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This year, the Selective Eligibility Test will take place on Tuesday 15 September 2026. This is for students seeking entry into Year 7 in September 2027.
The Selective Eligibility Test (SET) will consist of two multiple-choice papers, testing Maths and English. Each paper will be around 45 minutes long.
Introduction
The Selective Eligibility Test (SET) is a vital component of the admissions process for various schools in the Surrey area. Designed to assess the academic potential of students seeking entry into Sutton’s selective institutions, the SET aims to identify individuals who demonstrate the ability and aptitude to thrive in a challenging educational environment.
Schools that use the Selective Eligibility Test (SET)
Grammar schools in Sutton that use the SET as part of their 11+ admissions process are as follows:
⦿ Wilson’s School
⦿ Greenshaw High School
⦿ Nonsuch High School for Girls
⦿ Wallington High School for Girls
⦿ Sutton Grammar School for Boys
⦿ Wallington County Grammar School
Students from these schools regularly achieve impressive examination results and proceed on to top universities. These outcomes reflect not only the students’ abilities, but also the quality of education provided, equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue ambitious goals and succeed in various professional fields.
What happens after the Selective Eligibility Test (SET)?
Students who pass the Selective Eligibility Test will be invited back for a second round test in October. This will assess Maths and English in a standard format, not multiple-choice.
We have produced a comprehensive set of resources to help you prepare for every element of the exam, including full-length practice tests and subject-specific, targeted exercises.
We have made our practice tests as accurate as possible, even replicating the style and format of the answer sheets, so your child can get used to marking their answers exactly how they will need to do in the actual test.
⬇️ Read on to learn how you can prepare your child to succeed in the SET!
Practice Papers for The Selective Eligibility Test (SET)
You can view a full list of recommendations for each stage and section of the SET Exam below. These resources have been tried and tested, having been successfully used by thousands of students to gain entry into the competitive grammar schools in Sutton.
Note: All the practice tests and workbooks listed below have been fully updated for this year’s exam including the recently introduced new format of the Stage 1 English test.
Stage 1
Our Pre-11+ Practice Tests are expertly crafted to familiarise students in Years 4 and 5 with the exam’s structure and style ahead of time. Designed to acquaint your child with the exact type of questions they will encounter in the real exam, these tests aim to develop both understanding and comfort with the exam’s format. Providing a detailed yet approachable introduction to the exam, these practice tests play a crucial role in boosting your child’s abilities and confidence through targeted and efficient preparation.
The following resources, specifically designed to help students prepare for the Sutton 11+ Stage One SET, provide invaluable and accurate familiarisation ahead of the actual test:
Practice Papers
The following resources are specifically designed to assist students in preparing for the Sutton 11+ Stage One English Exam, providing them with focused and effective practice:
Video Masterclasses
These resources, tailored to assist students in their preparation for the Sutton 11+ Stage One Maths Exam, offer essential guidance for targeted study and practice:
Practice Papers
10 Minutes Test
Video Masterclasses
Video Masterclasses
Stage 2
For the schools that have a Stage 2, we highly recommend the following packs:
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the Sutton 11+ Stage Two Exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses:
Practice Papers
These materials, carefully designed to assist students in preparing for the Sutton 11+ Stage Two Maths and English Exam, provide thorough and effective practice:
Practice Papers
Why do some of the recommendations above show me independent school papers?
The main difference between independent and grammar school papers is the question format. Independent schools usually assess with standard format questions, which means students need to write out full answers. Grammar schools usually use multiple-choice format questions.
Whilst the schools that use the SET are grammar schools, they actually use the independent school (standard) format for their Stage 2 exams, which is why they are included in the recommendations above.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Selective Eligibility Test
Due to great interest in the admissions process at grammar schools in Sutton, we’ve provided a selection of the most frequently asked questions about the Sutton 11+ entry procedure, aiming to help parents get to grips with all the important details.
The Selective Eligibility Test (SET) is the first round test used for selective entrance to Grammar Schools in Sutton. The test consists of a Maths paper and an English paper, each around 45 minutes long. Both papers are in multiple-choice format.
To apply for the Sutton 11 plus exam, please contact the local council. You will need to select the specific schools you are focused on in order of priority.
The Sutton SET exam is neither GL or CEM. The schools in Sutton create their own exam rather than use an external examination board. The SET Maths exam shares some similarities in format to the GL Assessment exam style. However, overall it is more challenging. The new SET English exam is completely unique and shares no real similarities with any other 11 Plus Assessment.
There are five fully selective grammar schools in Sutton and one partially selective school: Greenshaw High School. The fully selective grammar schools are: Wilson’s School, Wallington County Grammar School, Wallington High School for Girls, Sutton Grammar School for Boys and Nonsuch High School for Girls.
he Progress 8 Score measures students’ academic growth from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school by comparing their actual results in eight key subjects, such as English, mathematics, humanities and sciences, to their predicted performance. This score, reflecting the average improvement rate across these subjects, serves as an insightful tool to assess a school’s educational effectiveness.
