78% in practice (our estimate, not a school figure)
About the GL reasoning test
Some areas (e.g. Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire) select using verbal and non-verbal reasoning only.
Stage
Paper
Questions
Time
11+
Verbal Reasoning
80
60 minutes
11+
Non-verbal Reasoning
50
40 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 GL reasoning test covers 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.
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 35 seconds
A four-letter word is hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next. Which two words hide it?
Skaters of all ages could meet, learn from one another and hold competitions.
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, of all
How to work it out
“fall” is hidden in “of all”: read the letters straight across the gap.
Check each pair of neighbouring words in turn, joining the last letters of one word to the first letters of the next.
Why the other options are wrong
A (ages could): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
C (Skaters of): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
D (hold competitions): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
E (one another): No real four-letter word runs across the gap between these two words.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
Which figure completes the grid?
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
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 Spalding Grammar School use?
Spalding Grammar School uses the GL reasoning test, which tests verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Check the school’s admissions page for the current arrangements.
What score does my child need for Spalding Grammar School?
Schools do not publish pass marks. As a guide, Prism suggests a child aims to score around 78% consistently in practice for a 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 Spalding 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 Spalding 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.