For some Year 6 families, finishing the first selective test does not mean the testing is over. A small number of English selective schools and areas use a second academic round, often called stage 2 or round 2.
The important point is that there is no single national model. The papers, invitation rules and way marks are combined vary by school, so the right next step is to focus on the published arrangements for the schools on your own list.
What is an 11 plus stage 2 test?
An 11 plus stage 2 test is a second assessment taken only by candidates who have progressed beyond an initial qualifying or ranking test. It gives a school another set of evidence before final scores or rankings are determined.
Stage 1 and stage 2 can test similar subjects in different ways. In Sutton, for example, the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) is the shared first stage for Greenshaw High School's selective band, Nonsuch High School for Girls, Sutton Grammar School, Wallington County Grammar School, Wallington High School for Girls and Wilson's School. The SET consists of multiple-choice English and Maths papers based on Key Stage 2; it does not include verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
Greenshaw does not run a second stage. The other Sutton schools listed above have second-stage arrangements, with the girls' NWSSEE on Saturday 26 September 2026 and the shared boys' second-stage papers on Saturday 3 October 2026. The SET itself is on Tuesday 15 September 2026.
Elsewhere, the structure is different again. The Henrietta Barnett School uses GL multiple-choice papers in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English for round 1, followed by school-set written English and Mathematics in round 2. Tiffin Girls' School and Tiffin School also move from first-stage English and Maths assessments to written English and Maths at stage 2.
The reason for checking the precise format is simple: "stage 2" describes a point in the admissions process, not one standard type of paper.
What happens after stage 1: finding out if your child is through
What happens after stage 1 depends on the school's published selection method. In Sutton, candidates who meet or exceed a particular school's SET pass mark are invited to that school's second stage. Each school may set its own SET pass mark, and no official number of stage 2 invitees is published.
That also means a Sutton result should be read school by school rather than as one universal outcome. Wilson's states that the three boys' schools use different methods to combine marks, so a boy can pass for one school and not another.
At The Henrietta Barnett School, the process is more explicitly ranked. Round 1 takes place on 2, 3 or 4 September 2026 in an allocated session. Results and round 2 invitations are due by 28 September 2026. After the three papers are standardised and combined, the highest ranked 300 candidates are invited to round 2, together with all candidates tied at the cut-off. Candidates who are not invited are told their own standardised score and the top-300 cut-off score.
Tiffin Girls' School has stage 1 on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 October 2026, with invitation notice on or around Wednesday 14 October. Tiffin School has stage 1 on 2 October, with invitations on 16 October. Tiffin School describes the number invited only as at least sufficient to meet its published admission number of 180; Tiffin Girls' School also has a published admission number of 180, but does not publish the number invited.
How stage 2 papers differ from stage 1
A second round 11 plus test often changes the style of response expected. That matters because a child who has spent weeks working with answer options may suddenly need to show written working, construct an English response or manage a paper without multiple-choice prompts.
In Sutton, the SET is multiple-choice English and Maths. The second-stage English and Maths papers are not multiple choice. Nonsuch requires candidates to pass both NWSSEE papers. Sutton Grammar, by contrast, has no separate pass mark on stage 2 alone.
At Tiffin Girls' School, stage 1 is computer-marked English and Maths, while stage 2 on Saturday 7 November 2026 is written English and Maths. Tiffin School's first stage is multiple-choice English and Maths; its stage 2, in mid-November 2026, consists of written English and Maths on one day.
The Henrietta Barnett School makes an especially clear change between rounds: GL multiple-choice verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English in round 1, then school-set, non-multiple-choice English and Mathematics in round 2 during the week commencing 5 October 2026. The school does not release round 2 past papers.
For parents, the practical lesson is not to search for a generic "stage 2 paper" and assume it matches. Check which subjects and response styles actually apply, then practise those skills rather than trying to recreate an unpublished paper.
How schools combine stage 1 and stage 2 marks
The weighting can be just as important as the paper format because schools do not combine stage 1 and stage 2 in the same way.
At Nonsuch and Wallington High, the NWSSEE marks are added to half of the aggregate SET mark, with each part given equal weight, and candidates are then ranked. Sutton Grammar uses four standardised scores — SET English, SET Maths, stage 2 English and stage 2 Maths — weighted 2:2:3:3, plus an age allowance.
Wilson's combines the SET and the two stage 2 elements in the ratio 1:2:2 and requires a pass standard in both English and Maths. Wallington County is cited as weighting the SET at two-fifths and the second stage at three-fifths.
