multiple choice, answers on a separate answer sheet |
| Timing | Individually timed sections you cannot revisit |
| Scoring | Age-weighted standardisation around a median of 200 |
One test, nineteen schools, sat once in September of Year 6.
What I am not going to tell you
A lot of pages will confidently tell you the exact year CEM withdrew from the 11+ market. I have not been able to verify that against an official source, so this page will not state it as fact.
What matters for your child is simpler and is verifiable: the test the West Midlands partnership runs is a GL Assessment test, and that is what to prepare for. If you are applying to a grammar school in another region, check that region's own arrangements rather than assuming they match.
Why the distinction mattered
The two formats were genuinely different, which is why old advice misleads.
- CEM was marketed as harder to tutor for, mixed question types within timed blocks, and published less about its content.
- GL works from a defined bank of question types, which means a child can be shown every type they will meet.
That second point is the practical one. Because the types are knowable, preparation here is about teaching each one properly rather than hoping for the best, which is exactly what our verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning guides set out.
A warning about practice material
None of the nineteen schools release past papers. So no publisher, however confident, is working from the real thing.
What you can do is match the format: the right question types, individually timed sections, multiple choice, a separate answer sheet. Material built for a national average of 100, or for a CEM-style paper, will mislead you on both content and scoring.
See our guide to how the standardised score works.
See where your child stands today
Timed sections in the GL Assessment format, marked instantly, with a topic-by-topic breakdown. No sign-up to start.
The types are knowable, so teach them
The thing that matters about this test being a GL style paper is that the question types are knowable. There is a defined set of them, and that changes what good preparation looks like.
Non-verbal reasoning alone has a vast array of topics. Complete the grid, complete the pair, horizontal and vertical codes, matrices, odd one out, sequences, and then on the spatial side cubes, 3D building blocks, folding along a line, hole punch. Every one of those needs to be taught. There are very few students who can look at an example on their own and work out what the question is asking them.
So do not spend your money chasing a brand name on a workbook. Spend it making sure your child has actually met and understood every question type before September, and that they have practised them in individually timed sections, because that is the part the format decides.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
Do West Midlands grammar schools use GL Assessment or CEM?
The West Midlands partnership uses a single shared entrance test set by GL Assessment, covering all 19 schools. Advice written around CEM does not describe the test your child will sit here, though some West Midlands areas did use CEM in the past, which is why the confusion persists.
What is in the GL Assessment test for the West Midlands?
Two papers of roughly 50 to 60 minutes each, covering English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths, and non-verbal and spatial reasoning. English and verbal reasoning carry 50% of the marks, with 25% each for non-verbal reasoning and maths.
Why does it matter whether a test is GL or CEM?
Because the formats differ. GL works from a defined bank of question types, which means a child can be shown every type they will meet, so preparation is about teaching each one properly. CEM was marketed as harder to tutor for and published less about its content.
Can I use CEM practice material for the West Midlands 11+?
It will mislead you on both content and scoring. Prepare instead for the GL format: the right question types, individually timed sections that cannot be revisited, multiple choice answers on a separate sheet, and age standardisation around a median of 200 rather than a national mean of 100.
Are there official past papers for the West Midlands test?
No. None of the 19 partnership schools release past papers, so no publisher is working from the genuine article. What good practice material can do is match the format accurately, which is what actually prepares a child for the day.