GrammarPrep

Bexley 11+: the Bexley Selection Test for London's south-east grammars

Bexley's four grammar schools — Beths, Bexley, Townley, and Chislehurst & Sidcup — share a single GL-based Selection Test. Here's what parents in south-east London need to know.

Bexley Selection Test: key facts

Typical test date
Mid-to-late September of Year 6, sat at one of the four grammar schools
Papers
Two papers — typically a combined Verbal/Non-Verbal Reasoning paper and a combined English/Mathematics paper
Duration
Each paper is approximately 50 minutes
Subjects
Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English (comprehension and vocabulary), and Mathematics
Indicative qualifying threshold
Bexley uses a single qualifying standardised score (recent years have seen the threshold around 218-225) but each school then ranks applicants by oversubscription criteria after that
Registration window
Online registration is via the London Borough of Bexley admissions site, typically opening in early June and closing in early July of Year 5

Why Bexley is different

The London Borough of Bexley is one of the few London boroughs to have retained a fully selective grammar-school system. The four Bexley grammars share a common Selection Test administered by the local authority, which makes preparation more tractable than London regions where families have to navigate multiple independent school tests. Whatever school your child ultimately attends, the test they sit in September of Year 6 is the same.

Bexley's Selection Test is set by GL Assessment and follows the format common to most GL-aligned regions: two combined papers (one weighted toward reasoning, one toward English and Maths) sat under timed conditions at one of the four grammar schools rather than at the child's primary school. The qualifying standardised score is published by the council each year after the test, and individual schools then allocate places by their own oversubscription criteria.

Because Bexley sits adjacent to Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and the Dartford end of Kent, applications come from across south-east London and into north-west Kent. This makes the system competitive: with no in-borough catchment priority at most schools beyond a distance tiebreaker, families travel from outside the borough to sit the test, and a qualifying score does not guarantee a place at the more oversubscribed schools (notably Townley and Beths).

How the Bexley Selection Test is structured

  • Paper 1: combined Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, multiple choice, approximately 50 minutes.
  • Paper 2: combined English and Mathematics, multiple choice, approximately 50 minutes.
  • Both papers are age-standardised so younger children in Year 6 are not disadvantaged.
  • Children sit the test at one of the four Bexley grammars (not at their primary school), in formal exam conditions with external invigilation.
  • A single qualifying standardised score is calculated from the two papers. Bexley does not publish a per-paper minimum — it's the aggregate that determines whether a child has qualified.

Notable grammar schools in Bexley

4 fully selective grammar schools in the borough.

  • Beths Grammar School (boys', Bexley)
  • Bexley Grammar School (mixed, Welling)
  • Townley Grammar School (girls', Bexleyheath)
  • Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School (mixed, Sidcup)

How to prepare your child for the Bexley 11+

Treat Bexley as a GL-format region with a moderate reasoning weighting. Daily GL-style practice across the four subjects from Year 4 produces good results — there is no separate writing task or unusual paper type to prepare for. Children who have prepped for Kent or Bucks should find the Bexley format familiar.

Build vocabulary depth through wide reading. The English content within Paper 2 includes vocabulary and comprehension items at the upper end of Year 5 reading age. Daily reading (fiction and non-fiction) compounds far better than vocabulary list cramming. Combine with a weekly word journal from Year 5.

Practise the answer-sheet format. Because Bexley uses separate multiple-choice answer sheets rather than circling answers in the question booklet, transferring answers reliably is a learnable skill. In the final month before the test, work in printable answer-sheet format under timed conditions. Our 11+ exam boards comparison covers the GL question types you'll see.

If your child is sitting both Bexley and Kent (common for families on the borough/county boundary), the GL preparation transfers — but the Kent Test has three papers and a writing task whereas Bexley has two combined papers. Plan the September calendar carefully.

Frequently asked questions about the Bexley 11+

How do I register my child for the Bexley Selection Test?

Registration is via the London Borough of Bexley admissions portal, typically opening in early June of Year 5 and closing in early July. There is no fee. You register your child for the test even if you have not yet decided which Bexley grammar to list as a preference — those preferences are submitted on the secondary school application (Common Application Form) by 31 October.

What's the qualifying score for Bexley grammars?

The London Borough of Bexley publishes a qualifying standardised score each year after the test is sat. In recent years this has been in the 218-225 range, but it is set after the cohort's performance is known. Meeting the qualifying score makes your child eligible for grammar school consideration; individual schools then rank applicants by oversubscription rules.

Are Bexley grammars oversubscribed?

Yes. All four Bexley grammars are oversubscribed in most years, with Townley and Beths typically the most heavily competed for. The qualifying score is the floor, not the ceiling — for the most popular schools, the effective offer-line is meaningfully higher and distance is the final tiebreaker.

Does my child need to live in Bexley to apply?

No. Children from outside the borough are eligible to sit the Bexley Selection Test and apply to the grammars. However, most Bexley grammars use distance as a tiebreaker for oversubscribed places, which in practice favours in-borough applicants at the most competitive schools.

Which exam board does Bexley use?

GL Assessment. Practise with GL-style materials and answer-sheet formats. Bexley has used GL for the Selection Test in recent years; always check the council's admissions page before buying practice materials in case the provider changes.

Is the Bexley Selection Test similar to the Kent Test?

Both use GL Assessment and a multiple-choice format, so the question-type preparation transfers well between them. The main differences are the number of papers (Bexley has two combined papers; Kent has three), the absence of a writing task in Bexley, and the different qualifying-score scales. Children sitting both should be ready for the additional Kent paper and writing exercise.

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