Many families living overseas ask whether their child can sit the 11 plus from abroad, particularly when a return to the UK is planned or a relative’s address is available. The honest answer is that it depends on the school or consortium, because there is no single national 11+ process. This guide sets out the questions worth asking first, so you can plan calmly and in good time.

There Is No Single 11 Plus

The 11+ is not a national exam. Each grammar school, or group of schools working together, sets its own registration window, test provider, test date and admissions rules. Some use GL Assessment papers, some use their own papers, and some run a consortium test shared across several schools. That variety is the main reason a single answer about sitting the test from abroad is never reliable.

Sitting the Test Is Only Part of the Picture

It helps to separate three things that are often blurred together:

  • Registering for the test. This is usually done directly with the school or consortium, often months before the test itself.
  • Sitting the test. Tests are generally sat in person at a venue arranged by the school or consortium. Whether a school offers any alternative arrangement for overseas candidates is a question only that school can answer.
  • Being offered a place. A strong score does not on its own secure a place. State grammar schools apply oversubscription criteria, and these often give priority to children who live in a particular area or meet other published conditions.

Because home address often matters for state grammar schools, families abroad should read each school’s admissions policy carefully, and speak to the school or the relevant local authority directly. Independent schools set their own entry processes and are usually more used to overseas applicants, but they too differ from one another.

Questions to Ask Each School

A short list, sent by email, will save a great deal of uncertainty:

  • When does registration open and close for our year of entry?
  • Where and when is the test held, and can a child sit it if they are not yet living in the UK?
  • What are the oversubscription criteria, and how is a home address assessed?
  • Do you accept applications from families who are relocating, and what evidence is required?
  • What happens if we are living overseas when the application deadline falls?

Registration deadlines vary between schools and can fall well before the autumn of the year of entry, so asking early matters more than anything else on this list. For families who have already moved or are about to, our guide to 11 plus maths tuition for families new to the UK covers the practical side of settling into the process.

Preparing Well While You Wait for Answers

Whatever the school replies, the maths preparation can begin straight away. The 11+ maths papers reward children who can read an unfamiliar word problem, work out what is being asked and choose a sensible method. That is a skill built over time, and it is one reason the bar model method is so well suited to the papers. Our article on 11 plus maths word problem strategies shows how this looks in practice.

Children educated outside the UK curriculum sometimes meet topics in a different order, or with different vocabulary. This is entirely manageable. A child who has studied maths in Singapore or an international school often has strong foundations; they simply need to see how UK papers phrase their questions. Our piece on Singapore expat 11 plus preparation explores this in more detail, and our YouTube channel includes worked examples of the question styles children meet.

How Online Tuition Fits Families Abroad

Because our lessons are held online, children can join from any time zone that works for the family. Our 11+ maths tuition programme runs in small groups, typically of around four to five children and with a maximum of eight, with every lesson led by a qualified teacher. 11+ group lessons are £25 per lesson, which is £100 per four-week cycle, with a minimum commitment of four paid lessons. One-to-one lessons are £70 per lesson.

Our approach draws on the Singapore tradition of building understanding gradually, using the same bar modelling methods that Bar Model Company teaches to schools. We can help a child prepare for the style of paper, but we cannot register a child for any school’s test, and we would always encourage you to confirm eligibility directly with the school. For families overseas, our page on online tuition for families abroad explains how lessons work across time zones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too late to start if we are not yet in the UK?

Not necessarily. Maths preparation can begin wherever you live, and many families use the months before a move to build confidence with UK-style questions. The deadlines that matter are the school’s registration dates, so check those first.

Do all grammar schools accept applications from overseas families?

Policies differ. Each school publishes its own admissions arrangements, and these set out how places are prioritised. The school itself, or your local authority, can tell you how a family living overseas would be treated.

Can online tuition prepare my child for a paper they will sit in person?

Yes, children can learn the maths and the paper style online and then sit the test at the venue on the day. We can also help children get used to timed practice, so the format feels familiar.

If you would like to talk through your child’s current level and how preparation might fit around your family’s plans, you are welcome to book a free consultation call with our team. It is a conversation, with no obligation, and we will always be honest about what we can and cannot help with.