Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Queen Mary’s Grammar School – Walsall uses the West Midlands 11 Plus for selective entry. The GL assessment consists of two papers, with both papers containing English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, including Spatial Reasoning. This guide explains the Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus exam format, what its mixed-paper structure means for preparation, and how our GL courses and West Midlands mock exams can help your child prepare effectively.
Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Queen Mary’s Grammar School – Walsall |
| Area | Walsall / West Midlands |
| Entrance test | West Midlands 11 Plus |
| Exam provider | GL |
| Exam structure | Two papers |
| Paper 1 | English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, including Spatial Reasoning |
| Paper 2 | English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, including Spatial Reasoning |
| Areas tested | English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning |
| Our mocks | West Midlands 11 Plus Mock Exams |
Information and Mock Exam review: Learning Street reviews the information on this page and our Queen Mary’s Grammar School mock exams against the latest reliable information available about the entrance test.
We provide West Midlands-specific mock exams alongside structured GL courses covering the core English, Maths and reasoning skills needed for this test.
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus Exam Format
The Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus uses the West Midlands GL test and consists of two papers. Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 contain English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, including Spatial Reasoning.
Paper 1 contains a mixture of English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning questions, with Spatial Reasoning included within the Non-Verbal Reasoning element.
Paper 2 follows the same overall structure and contains the same subject types.
This means children need to move repeatedly between literacy, numerical and visual reasoning tasks rather than completing one subject in isolation.
Our current West Midlands information does not publish exact paper timings or specify a particular response format, so these should not be inferred from another GL test.
What Does the Queen Mary’s Grammar School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The West Midlands test requires particularly flexible preparation because English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning appear across both papers.
Children therefore need more than secure knowledge in each individual subject. They also need to become comfortable switching rapidly between different types of thinking without losing accuracy or concentration.
English and Verbal Reasoning both benefit from strong vocabulary. A child may understand a reasoning technique or comprehension method but still lose marks if unfamiliar language prevents them from interpreting the question accurately.
Maths preparation should build secure numerical fluency and flexible problem solving so children can identify an appropriate method quickly after working on a completely different type of question.
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning introduce another change of approach. Children need to analyse shapes, patterns, rotations and spatial relationships systematically rather than relying on instinct.
Because all these areas can appear within both papers, mixed practice becomes increasingly important later in preparation.
A sensible progression is core literacy and numeracy → vocabulary and individual reasoning techniques → accuracy → flexible mixed practice → revision → timed work → complete West Midlands mock exams.
Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
At Learning Street, we research the known West Midlands format, paper length and timings when producing our West Midlands mocks. We also provide realistic answer sheets, invigilation instructions and guidance on when time should be called so parents can reproduce the practical demands of the test at home as closely as possible.
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48.
West Midlands 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Our West Midlands mocks are designed around the mixed-paper structure used for the test, bringing together English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, including Spatial Reasoning.
We provide detailed answers, realistic answer sheets and parent invigilation guidance so each mock can be used both for exam familiarisation and to identify areas that need further work.
There is no repetition of questions between the four mock exams, allowing families to use fresh papers throughout the later stages of preparation.
Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus Pass Marks and Standardised Scores
We do not provide one fixed raw practice-paper percentage that should be treated as a permanent Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus pass mark.
A percentage achieved on one of our West Midlands mocks should therefore be used primarily to measure preparation and progress rather than treated as equivalent to an official entrance-test result.
The mixed-paper structure also means that an overall percentage can disguise important weaknesses.
A child may achieve a reasonable total score while repeatedly losing marks in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning or visual reasoning questions.
Our detailed answers can help identify whether marks are being lost because of knowledge gaps, vocabulary, accuracy, understanding of a reasoning type, timing or exam technique.
Parents can then focus preparation on those weaker areas before using another fresh West Midlands mock to assess whether performance improves.
How to Prepare for the Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus
Effective Queen Mary’s Grammar School preparation should develop secure English, Maths and reasoning skills before children rely heavily on full timed mock exams.
