Trafford Consortium Entrance Test
The Trafford Consortium Entrance Test is a GL Assessment 11+ used by FIVE state grammar schools in Trafford. Two multiple-choice papers, taken on the same day, cover verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics. The result is shared across all consortium schools — children sit it once even when applying to multiple consortium schools.
Exam board
GL Assessment
Max score
423
Highest standardised result
Qualifying score
334
2024 threshold
Test duration
113 min
Papers
2
Year 7 places
1,119
Across consortium
Applicants per place
4.0×
Typical competition
Test format
Two GL Assessment papers testing three components (VR, NVR, Maths). Each component max 141, total max 423.
Selection methods used
Subjects tested
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Mathematics
Competition (latest)
4,836 applicants chasing 1,119 places · 4.0× per place
Paper-by-paper breakdown
Paper 1
≈ 60 minutesMultiple-choice mix of maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
Paper 2
≈ 60 minutesSame subject mix as Paper 1; short break in between.
Annual timeline
Confirm exact dates each year on the council pageRegistration opens
Thursday 23 April (noon)
Registration deadline
Friday 19 June (noon)
Test window
Monday 14 September
Results release
Mid-October
How to prepare
- GL Assessment-style multiple-choice across maths, VR and NVR.
- Build maths fluency to Year 6 KS2 level (number, measurement, geometry, statistics).
- Practise at pace — roughly one minute per question with separate answer sheets.
- Build vocabulary breadth for the verbal reasoning element.
- Use the GL familiarisation booklet so the answer-sheet conventions are familiar.
Important to know
- The consortium has FIVE schools, NOT seven: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar School. Loreto Grammar and St Ambrose College run their own entrance arrangements separately.
- Children sit the test only once even if applying to multiple consortium schools.
- Each component is age-standardised 69–141, giving a combined max of 423.
- Meeting the qualifying score does NOT guarantee a place — each school applies its own oversubscription criteria (faith, distance, sibling).
- Parents must still list grammars on the CAF by 31 October — the test result alone is not an application.
- Registration is via the Trafford Grammar Schools online portal (traffordgl.applicaa.com), not through the council.
About the qualifying score: Standardised threshold quoted by independent guides. Consortium does not publish an official qualifying score, and meeting it does not guarantee a place. Always check the latest threshold on the council's admissions arrangements before applying.
Official links
Sources used on this page
- trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/.../entrance-test-grammar-schools
- agsb.co.uk — Entrance Examination page
Where to go next
- Each school sets its own qualifying score and oversubscription rules — open a school page above for the per-school detail.
- Use the Chances Calculator with your postcode to see your likelihood at every school in this consortium.
- Council and school admissions pages are the authoritative source for registration deadlines and test dates.