King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026

Introduction

Handsworth Grammar School offers a dynamic and academically successful setting for its pupils, welcoming boys between the ages of 11 and 16, as well as boys and girls into the Sixth Form. The school admits students who have passed the 11+ exam from Birmingham and nearby areas, including the local community. Founded in 1862, HGS has a longstanding history of providing quality education.

The school adheres to the national curriculum, placing importance on fundamental subjects like English, mathematics, and science. It also offers a variety of additional subjects such as humanities, languages, physical education, and creative arts. Furthermore, HGS is dedicated to providing many extracurricular activities that cater to students’ wide-ranging interests. These activities include sports, music, technology clubs, and inter-form quizzes.

Handsworth Grammar School organises multiple concerts annually, enabling students to build self-confidence by performing for an audience or contributing backstage. In addition, numerous pupils receive music lessons at the school, mastering instruments such as the guitar, trombone, piano, and dhol. Consequently, HGS features a variety of musical ensembles, including a big band, brass group, string quartet, and guitar ensemble.

Students participate in multiple excursions throughout the year, from local field trips to international travels to countries like France and Germany. They also engage in activities like raising funds for charitable causes.

HGS aims to establish itself as a centre of excellence by preserving traditional values while adapting to the advancements offered by modern technology. It’s committed to serving the local community and the broader Birmingham area.

The school boasts exceptional exam results at both GCSE and A-level, surpassing the standards of both public and private educational institutions. These achievements have contributed to HGS receiving an “Outstanding” rating in every category from Ofsted. [1]

To gain a glimpse into the academic environment at Handsworth Grammar School, watch this brief promotional video:

Handsworth Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

In Birmingham, all eight grammar schools follow the admission criteria of the West Midlands Grammar School Consortium. Only pupils who reach the required standard via an entrance exam will be considered for entry to Handsworth Grammar School.

The Consortium requires that students are selected for admission based on their combined, age-standardised score in the 11 Plus exam. To be eligible for admission, pupils must attain the minimum ‘qualifying score’ in the exam. Parents should note however, that attainment of the qualifying score doesn’t necessarily guarantee students a place at Handsworth.

Applicants are ranked according to their test score and if test scores are equal, priority is given to:

• Looked after children and previously looked after children.
• Children who live closest to the school.
  
  

More information about the admission policy at Handsworth Grammar School can be found on the school’s website. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to Handsworth Grammar School

To apply for a Year 7 place at Handsworth Grammar School, parents need to register their child by completing an online application form. Additionally, parents must complete a Local Authority Preference form. In order to complete the full application, parents must also provide a recent passport sized-photograph of their child, which can be emailed alongside the required forms.

Parents will receive their son’s 11 Plus test results in October, although place allocations will not be known until the following March.

Handsworth Grammar School Catchment Area

Does Handsworth Grammar School have a catchment area?

Yes, they do. For Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, priority catchment area is defined by home addresses that are within the following electoral wards:

• Birmingham : Birchfield, Edgbaston, Handsworth, Handsworth Wood, Holyhead, Kingstanding, Ladywood, Lozells, Newtown, North Edgbaston, Oscott, Perry Barr, Soho & Jewellery Quarter.
  
  
• Sandwell: Smethwick, Soho & Victoria, St Paul’s, West Bromwich Central.
  
  

How to Prepare for the Handsworth Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam?

Many children are at first anxious about sitting the 11 Plus exam, but with thorough and regular revision, you can ensure that your child takes exam day in their stride.

Practice exam papers are an invaluable part of your son’s Handsworth Grammar School 11+ preparation. Doing these papers under timed conditions is a long-standing, proven method of effective revision. Not only do they give your child a clearer idea of the structure of the exam, but they are also shown to improve a child’s time management ahead of the exam.

Handsworth Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores

The school’s qualifying score for admission is 205. This is the minimum standardised score that makes applicants eligible for a place.

Pupils who are able to score 80-85% consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the Handsworth Grammar School 11 Plus exam.Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Handsworth Grammar School 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.

