GL Assessment explained
What is a GL Assessment and what does GL mean?
When looking into the 11+ exam, you may well come across the term 'GL Assessment' and wonder what this actually is.
GL Assessment is the name of one of the exam providers in the UK for the 11+ exams, with most local authorities choosing the GL Assessment format for their 11+ exam paper. 'GL' is an abbreviation of 'Granada Learning'.
Is GL the 11+ exam provider for all of the UK?
No. Like other key exams there are a small number of exam providers used by local authorities. Other exam providers in the UK include the 'Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring' (CEM).
Both the Warwickshire and Birmingham (West Midlands) 11+ grammar exams use GL Assessment as their exam provider. This change was made in 2023 with the 2023 exam being the first paper sat by students using GL Assessment, as previously CEM had been the long standing exam board for these two local authorities.
What does the GL Assessment mean for students taking the exam?
Students taking their 11+ exam in local authorities that use the GL Assessment should ideally make sure that any revision materials they use are in the GL Assessment style. Most revision materials/books make it clear on the front cover which exam provider the questions are designed for. This will allow them to be familiar and confident in the question types and paper layout on exam day.
A student generally revision for the 11+ skills would still be well prepared for the exam, even if they had not used materials specifically for their local authority exam provider. However, by researching the exam provider and choosing practice materials based on this, you can ensure that a learner will be comfortable with the look of the paper, wording and format of the questions.
All of these aspects can have a positive impact of a student's exam performance.
GL Assessment: Warwickshire 11+ exam board; Birmingham 11+ exam board
For details about tutor support for students using the GL Assessment for the 11+ Warwickshire or 11+ Birmingham grammar exam, take a look at my 11+ tuition courses page.
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