GL vs CEM: Which Exam Board Does Your Area Use — and Why It Matters

Why exam boards matter

Not all 11+ exams are the same. Two organisations set most of them — GL Assessment and CEM — and they differ in question style, structure and even which skills carry the most marks. Preparing for the wrong board is one of the most common (and most avoidable) mistakes families make. Your first task is simple: check the admissions page of each target school and confirm which board they use.

GL Assessment — the most widely used board

GL (Granada Learning) sets the 11+ for most grammar school areas, including Kent, Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire (since 2024) and many London boroughs. GL papers are subject-specific and predictable in format:

• •Separate papers for English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning (schools choose which they use)
• •Verbal Reasoning draws on a known bank of 21 question types — 16 or so appear commonly, and they can be practised directly
• •Mostly multiple choice with a separate answer sheet
• •Because the format is predictable, focused practice pays off strongly

CEM — designed to be tutor-proof (it isn't)

CEM (originally the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University) was created partly to resist coaching. Its papers mix subjects together in timed sections and lean heavily on vocabulary:

• •Papers combine English and VR ('verbal') and Maths and NVR ('non-verbal/numerical') rather than separating subjects
• •Question formats vary year to year — cloze passages, synonyms/antonyms, double meanings
• •A very strong emphasis on breadth of vocabulary, built over years of reading
• •Timing is notoriously tight: many sections are designed so most children don't finish

How this changes your preparation

For GL: practise the specific question types until they're familiar — especially the VR types and NVR formats, which children never meet at school. Past-style papers are highly effective.

For CEM: prioritise vocabulary (daily reading, word lists, synonym work) and speed. Practise mixed-subject papers under strict timing so the format doesn't shock on the day.

For both: the core maths and English curriculum is the foundation — reasoning skills are built on top of it, not instead of it. If your area uses both boards (some children sit exams for schools in different counties), prepare the union: GL question types plus CEM vocabulary and pacing.