In recent years, even the government appears to acknowledge that selection has its merits and testing is now widespread.

The eleven plus exam is a test given to 11 year old pupils, in their last year of primary school. This would be year 6 for pupils in England and year 7 for Northern Ireland as they prepare for secondary transfer. 11 plus exams are used as a means to determine whether that pupil is suited to the academic challenges of a top grammar or independent school. For many such schools the 11 plus exam is the only selection criteria. It is a choice parents make and in fact they are fully aware that only pupils in the top 10 per cent have any chance of getting into the best grammar and independent schools. Those schools with an excellent academic record are in a position to "cherry pick" the best candidates.

"The school caters for girls of high academic ability and 120 girls are admitted each year as a result of selection tests administered by the Royal Borough of. Kingston upon Thames. Annually there are over 900 applications for these places."

"From the outset emphasis is placed on the high academic standards for which the school is well-known".

The school has established its reputation and high academic standards over the years and the rigorous 11 plus examination enables the school to select only those candidates who are able to meet that challenge.

"St Paul's Girls' School is one of the UK's leading independent secondary schools for girls from 11-18 years of age. We believe in education in the broadest sense, and provide talented young women with a dynamic and stimulating environment in which to learn and develop as individuals."

These quotes are taken from the prospectus of two of the leading schools in London, both of which admit by eleven plus exam. From the outset the schools state their emphasis on high academic standards and achievement.

Increasingly, parents and pupils are placing greater emphasis on the eleven plus exam as a gateway to a successful and fulfilling future.

The actual format of the 11 plus exam varies and parents have to do their research as there will be variations and differences in individual LEA’s. Some boroughs favour a particular combination of the tests for admission to grammar schools. The 11 plus exam may be of different kinds, e.g. a non-verbal reasoning and a verbal reasoning test and in other cases the tests will be the same e.g. two verbal reasoning tests. Pupils can expect to sit at least two 11 plus exam papers. Each paper can last up to an hour. Tests may also include mathematics and English.

Scoring the papers is fairly standard for state grammar schools, the pass mark may vary slightly. Depending on the pass mark students may be offered scholarships if they are considered to be extremely bright. In essence, schools are looking for those pupils that they feel will have no problems at all in making the transition from primary to secondary, in particular, at a higher academic level.