No past papers for the West Midlands 11+ exist, from any source, at any price. The schools do not release them.
So every practice paper you will ever see, free or paid, ours included, is a reconstruction of the format. That is worth knowing before you spend anything, because it changes what you should be comparing.
Why no real past papers exist
GL Assessment writes the test and the partnership schools administer it. Neither publishes the papers afterwards, for the obvious reason that a released paper is a paper that cannot be reused.
What the partnership does publish is the partnership's familiarisation guide, which shows the question types and the answer sheet. It is short, it is official, and it is free. Everyone preparing should read it, and almost nobody does.
See our guide to what past papers actually exist.
Where to practise free
| Source | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| The official familiarisation guide | Real question types and the answer sheet, from the partnership | Free |
| Our free mock test | Four timed sections, marked instantly, with a topic breakdown | Free |
| Publisher sample papers | A sample from CGP, Bond or similar, usually one paper | Free |
| School websites | Occasionally a familiarisation booklet | Free |
Start with the official guide, then a timed paper. The order matters: a child who has never seen the answer sheet will lose marks to the format rather than the questions.
What a genuine GL format paper contains
For the West Midlands specifically, the partnership entrance test page sets the shape, and a paper that does not match it is practising the wrong test:
- Two papers, not one.
- Four areas: English and verbal reasoning, maths, non-verbal reasoning.
- Weighted 50% English and verbal, 25% maths, 25% non-verbal.
- Separately timed sections that cannot be revisited once the clock stops.
- A separate multiple choice answer sheet, which is the only thing marked.
- Age standardisation around a median of 200.
That last point rules a lot of material out. A paper scored out of 100, or marked against a mean of 100 with entry at 111, is built for the national model and not for here. See our guide to how the scoring works.
How to judge a paper's quality
Since nothing is official, judge on these instead:
- Does it time the sections separately? One clock over the whole paper teaches the wrong pacing.
- Does it use an answer sheet? Writing answers next to the question removes a real source of lost marks.
- Does it include non-verbal reasoning? A quarter of the marks, and the most commonly skipped.
- Does it tell you what went wrong, or only what the score was? A score is not information.
- Is it honest about what it is? Anyone selling you "real past papers" is selling you something that does not exist.
When to pay
Free material is enough to learn the format and find the obvious gaps. It runs out when you need volume and diagnosis: a handful of sample papers will not show you a pattern.
That is the point at which paying makes sense, and not before. Use the free mock first, find the weak subject, and buy for that subject rather than buying everything. See our guide to how many papers to do and our practice packs.
One disclosure, since this page recommends our own material: GrammarPath is an independent tutoring company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to GL Assessment. Our papers are written to match the format, like everyone else's.
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.
Read the official guide before you buy anything
The first thing I tell parents is that there are no past papers. Not ones we are hiding, not ones you can buy from somebody else. The schools do not release them, so every paper on the market, ours included, is somebody's reconstruction of the format.
What there is, and what hardly anybody reads, is the partnership's own familiarisation guide. It is official, it is free, and it shows the real question types and the answer sheet. Most Year 5 students I have taught start with zero knowledge of these question types, and that guide is the cheapest way to fix it.
After that, do one timed paper before you spend money. Find the weak subject first. Buying four subjects when the problem is maths is how families spend a lot and gain very little.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
Are there free GL Assessment practice papers?
Yes, in the sense that free practice in the GL format exists: the partnership's own familiarisation guide, free mock tests including ours, and sample papers from publishers. There are no free real past papers, because no real past papers are released at all.
Can you get real GL Assessment past papers?
No, from any source and at any price. GL Assessment writes the test and the partnership schools administer it, and neither releases the papers afterwards. Every practice paper you will see is a reconstruction of the format.
What should a West Midlands GL practice paper include?
Two papers, four areas weighted 50% English and verbal reasoning, 25% maths and 25% non-verbal, separately timed sections that cannot be revisited, and a separate multiple choice answer sheet. Scores are age standardised around a median of 200.
How can I tell if a practice paper is any good?
Check whether it times sections separately, uses an answer sheet, includes non-verbal reasoning, and tells you what went wrong rather than only the score. And whether it is honest about being a reconstruction rather than claiming to be a real past paper.
When is it worth paying for practice papers?
Once free material has taught the format and shown the obvious gaps. Free samples cannot give you volume or a pattern. Use a free mock first, find the weakest subject, then buy for that subject rather than buying everything.