Tiffin Girls' School uses the combined result after stage 2 at 60 per cent English and 40 per cent Maths. A 10 per cent leeway is applied to eligible disadvantaged children's marks at both stages.
At Tiffin School, the final combined score is 50 per cent English and 50 per cent Maths. English comes from stage 2 only; Maths combines stage 1 and stage 2 in the ratio 2:3. Scores are age-standardised. A 10 per cent leeway applies to specified looked-after and pupil-premium groups in the priority area.
These differences are a useful reminder not to infer a final position from a first-stage result alone. Where a score or pass mark has not been published, there is no reliable figure to substitute for it.
What to do between the two rounds
The gap between tests can feel unusually short, particularly after the effort involved in getting through stage 1. The aim should be to adapt calmly to the next paper style, not to rebuild preparation from scratch.
Keep writing and timed arithmetic ticking over. If stage 2 is written rather than multiple choice, make sure your child is comfortable producing answers on paper and managing time without relying on answer options. Review familiar methods and recurring errors, but do not cram new topics simply because another test is approaching.
Sleep and routine matter more than squeezing in extra papers. A normal school week, sensible bedtimes and short, purposeful practice are more useful than turning every evening into another mock test.
It can also help to keep the admissions administration separate from the preparation. Note the sitting date, read the school's instructions when they arrive and make practical arrangements early. Then let the remaining preparation stay focused and finite.
For Sutton families, outcomes are emailed before October half-term, ahead of the 31 October 2026 application deadline. Wilson's also has a music and sport aptitude day on Saturday 10 October 2026 after a SET pass, for families for whom that route is relevant.
Quest Arena's free practice papers are a simple way to keep written answers and timed arithmetic ticking over between the two rounds, without buying another paper pack. free practice papers
When stage 2 is after the application deadline
The common application form deadline for September 2027 entry in England is Saturday 31 October 2026. This creates an important timing issue for the two Tiffin schools because both of their stage 2 sittings are after that deadline.
Tiffin Girls' School holds stage 2 on Saturday 7 November 2026. Tiffin School holds its written stage 2 in mid-November 2026. In other words, families completing the common application form cannot wait for a stage 2 outcome before the 31 October deadline.
The practical implication is straightforward: treat the application deadline and the later test as separate parts of the process. Do not assume that a later stage 2 date extends the common application form deadline. Make your school choices on the form by the published deadline using the information available at that point.
National offer day is Monday 1 March 2027. Until then, a stage 2 sitting is still one part of an admissions process rather than an offer of a place.
Areas where there is no second academic round
Not every selective school or consortium has a stage 2, and parents should not assume another academic test is waiting after every first sitting. The following do not run a second academic round:
- Kendrick School: a single GL sitting on 18 September 2026.
- Reading School: its own FSCE test, held on different dates by applicant type.
- The Slough consortium: one shared test on Saturday 19 September 2026.
- Queen Elizabeth's Barnet: a single sitting on 16 to 17 September 2026, with 23 September as the reserve date.
- The Latymer School, Enfield.
- Newstead Wood.
Greenshaw High School's selective band is another useful distinction within Sutton: it shares the SET but does not run a second stage.
If your child's school is in this group, there is no need to prepare for an additional academic round simply because families elsewhere are discussing stage 2.
Sit a free timed paper before the second round →
Frequently asked questions
What is tested in an 11 plus stage 2 test?
There is no universal format. In the examples covered here, stage 2 commonly includes English and Maths and is written rather than multiple choice. Sutton's relevant second stages use non-multiple-choice English and Maths; Tiffin Girls' School and Tiffin School use written English and Maths; and The Henrietta Barnett School uses school-set, non-multiple-choice English and Mathematics. Always follow the format published for your child's school rather than assuming all stage 2 tests are alike.
Does passing stage 1 mean my child has passed the whole process?
No. Progressing from stage 1 means your child has reached the next part of that school's process, but the final treatment of marks varies. Sutton schools use different combination methods, and Wilson's explicitly notes that a boy may pass for one of the three boys' schools and not another. Nonsuch requires candidates to pass both NWSSEE papers, while Sutton Grammar has no separate pass mark on stage 2 alone.
Should we do lots of extra papers before stage 2?
Usually the better use of a short gap is steady, targeted practice. Keep writing and timed arithmetic active, practise the response style your child's next test requires and review familiar mistakes. Avoid cramming unfamiliar topics or filling every spare evening with papers. In the final two or three weeks, consistent sleep, routine and a child arriving able to think clearly matter more than sheer practice volume.