Checking 11 plus results dates 2026 means keeping two things separate: when your child's score arrives, and when the secondary school application is due. For September 2027 entry, GOV.UK gives an application deadline of Saturday 31 October 2026, and in most areas the result lands comfortably before it.
This guide separates the dates that have actually been published from the gaps. Use your own area's official source, note whether it says "after" or "by", and get your school preferences ready while you wait.
Every published 11+ results date for 2026
| Area | Test sat | Results released | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex (CSSE) | Main sitting Saturday 19 September 2026; reserve sitting Tuesday 29 September 2026 | Emailed after close of business on Monday 12 October 2026, allow up to 24 hours | CSSE Information Guide for 2027 entry, csse.org.uk |
| Kent | Kent primary pupils Thursday 10 September 2026; pupils outside Kent, weekend of 12-13 September 2026 | After 4pm on Thursday 15 October 2026 | Kent County Council |
| Buckinghamshire | 10 September 2026 | After 4pm on Friday 9 October 2026 | Buckinghamshire Council |
| West Midlands, including the Birmingham King Edward VI Foundation schools | Saturday 12 September 2026 | By Friday 16 October 2026 | King Edward VI Foundation results and offers page |
| Sutton (SET) | SET 15 September 2026; stage 2 girls 26 September 2026, boys 3 October 2026 | Not published | Individual school date tables |
| Wirral | September 2026 | Upton Hall School FCJ by 23 October 2026; wider consortium not published | Upton Hall School FCJ 2027-entry date table |
| Trafford | September 2026 | Not published | Third-party date lists only |
| Lincolnshire | September 2026 | Not published | Third-party date lists only |
| Gloucestershire | September 2026 | Not published | Third-party date lists only |
The wording matters more than parents expect. Buckinghamshire Council and Kent County Council both say results go out after 4pm, so there is nothing to look for during the school day. The CSSE Information Guide for 2027 entry says its emails go out after close of business on 12 October and asks families to allow up to 24 hours, which means an empty inbox on the evening itself is not a problem. The King Edward VI Foundation says results will be with families by 16 October, which is a deadline rather than a fixed hour. If you want a refresher on what your child actually sat, we have full guides to the Kent Test and the CSSE Essex papers.
Four areas have not published a results date at all
Sutton's individual school date tables give the SET date and both stage 2 dates, but no official results date has been published. Trafford, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire are in the same position: compiled date lists say only "October 2026", which is a guess at a month, not a promised results day.
Wirral needs separate care. Upton Hall School FCJ publishes its own 2027-entry date table and gives results by 23 October 2026, but that is one school's date and the wider consortium has not published one. Do not read the Upton Hall date as a Wirral-wide date.
If your area is one of these four, ask the school or consortium directly where the release date will be announced, and ask which email address they hold for you. Do not try to calculate a release day by counting weeks from the test, and do not borrow a neighbouring area's timetable. Our results day guide covers what to do once a score finally lands.
The 31 October deadline applies whether or not you have a score
GOV.UK's School admissions guidance says the application must reach your local authority by 31 October, which for 2027 entry is Saturday 31 October 2026. Every published results date above falls before it, but the four unpublished areas might not, and a form half-finished on results day is how families end up filing late.
GOV.UK also says to list schools in order of preference, and states plainly that listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there. Councils must allow at least three preferences and in practice allow between three and six, so use the slots you are given. Offers go out on 1 March or the next working day, which for this intake is Monday 1 March 2027. Remember that qualifying on the test and being offered a place are two different stages, decided months apart.
What the results email actually contains
The CSSE Information Guide for 2027 entry says its email shows raw scores for each subject plus an overall standardised score. Those are two different things, and adding the raw marks together will not reproduce the standardised figure.
A standardised score adjusts for the age of the child and for how the cohort performed, which is why two children with the same raw mark can be reported differently. Buckinghamshire Council sets its qualifying standardised score at 121, and that number belongs to Buckinghamshire alone: it is not a national pass mark and should not be applied to Kent, Essex or the West Midlands.
Kent County Council says results are emailed to the address given at registration, or sent first class by post if no email address was supplied. Check which of those applies to you before you spend results evening refreshing an inbox that was never going to receive anything.
A checklist for the fortnight before results
- Find your area's official results page and write the date and the stated release time somewhere you will see it.
- Confirm which email address was used at registration, and check you can still get into it.
- Add the sender to your safe list, and check the spam folder on the day before you worry.
- Save the school or consortium's contact details now, so you are not searching for them on the evening.
- Essex families: note that CSSE phone lines are closed from 5 to 9 October 2026 while results are processed, so any question has to be asked before or after that week.
- Draft your local authority application and your preference order before results arrive, then adjust it rather than starting it.
- Keep a copy of the submitted application and the acknowledgement your council sends back.
Waiting is easier with something useful to do. If you are already thinking about a resit year or a younger sibling, work through our free 11+ practice papers while the format is still fresh in everyone's mind.
Keeping the wait calm at home
iNews reported on 16 September 2026 on what it called an 11-plus arms race, with tutors describing requests to tutor three-year-olds and long waiting lists, linked to VAT on private school fees. That is the weather around the exam, and it has nothing to do with the envelope your own child is waiting for.
The practical version is simple. Agree with your child when you will look, so they are not watching your face every time your phone lights up. Keep the ordinary routine going, including the clubs and the screen time. Let them set how much they want to talk about it, and keep your own conversations on the next step rather than on a predicted score.
Frequently asked questions
When are 11 plus results out in 2026?
There is no single national date. Buckinghamshire Council gives after 4pm on Friday 9 October 2026; the CSSE Information Guide for 2027 entry gives after close of business on Monday 12 October, allowing up to 24 hours for delivery; Kent County Council gives after 4pm on Thursday 15 October. Check the table above for your own area's source and its exact wording.
What do I do if my 11 plus results email has not arrived?
Check the inbox you registered with, then the spam folder. For Essex, the CSSE Information Guide allows up to 24 hours after close of business on 12 October 2026, so an empty inbox that evening is normal. For Kent, Kent County Council posts results first class where no email address was given. Only then use your area's published contact details.
Do I need my 11 plus result before applying for secondary school?
No. Apply by the deadline whether or not the result has arrived. GOV.UK says applications must reach the local authority by Saturday 31 October 2026, and that listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there. List your genuine order of preference and use all the slots your council allows.