📊 Please refer to the chart below for details on Progress 8 scores at grammar schools in the Sutton:
Source: Gov.uk
A positive Progress 8 score means students, on average, have progressed more than anticipated. Conversely, a negative score indicates they’ve progressed less than expected. A score of zero means that students have met the expected progress leve
Russell Group universities, known for their innovative research and groundbreaking achievements, hold global prestige. Leading members of the group, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, maintain their elite status through a tradition of academic excellence and top-tier teaching, overseen by distinguished faculty.
📊 The chart below shows the recent leavers’ destinations for grammar schools in Sutton:
Source: Gov.uk
As the chart above shows, a significant number of students from the Sutton schools are offered places at top universities in the UK.
The SET exam in the UK is the first round test used by grammar schools in Sutton as part of their Year 7 entrance process. This is known as the 11 Plus exam and is designed to select the brightest candidates for the top secondary schools in the region.
The Mathematics 11+ Exam in Sutton can cover the full scope of Year 6 work. The questions are in multiple-choice format with five answer options provided per question. Your child will need to select the one correct answer choice per question and mark their selection on the separate answer sheet.
We’ve divided the Sutton 11+ maths syllabus into specific topics and created resources to target each one. You can view the full list here. By covering these topics, you can be sure that your child is well prepared for the First Round SET Maths test in Sutton.
The English test format has been recently updated. It now covers four sections:
Section A: Spelling
Section B: Comprehension based on Text A
Section C: Comprehension based on Text B
Section D: Comprehension based on comparison of Texts A and B
To prepare specifically for Section A, we recommend this pack.
To prepare specifically for Section D, we recommend this pack and this pack.
All 20 of our 11+ Sutton SET Full Practice Tests (listed above) are fully updated for the new format so you can ensure your child is well prepared for the actual exam.
A number of new question types were introduced into the 11+ English exam at the Sutton grammar schools few years ago, and these continue to form an important part of the assessment today.
These include questions that require your child to select an unspecified number of answer choices, as well as questions that require approximation in order to arrive at the best possible answer.
The question types introduced include:
- Select the TWO most accurate answers
- Select all that are correct
- Pick the most accurate explanation
- Select one answer
Such questions can be particularly challenging, as they require a different approach from the traditional 11+ English format, where only one answer is selected for each question.
Students need to be confident in their answer choices and pay close attention to the specific instructions given for each question.
Being familiar with this format continues to place pupils in a stronger position on exam day.
Each practice test also includes a detailed marking guide, allowing you to see exactly how marks are awarded for each question.
We recommend reviewing this carefully with your child so they can develop an effective strategy for tackling each of the different question types.
All of these question types are fully covered in our updated 11+ Sutton SET Practice Tests.
NWSSEE is short for Nonsuch and Wallington Girls’ School Second Stage Entrance Examination and means the same as the term Stage 2 exam. Click here to learn more.
The Sutton Stage 2 exam consists of Maths and English tests in open answer format. This means your child needs to write our their answers ie the test is not multiple-choice. The maths exam is similar in format to an independent school exam. The English exam consists of a writing task. You can view a detailed breakdown of the Stage 2 exam here, including tips on how to prepare.
There are no official past papers available for the Sutton SET 11+ Exam. However, you can use our tried and tested 11+ Sutton SET Practice Tests, which have helped a huge number of students to prepare successfully for the Selective Eligibility Test. You can read reviews from parents here.
The Sutton 11 Plus Exam format is as follows:
Stage 1: Multiple-choice tests in Maths and English.
Stage 2: Open answer tests in Maths and Writing.
Only those who are successful in the Stage 1 exam will be invited back to take Stage 2 assessment.
There is no official pass mark for the Sutton SET 11+ Exam. However, based on our years of experience, we recommend that students aim for 75%+ in our SET Practice Tests.
Students who consistently score above this level in both maths and English are very likely to be called back for the Stage 2 exam.
To complete registration for the Sutton SET 11+ Exam, please contact your local council and fill out the relevant registration forms. You can find out the exact requirements for each school that you are interested in here.
A full range of SET Test Papers is available from Exam Papers Plus. Click here to view everything that is available so you can select what is most relevant for you.
We recommend by beginning with a few full practice tests, such as this one. These will act as diagnostics so you can quickly work out which areas your child needs to focus on. You can then select the relevant topic based material listed above to target weaker areas. Feel free to contact us here if you need advice on how to prepare or what to focus on for each section and stage of the exam.
Exam Papers Plus publish the most accurate practice tests available for the 11 Plus Exam in Sutton. You can view a full list of relevant resources above.
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Author(s)
Faisal Nasim
Founder of Exam Papers Plus