Our GL programmes cover Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. West Midlands-specific mock practice can then be used to familiarise children with the way these areas are mixed across both papers, including Spatial Reasoning.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Children should become comfortable reading unfamiliar material accurately and understanding what a question requires before substantial time pressure is introduced.
Because English appears alongside several other subject types within the West Midlands papers, children should eventually practise returning to English questions accurately after working on Maths or reasoning tasks.
Vocabulary and Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning combines language knowledge with logical thinking.
Children should learn reliable approaches to different word, letter, code and relationship questions rather than simply memorising solutions to familiar examples.
Vocabulary development is particularly valuable because stronger word knowledge supports both English and Verbal Reasoning.
New words should therefore be developed systematically and revisited throughout preparation.
Maths Preparation
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 knowledge. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become accurate and reliable before significant time pressure is introduced.
Children should then progress towards mixed mathematical problems where they need to decide independently which method is required.
The West Midlands structure means children must also be able to switch into mathematical thinking efficiently after working on English or reasoning questions.
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning require children to analyse visual information carefully and systematically.
Children should learn to examine features such as shape, number, position, direction, rotation, reflection and spatial relationships.
A consistent approach is more reliable than choosing an answer simply because it appears visually plausible.
Later preparation should include mixed reasoning sets so children become comfortable identifying what kind of visual relationship each question requires.
Building Exam Technique and Stamina
The West Midlands test requires children to move between several subject areas across both papers, so stamina involves more than simply working for a long period.
Children need to maintain concentration while repeatedly changing between literacy, numerical and visual reasoning tasks.
Once individual skills are secure, mixed timed practice should therefore become increasingly important.
Our West Midlands mocks can then bring those skills together under realistic test-style conditions.
View the West Midlands 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Which Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
We provide Complete, Enhance and Boost GL preparation routes for children preparing for Queen Mary’s Grammar School.
Learning Street’s full GL programmes cover Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Our West Midlands mocks then provide school-area familiarisation with the way these subject areas are mixed across both papers, including Spatial Reasoning.
The most suitable programme depends mainly on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive GL preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured GL programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused GL preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Our Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is the most comprehensive GL preparation route.
It contains 40 structured parts covering Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme includes more than 60 timed papers and tests, full answers with detailed explanations and additional work focused on core skills such as vocabulary development and accuracy in English and Maths.
Complete is most suitable where there is enough time to develop the individual skills carefully before moving towards increasingly mixed and timed work.
The Complete GL 11 Plus Programme
Focused Complete options are also available:
Complete – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Complete – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Our Enhance GL programme is a shorter 20-part preparation route covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
It contains more than 35 timed papers and tests alongside structured learning and detailed answers.
Enhance is most suitable where there is still enough time for substantial structured preparation but not enough time to work properly through all 40 parts of Complete.
Focused Enhance options are also available:
Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Our Boost GL programme is the shortest full GL preparation route.
It contains 10 intensive parts covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning and includes more than 25 timed papers and tests.
Boost is most suitable where there is insufficient time to work properly through Complete or Enhance but a family still wants structured learning, revision and testing.
Focused Boost options are also available:
Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still developing the literacy, numeracy and vocabulary foundations needed before dedicated Queen Mary’s Grammar School 11 Plus preparation begins, our primary-school course chooser can help you select an appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Our 11 Plus Revision Course – GL is suitable for children who have already completed substantial preparation through books, tutoring or another programme but now want a structured period of GL-style revision.
The course contains four intensive parts and is normally completed over around 4–6 weeks.
It should not normally be completed after one of our Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because there is some crossover in the material.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in subjects or formats beyond the Queen Mary’s Grammar School West Midlands 11 Plus.
The courses below are separate supplementary options and should not be interpreted as additional subjects or components of the Queen Mary’s Grammar School entrance test.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Queen Mary’s Grammar School Admissions Information
Admissions arrangements can change from year to year. For general guidance on 11 Plus preparation and our courses, use our FAQs below.