Handsworth Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers

The resources listed below are specifically designed to help students prepare for the 11+ Exam at Handsworth Grammar School. They cover every aspect of the exam, which is created by GL Assessment.

All question types that could come up in the actual exam are addressed across English Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.

Most of the products below also come with detailed video tutorials to accompany every question. These allow your child to quickly learn from their mistakes and understand the most effective techniques to approach any question that could come up in their exam.

Full Practice Tests

20 Products

The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the West Midlands 11+ Exam, used by Handsworth Grammar School for Year 7 entry. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Practice Papers

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 1

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 2

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 3

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 4

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 5

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 6

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 7

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 8

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 9

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 10

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 11

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 12

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 13

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 14

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 15

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 16

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 17

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 18

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 19

11+ West Midlands Practice Test 20

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English Comprehension

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The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in GL Assessment 11+ English exams, such as the Handsworth Grammar School assessment. The timings and types of passages used are typical of what you can expect in the actual exam.

Practice Papers

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11+ English (Grammar Schools) Comprehension Pack 2

11+ English: Inference Skills Pack 1

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11+ West Midlands English 10-Minute Tests

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English Masterclasses

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Video Masterclasses

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11+ GL English Comprehension: Parts of Speech & Phrases Mini Masterclass

11+ GL English Comprehension: Inference Questions Mini Masterclass

11+ GL English Comprehension: Figurative Language Mini Masterclass

11+ GL English Comprehension: Analysing Poetry Mini Masterclass

11+ GL English Comprehension: Voice, Tone, and Purpose Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL English Comprehension: Supported Practice Paper Mini Masterclass

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Verbal Reasoning

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The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in the Handsworth Grammar School 11+ Verbal Reasoning exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level.  Each pack comes with free, detailed video explanations for every question to help your child learn and improve quickly.

Practice Papers

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 1

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 2

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 3

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11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies

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11+ Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Analogies

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11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Grids

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Sequences

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Move a Letter

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Analogies

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Calculations

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Sequences

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Related Words

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Rhyming Synonyms

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Shuffled Sentences

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Completion

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Match

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Opposites

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Pairs

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11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Relationships

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11+ West Midlands Verbal Reasoning 10-Minute Tests

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Verbal Reasoning Masterclasses

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11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Analogies Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Codes Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Number Analogies Mini Masterclass

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Mathematics

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The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in the Handsworth Grammar School 11+ Mathematics exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level. Each pack comes with free, detailed video explanations for every question to help your child learn and improve quickly.

Practice Papers

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 1

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 2

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 3

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 4

11+ Mathematics: Algebra (Grammar Schools)

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11+ Mathematics: Estimation & Place Value (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Factors & Multiples (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages (Grammar Schools)

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11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Grammar Schools) Pack 1

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11+ Mathematics: Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry (Grammar Schools)

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11+ GL Mathematics: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Measurements Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Money Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL Mathematics: Perimeter, Area & Volume Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Position & Direction Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Probability & Combinations Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL Mathematics: Properties of Shape Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Ratio & Proportion Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry Mini Masterclass

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11+ GL Mathematics: Special Numbers Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Mathematics: Speed, Distance & Time Mini Masterclass

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Non-Verbal Reasoning & Spatial Reasoning

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The packs below will expose your child to all the key question types used in the Handsworth Grammar School 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning & Spatial Reasoning exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level.

Practice Papers

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11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2

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11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Classification

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Horizontal Codes

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Operations

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Series

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Star Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Series

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Vertical Codes

11+ Spatial Reasoning Pack 1

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Block Counting

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Combining Shapes

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Fold & Punch

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Folding Cubes

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Hidden Shapes

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Shape Completion

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Spinning Shapes

11+ Spatial Reasoning: Rotation

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11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning XL Masterclass

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11+ West Midlands Non-Verbal Reasoning 10-Minute Tests

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11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Star Matrices Mini Masterclass

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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Handsworth Grammar School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Handsworth Grammar School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.

Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Handsworth Grammar School.