Short answer: no, not in the form most parents remember. The separate CEM 11-plus paper test that dominated regions like Birmingham, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire was discontinued around 2022 to 2023. The board that built it, CEM, has moved on: it is now part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment and operates online-only assessments. Meanwhile the grammar schools and consortia that once used CEM paper tests have almost all switched to GL Assessment or to bespoke arrangements. This guide explains exactly what happened, what your region uses in 2026, and how it changes the way you should prepare. Last verified: July 2026 — always confirm the current arrangement with your local authority or target school, because a handful of areas are still moving.
What actually happened to CEM
CEM stands for the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, originally based at Durham University. It designed 11-plus assessments with one main selling point: they were meant to be harder to coach for, or "tutor-proof". CEM tests blended English, maths and verbal reasoning together, leaned heavily on a wide vocabulary, used cloze (gap-fill) passages, and applied tight timing so pupils could not linger. Because the format was less predictable than GL's clearly-labelled question types, it was popular with authorities that wanted to level the playing field between tutored and untutored children.
Two things then changed. First, Durham CEM's ownership moved to Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Second, the traditional paper 11-plus that CEM supplied to grammar-school consortia was wound down across 2022 and 2023. The former regions did not simply stop testing — they retendered, and the overwhelming majority chose GL Assessment. The CEM brand still exists in online, adaptive cognitive products (sometimes marketed under names like CEM Select or Cambridge Insight), but the standalone paper "CEM 11+" that parents spent years preparing for is no longer the entrance test for those grammar schools.
This single fact is where most stale competitor content goes wrong. If a website tells you Birmingham or Warwickshire "uses CEM", it has not been updated since before 2023. For a fuller side-by-side of the two boards' styles, see our GL vs CEM comparison.
What former CEM regions use now
The table below shows the current picture for regions historically associated with CEM, plus a few major GL and written-exam areas for context. Treat it as a starting point and confirm with your local authority, because provider changes do happen.
| Region / consortium | Provider in 2026 | Subjects tested | Test month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham / King Edward VI | GL Assessment | English, Maths, VR, NVR (mixed papers) | September |
| Warwickshire | GL Assessment | English, Maths, VR, NVR | September |
| Gloucestershire | GL Assessment | English/VR, Maths, NVR | September |
| Berkshire (Kendrick) | GL Assessment | English, Maths, VR, NVR | Sept/Oct |
| Berkshire (Reading School) | Bespoke FSCE (from 2025) | Four-paper written format | September |
| Kent | GL Assessment | English, Maths, Reasoning (VR+NVR) | September |
| Essex (CSSE) | CSSE (own board) | English + Maths, written | Autumn |
| Many independents | ISEB Common Pre-Test | English, Maths, VR, NVR (online) | Yr 6, varies |
For a wider county-by-county view, our 11-plus by region guide and the grammar schools directory go deeper.
GL Assessment: the board that took over
GL is now the dominant provider. Unlike old CEM, GL uses separate, single-subject, multiple-choice papers with clearly-defined question types and separately-timed sub-sections. A typical paper runs roughly 50 to 80 questions and uses either a standard answer sheet or a multiple-choice answer sheet. The predictability is the point: because the syllabus and question types are published, focused practice genuinely helps. That is good news for families moving from CEM-style worry to GL-style preparation.
The four GL subjects are English (comprehension, grammar, spelling and vocabulary), Maths (KS2 up to Year 5 level, no calculator), Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Which combination you sit depends on your region — Kent groups VR and NVR into one "Reasoning" paper, while Birmingham mixes all four across two timed papers on a single day.
GL Verbal Reasoning question types
GL Verbal Reasoning draws on around 21 named question types. Examples include letter codes, letter sequences, hidden words, word analogies, odd-one-out, closest meaning and opposites, compound words, move-a-letter, and number series. A worked code example: if CAT is written as DBU (each letter +1), then DOG becomes EPH. Drilling each named type is the fastest route to marks — practise them free on our worksheets and under time pressure on our timed mocks.
GL Non-Verbal Reasoning question types
Non-Verbal Reasoning covers series, matrices, analogies, odd-one-out, reflections, rotations, cube nets and folding, and spatial reasoning. For example, in a rotation question a shape turned 90 degrees clockwise moves its "flag" from the top to the right-hand side; in a reflection question the mirror image flips left-to-right. These skills sit outside the national curriculum, so exposure matters more than school lessons alone.
The other boards you might meet
CEM's decline does not mean everything is GL. Three other systems matter:
- ISEB Common Pre-Test — an online, adaptive, multiple-choice test of about 2.5 hours covering English, Maths, VR and NVR, pitched to a Year 5 curriculum ceiling. Questions cannot be revisited. It is used by 70-plus independent schools including Eton, Harrow, Westminster, St Paul's and Wellington, and underpins the London 11+ Consortium.
- CSSE (Essex) — two written-answer papers, English and Maths, each marked out of 60 with equal weighting, plus a creative-writing task. There is no verbal or non-verbal reasoning. See our CSSE papers page.
- Bespoke formats — Reading School introduced its own four-paper FSCE from 2025, and some areas such as Wirral have switched to other providers. This is why the "confirm with your LA" caveat matters.
How the boards compare
| Board | Format | Answer type | Predictability | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GL | Paper, single-subject | Multiple-choice | High | Question-type drilling, speed |
| CEM (legacy) | Paper, blended | Mostly multiple-choice | Low | Vocabulary, timing stamina |
| CSSE | Paper, written | Written answers | Medium | Written technique, creative writing |
| ISEB | Online, adaptive | Multiple-choice | Medium | On-screen practice, no going back |
Understanding the scoring
Almost every board reports a standardised score rather than a raw mark. The scale centres on 100 (average) with a standard deviation of 15, giving a typical range of roughly 69 or 70 up to 141. Crucially, scores are age-standardised: a summer-born child gets a small uplift so they are not penalised for being younger. Two children might both score 55 raw marks, but a September-born child could land on, say, 108 while a July-born child on the same raw mark lands on 113 — because the younger child is scored against younger peers.
A worked Kent example shows how thresholds work: Kent combines English, Maths and Reasoning into an aggregate. A child might need an aggregate of 332 or above and no single standardised score below 106 to be assessed as suitable for grammar school. Passing the test, though, is not the same as securing a place — catchment and over-subscription rules still apply, especially at super-selective schools.
What this means for your preparation
The move from CEM to GL is, for most families, a relief: GL's published question types reward structured practice. Build a routine that covers all four subjects, drill each named VR and NVR type, and practise under strict timing so speed becomes automatic. If your target is CSSE, shift focus to written technique and creative-writing marks; if it is ISEB, practise on-screen so the adaptive, no-going-back format feels familiar. Use our free revision hub, check your key dates, and browse GL papers to match practice to your real test.
Frequently asked questions
Is Birmingham still CEM in 2026?
No. Birmingham and the King Edward VI consortium moved to GL Assessment after CEM's paper 11-plus was discontinued. Prepare with GL-style single-subject, multiple-choice practice, not old CEM materials.
Does the CEM board still exist at all?
Yes, but only as part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, running online and adaptive cognitive products. The standalone paper "CEM 11+" that grammar-school consortia once used is no longer offered.
What should I use old CEM practice papers for now?
They still build vocabulary breadth, cloze skills and timing stamina, which help with any board. But do not rely on them for format — switch your main practice to your region's current provider, usually GL.