Maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
Competition
Highly selective
Prism’s suggested target
85% in practice (our estimate, not a school figure)
About the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test
Two papers sat in September of Year 6: Paper 1 (verbal skills) and Paper 2 (maths and non-verbal skills).
Stage
Paper
Questions
Time
Transfer Test
Paper 1: Verbal Skills
45
50 minutes
Transfer Test
Paper 2: Maths & Non-verbal
45
50 minutes
Paper formats are indicative and change from year to year. Always check the current arrangements with the school or local authority.
How to prepare
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test covers maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Most families start steady preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5, building accuracy first and speed later, then sit timed papers through the summer before the test, which usually takes place in September.
For maths, secure the Key Stage 2 arithmetic, fractions, ratio and problem solving before moving to the multi-step questions that separate the strongest candidates.
For English, read widely every day and practise comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar; selective tests reward precise word knowledge.
Verbal reasoning is a set of learnable question types, such as letter codes, hidden words and word analogies. Learning each type, then practising it against the clock, lifts scores quickly.
Non-verbal reasoning is about spotting patterns in shapes: rotations, reflections, sequences and matrices. Short, regular sessions work better than long ones.
Practice questions in the style of the test
Written by Prism in the style of the test, not taken from any school’s papers.
Question 1Aim for about 60 seconds
A counter is taken from the bag without looking. What is the probability that it is red?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, 213
How to work it out
There are 13 counters and 2 are red.
Probability = red counters ÷ all counters = 213.
Why the other options are wrong
A (1113): This is the probability of NOT getting red.
B (211): This compares red with the other counters (a ratio). Probability is out of all 13 counters.
C (13): This treats each colour as equally likely, but there are different numbers of each.
E (113): This is the chance of one particular counter, not of any counter of that colour.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
In this sentence, what word class is “climbed”?
Maya and her brother climbed the steep hill.
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, verb
How to work it out
“climbed” is a verb.
Verbs are doing or being words.
Question 3Aim for about 35 seconds
Which word is the odd one out?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, pea
How to work it out
The others are all metals; “pea” belongs with vegetables.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
Which figure completes the grid?
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
Across each row the shading changes in the same way; down each column the shape changes.
The missing figure needs the bottom row’s shape and the right column’s shading.
What entrance test does Dr Challoner’s Grammar School use?
Dr Challoner’s Grammar School uses the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test, which tests maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Check the school’s admissions page for the current arrangements.
What score does my child need for Dr Challoner’s Grammar School?
Schools do not publish pass marks. As a guide, Prism suggests a child aims to score around 85% consistently in practice for a highly selective school. This is Prism’s own estimate, not a figure from the school, and no score guarantees a place.
When should my child start preparing for Dr Challoner’s Grammar School?
Most families start in Year 4 or early Year 5, then practise timed papers during the summer before the test, which usually takes place in September.
Preparing for Dr Challoner’s Grammar School?
Prism starts with a free assessment across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then builds a weekly plan for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.