11+ Registration 2027: Deadlines and How to Apply
· 9 min read
When and how to register for the 11+ in 2027: region-by-region deadlines, and why registering for the test differs from applying for a school place.
Registering for the test is not the same as applying for a place
The single most common 11+ administrative mistake is assuming one form does both jobs. It does not. There are two separate processes, run by different bodies, with different deadlines. First, you register your child to sit the 11+ test — usually in the spring or summer of Year 5, directly with the test administrator (a local authority, a grammar-school consortium, or a body like CSSE). Second, and entirely separately, you apply for a secondary school place through your home local authority's Common Application Form, due by 31 October of Year 6. The school application lists grammar and non-selective schools together in your order of preference; the test result simply determines whether your child qualifies for the selective options on that list. Miss the test registration and your child cannot sit the exam at all that year. Miss the 31 October application and you risk being allocated a school outside your preferences regardless of how well your child scored. Treat them as two diary entries, not one. Our 11+ results day guide explains what happens between the September test, October results and 1 March National Offer Day.
When does 11+ registration open and close?
Registration windows vary by region, but the pattern is consistent: they open in late spring of Year 5 (typically April–May) and close in early-to-mid summer (late June to mid-July), well before the September test. Approximate windows for 2027 entry, which you must confirm on each official site because dates shift yearly: Kent registers through the Kent County Council PESE process, usually closing in the first week of July — see our Kent Test dates guide. Buckinghamshire is automatic for most in-county state-school pupils but requires an opt-in registration for out-of-county children, generally closing in late June. Essex grammar schools register directly with CSSE, with a window that usually closes in mid-to-late July. The Birmingham King Edward VI consortium opens registration in late spring and closes around late June. Because every administrator sets its own deadline and moves it most years, the safe rule is to find the official registration page for each target region by April of Year 5 and put the exact closing date in your calendar with a fortnight's buffer.
How to register, step by step
The mechanics are similar across most regions. First, finalise your target schools and confirm which body administers their test — a local authority, a consortium, or the school itself. Second, find that body's official registration page (search the local authority or consortium name plus '11 plus registration', and verify you are on a .gov.uk or the school's own domain, not a third-party site). Third, create an account and complete the registration form with your child's details, your home address, current school, and — where required — a recent passport-style photograph for candidate identification on the day. Fourth, pay any fee: most local-authority grammar tests are free, but some consortia and all independent-school pre-tests charge. Fifth, save the confirmation email and note the candidate number, the test date, and the allocated venue. If you are registering across more than one region — common for families near a county boundary — keep a simple table of each deadline, fee, and confirmation reference, because the windows rarely line up.
What if you miss the registration deadline?
Most test administrators are strict, and late registration is the exception rather than the rule. In practice, missing the window usually means your child cannot sit that region's 11+ that cycle — and therefore cannot be considered for its grammar places for the following September. Some authorities will consider late entry for genuine, evidenced reasons such as a recent house move into the area, serious illness, or a school's administrative error, but this is discretionary and never guaranteed. If you have missed a deadline, your realistic options are: contact the administrator immediately to ask about late or exceptional entry; pivot toward independent schools, many of which use the ISEB Common Pre-Test on a later timetable; or plan for in-year or casual admission to a grammar school later, which depends on places coming free. None of these is as clean as registering on time, which is why the deadline deserves a calendar reminder the moment you decide to pursue a selective place.
A registration checklist by region
Use this as a starting point, then confirm every date on the official source. Kent: register via Kent County Council; deadline typically early July; see the Kent region page. Buckinghamshire: automatic in-county, opt-in for out-of-county by late June; Buckinghamshire region page. Essex: register directly with CSSE by mid-to-late July; Essex region page. Birmingham: King Edward VI consortium, late June; Birmingham region page. The London super-selectives — Sutton, Kingston's Tiffin schools and others — each run their own registration, often with earlier summer deadlines and their own tests; read our super-selective grammar schools guide before you start. The full set of regions, each with its exam board and admissions notes, is on the 11+ by area index. Whatever your region, the principle is the same: find the official page early, diarise the deadline, and do not rely on a reminder from the school.
Use the lead time well
Registration is a deadline, not a preparation milestone — but hitting it early frees you to focus on the work that actually moves scores. Once the form is in, the summer before the September test becomes the highest-leverage block of preparation time in the whole journey; our summer holiday 11+ preparation guide sets out a balanced six-week plan that builds readiness without burning your child out. If you have not yet established where your child stands across the four subjects, start with the free 15-minute diagnostic at grammarprep.uk/onboarding — no account required — and let the result shape how you use the weeks between registering and sitting. The families who feel calmest in September are almost always the ones who handled the paperwork in spring and spent the summer on focused, steady practice rather than a last-minute scramble.