The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) sets its own 11+ exam, used by all four Essex grammars: Colchester Royal Grammar, Colchester County High for Girls, Westcliff High Boys', and Westcliff High Girls'. It's different from GL and CEM in one major way: maths is free-response, not multiple-choice.
What CSSE actually tests
CSSE consists of two papers, sat on one Saturday morning in September of Year 6:
- Paper 1 — English (≈ 60 min): a long comprehension passage with multiple-choice, then a 25-minute creative writing task.
- Paper 2 — Mathematics (≈ 60 min): around 50 questions, answers written in (no answer sheet).
The free-response maths paper
This is where CSSE catches families out. Most 11+ practice resources are multiple-choice, where guessing is sometimes viable. CSSE maths gives no options — your child writes the actual answer in the box. Implications:
- Method matters — examiners mark working as evidence of mathematical thinking.
- Speed matters more — without options to elimination-check, every question takes longer.
- No partial credit on wrong answers — but neat workings can swing borderline marks.
The creative writing task
CSSE provides a title (e.g. "The day the lights went out") or a picture prompt. Children get 25 minutes to plan and write. Top marks need:
- A clear three-part structure (set-up, conflict, resolution).
- Varied vocabulary — at least three rich, unusual word choices.
- Accurate punctuation, especially apostrophes and speech marks.
Preparation plan
The non-negotiable: practise free-response maths, not multiple-choice maths. Quest Arena's centre-specific mock library includes 20 CSSE Essex mocks in the exact free-response format — the only place we know that offers them free.
Pass mark
CSSE schools convert to standardised scores. The threshold for Colchester Royal Grammar is among the highest in England — typically 347+ in recent years. Westcliff schools sit slightly lower, around 333.