GL Assessment vs CEM 2027: What Changed and What Parents Should Do
· 10 min read
CEM withdrew from paper-based 11+ testing in 2023. Most former CEM regions have moved to GL Assessment or to their own consortium-commissioned tests. Here's what changed, why, and how preparation has shifted.
The short answer
If you are preparing your child for the 11+ for 2027 entry, the old GL-versus-CEM debate matters far less than it did five years ago. CEM (the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University) withdrew from paper-based 11+ testing after the 2022/2023 academic year, citing its own decision to move toward digital assessment and away from the secondary-transfer test market. Most regions that had used CEM papers have transitioned — to GL Assessment, to their own consortium-commissioned papers, or in some cases to ISEB Common Pre-Test style assessments. Practically, this means three things for parents. First, do not buy CEM-specific practice papers in 2026 without verifying that your child's region still uses CEM. Second, if your child's region has switched providers, check that your practice materials match the new format before investing further. Third, GL Assessment is now the dominant 11+ provider in England, so GL-style preparation transfers most widely across regions. If you have not already confirmed the current year's format for your target region, do that this week before buying any more materials.
What CEM was, and why it mattered
CEM was the second of the two main 11+ exam providers in England for roughly a decade, running paper-based assessments in regions including Buckinghamshire, parts of Birmingham, the Slough Consortium and several other selective authorities. Its original design philosophy was that CEM papers would be 'harder to tutor for' than GL — the question formats would vary year to year, the timing would be tight, and the breadth of content would prevent specialisation in narrow question types. In practice, the gap between 'tutor-resistant' CEM and 'tutor-friendly' GL narrowed every year as more practice materials reached the market and as tutors developed effective CEM preparation. Many parents experienced CEM as simply 'a slightly different style of exam' rather than as a fundamentally different test. CEM's withdrawal from paper-based testing was driven by the organisation's own strategic direction (focus on digital assessment) rather than by exam-quality concerns. The market consequences, though, have been substantial.
Where the former CEM regions have gone
Buckinghamshire — the largest former CEM region — transitioned to GL Assessment papers for its Secondary Transfer Test. The Bucks consortium has been clear that this is the current format, and GL-style preparation is now the right starting point for families in the county. See our Buckinghamshire 11+ guide for the current format. The Slough Consortium has commissioned its provider arrangements separately and has changed provider at least once in recent years; always check the consortium's admissions page before committing to a particular practice book series. Birmingham's King Edward VI Foundation uses GL Assessment for its current Entrance Assessment — see our Birmingham 11+ guide. Most other former CEM regions have similarly moved to GL or to a regional commissioned format. The practical implication is that GL-style practice now covers a far larger share of the 11+ market than five years ago, which makes preparation choices simpler in 2026 than they were in 2021.
What does GL Assessment preparation actually look like?
GL Assessment publishes question types that are stable from year to year. Verbal reasoning has approximately twenty-one named question types — synonyms, antonyms, hidden words, letter sequences, code questions, logical deductions, analogies, and so on. Non-verbal reasoning has roughly ten named types — pattern matrices, shape sequences, rotations, reflections, odd-one-out by visual rule. Mathematics covers Key Stage 2 curriculum with extension into problem-solving and multi-step reasoning. English covers comprehension of passages above expected Year 5 reading age, with vocabulary and grammar items embedded. For each region, the specific paper structure (number of papers, time per paper, balance between subjects) varies, but the underlying GL question types are consistent. This is why a child preparing for Kent and a child preparing for Buckinghamshire can use much of the same underlying preparation, even though the surface paper structure differs. GL practice tends to reward two things: familiarity with all twenty-one verbal reasoning types (so no question feels unfamiliar on test day), and timed pacing on multiple-choice answer sheets.
Regions that don't use GL — and what that means
Not every region has moved to GL. CSSE (Essex's Consortium of Selective Schools) continues to run its own English-and-Maths-only papers in a written (not multiple-choice) format — see our Essex 11+ guide. Reading's super-selective schools (Kendrick and Reading School) use direct-school assessments that draw on GL-style content but go further in difficulty than typical GL practice — see our Reading 11+ guide. The North Yorkshire grammars (Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar) run their own school-specific tests within the GL family. The London grammars vary widely — Sutton, Bexley and others each have their own admissions arrangements. Always check each target school's current admissions page rather than relying on regional generalisations. The single biggest preparation mistake in 2026 is assuming that 'CEM materials' are still useful for a region that has switched, or assuming that 'GL materials' are sufficient for a region that uses its own commissioned format.
Should I still buy CEM practice books in 2026?
Only if your child's target school or region has explicitly confirmed it still uses CEM for the current year. As of the 2026/27 admissions cycle, very few mainstream selective regions still commission CEM papers, and the existing stock of CEM-branded practice books on the market reflects an earlier exam landscape. CEM-style books are not worthless — many of the question types and reasoning skills overlap with GL — but the timing patterns, paper structure and answer-sheet conventions can mislead a child who has trained to a CEM paper and then sits a GL test. If you have CEM books already from an older sibling's preparation, use them for general reasoning practice but cross-check the question types against current GL formats before relying on them for final-stage mock practice. If you are buying new in 2026, default to GL-aligned materials unless your specific region has confirmed a different provider.
What this means for tutors and online platforms
The tutor and platform market has adjusted slowly to CEM's withdrawal. Some tutors continue to use older CEM-style materials, particularly for families who have always trained in that style. Some online platforms still segment their content by 'GL stream' and 'CEM stream' as a legacy interface choice even when the underlying content is now functionally similar. Ask any tutor or platform you are considering in 2026 two specific questions. First: what proportion of your current Year 5 and Year 6 students sit GL tests, CSSE tests, and individual-school tests respectively? A tutor or platform whose answers do not match the current regional landscape (mostly GL, plus regional exceptions) is working from an older model. Second: how have you updated your content for regions that have switched providers since 2022? A vague answer is a flag. A specific answer — naming a region and describing the content change — is reassuring. GrammarPrep's content is GL-aligned with regional configuration for the major selective authorities; if you want a starting benchmark, run our free diagnostic assessment to see where your child sits across the four 11+ subjects.
Practical preparation plan for a 2027-entry child
If your child is aiming at September Year 6 tests for 2027 grammar-school entry, the practical preparation plan looks like this. By April 2026: confirm the current exam provider for your target region and target schools. Visit each school's admissions page in person — do not rely on third-party summaries. By June 2026: pick a GL-aligned core practice set (CGP, Bond, or similar) plus, where applicable, the region's own published past papers (Kent's familiarisation materials, CSSE past papers, Birmingham's published guidance). By August 2026: complete a baseline mock to identify any large content gaps before the autumn term. Through autumn term of Year 5: short daily practice covering all GL question types, with weekly timed sessions. Through spring of Year 6: full timed mocks every two weeks, focused on pacing and stamina. Through summer 2026 into early September 2026: four to six final mocks (see our 11+ mock-exam schedule guide), each with a structured debrief and errors log. Test day arrives in mid-September. None of this preparation plan relies on CEM-specific materials. If you find yourself reaching for CEM-branded practice in 2026, pause and check whether your region has switched — chances are it has.